Located in Mount Richmond Forest Park in the Marlborough region
The track is classified as a tramping track. It is steep and rough in places, particularly between Devil's Creek Hut and Foster's Clearing; boots are recommended.
Time: 2 hr
From the car park on Kiwi Road a well-graded track follows the eastern side of Bartletts Ridge before crossing the head of Bartletts Creek and climbing to the Foster Creek– Bartletts Creek saddle, known as Foster’s Clearing. A short side track leads east up the ridge to Foster’s Hut.
Time: 3 hr
Below Foster’s Clearing the track descends into the head of Foster Creek, skirting around its headwaters and crossing a series of slaty schist creeks. It then climbs to a saddle between Foster and Devil’s Creeks.
From this saddle the track climbs along the Devil’s Creek–Foster Creek ridge and then descends to the benched track of the main Wakamarina Valley. The hut is just five minutes away, in a large clearing on a terrace above the Wakamarina River.
Time: 2 hr
From Devil’s Creek Hut a benched track sidles above the river, eventually leaving the beech forest and crossing a burnt-over face to Doom Creek.
A bridge crosses Doom Creek before a short climb up to the benched track that leads to the road end at Butchers Flat.
The track is popular with experienced, beginner and family trampers, and mountain bikers.
The track is classified as an Advanced/Grade 4 biking track. Mountain bikers could complete the trip in one day, and it is best ridden from south to north.
This is a shared-use track. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.
Road access is also possible from Bartletts Valley.
Access to the track is via Wakamarina Road from Canvastown 9 km west of Havelock on SH6 between Nelson and Blenheim. This road is narrow, winding gravel road. There are also two steep fords near the campsite which are difficult for long campervans, vehicles with long overhangs and caravans.
The section of track from Butchers Flat carpark is no longer accessible to 4WD vehicles. Track users must park at the carpark and either walk or cycle to the track start.
Birdlife is varied and abundant and includes large numbers of tomtits and weka. Pigeons and tuis are more common at lower altitudes, while rifleman and brown creepers tend to be more obvious higher up.
Tall red and silver beech trees, rimu and kamahi form the forest canopy, with a pepperwood shrub layer and an understorey of dense crown fern. The range of altitudes, particularly on the Wakamarina side, affects temperature, the forest structure and tree size markedly.
You may also see carnivorous native land snail Powelliphanta. These ancient animals feed on worms at night are are themselves eaten by weka and introduced possums and pigs. Powelliphanta are completely protected; it is illegal to remove them or their empty shells which provide a source of all-important calcium for these unique giants.
Gold was first discovered in the Wakamarina River in 1860. However, it was not under 1864 that it was prospected and found to be one of the richest goldfields in New Zealand.
A number of tent towns sprang up in the valley and by July 1864 there were about 2800 miners working between Doom Creek and Canvastown. By the beginning of 1865 the boom was over and most of the miners had left for other fields.
During the 1930s about 150 miners worked the goldfield, but their number declined sharply after the Depression. More recent attempts (including using diving suits in 1960) have been quite successful in working deeper stretches of the river which were out of the reach of early miners. Today there has been renewed interest in mining and virtually the whole of the Wakamarina River is staked for claims.
Whakatū / Nelson Visitor Centre | |
Phone: | +64 3 546 9339 |
Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
Email: | nelsonvc@doc.govt.nz |
Address: |
Millers Acre/Taha o te Awa 79 Trafalgar Street Nelson 7010 |
Postal Address: |
Private Bag 5 Nelson 7042 |
Full office details |
Wairau / Renwick Office | |
Phone: | +64 3 572 9100 |
Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
Email: | renwick@doc.govt.nz |
Address: |
22 Gee Street Renwick Marlborough 7204 |
Postal Address: |
PO Box 51 Renwick Marlborough 7243 |
Full office details |
Waitohi / Picton Office | |
Phone: | +64 3 520 3002 |
Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
Email: | picton@doc.govt.nz |
Address: |
Port Marlborough Building 14 Auckland Street Picton 7220 |
Postal Address: |
PO Box 161 Picton 7250 |
Full office details |