Rocky Creek / Griffin Creek

After crossing the Taipo road bridge look for a pathetic attempt of a gate formed by baling twine and string strung across a 4WD track. Take this track to a clearing 50m distant which is used as an apiary. Park here or a further 20m down the  track if you're not keen on getting stung on a hot day! The 4WD track heads 10m down a bouldery shady cutting to a tiny pristine watercressed stream. Cross the stream and head via grassy clearings threatened with blackberry and gorse encroachments to the banks of the Taipo where cutty grass abounds. The route is marked with pink cruise tape to this point and takes about 10 minutes to walk.

Travel 200m up via larger boulders to a small side creek. Cross this and find track markers indicating the start of the track leading to the edge of a massive slip. The first thirty minutes of this track was recut in early 2010 but the rest needs recutting. The track initially follows the edge of the terrace, then follows it downhill briefly but suddenly changes tack and sidles across to Rocky Creek, initially following the creek uphill on the edge of a terrace on the true left of Rocky Creek then dropping down to a lower terrace and eventually to the bank of the creek. Here the track ends as it was taken out by a massive slip so enter the water for the first of several crossings. But be attentive for signs to pick up the track again downstream of a second larger waterfall.

The track starts on the true left in a greasy narrow section where it crosses a little level prominence, drops down to the river briefly (50m) then heads up a tiny waterfall to verdant bush, an open scarred section and enters the bush again for 200m. Finally it emerges in the open riverbed just upstream of a gorged section. Travel via the rocky riverbed on the true left until the river closes up again. If you are attentive, you can find blue dazzled bypass tracks but it is not necessary and no quicker to use them as they are quite overgrown.

Then basically travel up the river itself to a track just upstream of Rocky Hut just beyond a massive logjam of toppled trees. There is a track to the hut leading from downstream of the hut too, but it is overgrown and the river travel is just as quick. The hut is in an small clearing surrounded by mountain cabbage trees. From the hut travel upstream, taking care to choose the right tributaries as per the map. A cairn is marking one decision point. The creek narrows and gets quite clambery in places on black and white shist bedrock but suddenly opens to a silvery fine slip on the true left. Just past this slip, you will find indications of a steep short 50m track in forest, leading to the saddle via a boggy little trickle.

From the saddle the track used to be well defined in placesand steep, descending via little streams to attractive forested spurs with good markings bypassing waterfalls. There are windfalls unfortunately, making following the track difficult at times. Matthew has described the route more thoroughly. The gradient eases as you approach Griffin Creek. The main track from Mt Griffin crosses a side stream. Here you can pick up this track  which leads to the hut on the true right of Griffin Creek via a terrace. The hut is in an open clearing on a lower terrace 20m above Griffin Creek. It is a magical place and includes a bath down by the river.

From the hut, retrace the track to the second side stream downstream and cross this stream to travel on the true right for some distance before crossing Griffin Creek several times. A track starts about 45 minutes downstream of the hut. It climbs to point 974 and is quite steep, initially through boggy cutty grass, alongside a slip to magnificent rata forest, a lookout and then the mossy grassed tops where the rusting slimy water barrel deteriorates even further.

The track is a bit overgrown and needs TLC. Lots of people have made efforts to mark it in various ways. It is quite steep and can be followed with attentiveness. It eventually flattens out and sidles down to Harrington Creek. Cross the creek to the true left and pick up a track that takes you to the old moss covered section of highway 73 that can be used as a parking zone.

It would be a marvellous thing if anyone going in carried secateurs, loppers, and pruning or bowsaws and some form of track marking as following the track is getting to be a bit of a challenge. The CTC did the trip in March 2010 and with attentiveness were able to find the track after losing it a few times!