Weekend Walkabouts: The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ

Mission accomplished!, Mac & I said to ourselves high-fiving, as we returned to the car just 8 hours (and 16km!) after leaving it. During that time, we had done the famous trek to the Pinnacles – the highest peak of the Coromandel Peninsula. This trek took us through many different microclimates (lush forests, damp ‘jungle’-esque trees, dry & sandy trails), and eventually up to an elevation of 759m – to the glory of the track: The Pinnacles. But let me back up a bit here.

We left Auckland around 9am on Sunday morning and headed to Thames in the Coromandel Peninsula. From the edge of Thames, you take a 30 minute drive on gravel roads through the forest along Kauaeranga Valley Road right until the road end – which is conveniently the start of the Webb Creek Track to the Pinnacles Hut! We set off at 11:00am and were very quickly met with several groups of families heading back down (who had slept at the Pinnacles Hut the night before). Also very shortly into the track is a river crossing! Fortunately here, as well as at almost every other river crossing on the track, there was a suspension bridge “Flood Detour” option.

The track leading up to the Pinnacles used to be an old logging route during the kauri logging era, so the steps that were carved into the rock were there to make it easier for the packhorses. After a while, we arrived at Hydro Camp and from there it was only another hour to the Pinnacles Hut. It was along this route that we got our first glimpse of where we were headed – talk about intimidating! (FYI, it’s the giant rocks way, way up on the left hand side in the third picture!)

The Pinnacles Hut is an amazing facility – it houses many picnic tables, a BBQ, a full kitchen & dining area, showers, toilets, and 2 dorms that sleep up to 80 people! After a quick lunch here, it was time to head up to the Pinnacles! The start of the route is a fairly easy-going flat trail, but that quickly changes into quad-crushing stairs (553 of them to be exact…). Many “picture breaks” were definitely needed on the way up.

Once the stairs end, the real climbing begins! We climbed steep ladders, and even up rock faces with rungs drilled into them.

With some interesting manoeuvring between rocks and under tree branches, we finally made it to the top!! And wow, what a thrill!! The scenery below us was unbelievable. We could even see the town of Tairua in the distance.

We spent a while up there gazing around before realizing that time wasn’t especially on our side and decided we should probably start the long journey back. We walked until Hydro Camp again, but instead of taking Webb Creek Track, we took the longer Billy Goat Track back to the car park. The track begins with a steady 40 minute uphill climb which actually had us questioning if we were on the right trail! We were supposed to be going downhill!!! Eventually the track started going downhill, and at one point we saw the remains of one of the rail tracks used in the logging area to transport timber up and down the steep slopes.

Remember before how I mentioned that there were flood detour bridges for almost every river crossing? Well the exception to that statement was the last crossing right before we reached the car park. The bridge was removed late last year due to flood damage making wading across the only viable option. So, we briefly sidelined our socks and shoes and waded through the very cold river. Lucky for us, it hadn’t rained recently, otherwise this crossing would have been fairly dangerous – the current was strong even when we crossed!

From the river, it’s only 300m up the road to the car park. We collapsed on the ground and had a good portion of the dinner we had pre-packed before tackling the 2 hour drive back to Auckland. We got home at 9:30pm, making it a full 12 hour day! We basically went right from the car to the shower and then straight to bed. I was sore the next morning (that’s a bit of an understatement!), but this day hike was one of my favourites to date! I highly recommend the Pinnacles for anyone in Auckland as a day trip!