Image: Jan Robertson | ©
Asbestos Cottage.
Asbestos Track

Located in Cobb Valley and Kahurangi National Park in the Nelson/Tasman region

Walk to an historic cottage (built 1897) that was home to a reclusive couple for nearly 40 years.

This track leaves Cobb Dam Road 2 km past the powerhouse and follows the old (now disused) asbestos mine access road. Initially it is a path, becoming a tramping track at the first slip.

At the old mine, rusting relics remind us of another era. Beyond the mine the track steepens and climbs for 30 minutes to rustic Asbestos Cottage, home for 40 years of Annie Chaffey and her intrepid, asbestos miner-husband, Henry.

From Asbestos Cottage you can return the way you came or continue on to join the Bullock Track after 30 minutes. It then winds along the Cobb Ridge. It crosses the Peel Ridge Route at Peat Flat, and traverses part of the flat before descending steeply to the road beside Cobb Reservoir. This trip takes 2-3 hr and is 6.8 km.

The ends of both tracks are on Cobb Dam Road, on route from Upper Takaka to the Cobb Reservoir. The narrow road is unsealed from the powerhouse - care is required and 4WD is recommended in winter due to ice and or snow. 

On-demand transport services are available to or from the Cobb - contact the DOC office for details.