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DOC Land
Altitude: 139m to 505m. Gain: 366m. Loss: 322m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey
Taking the sidecreek from the Big Unknown towards the saddle (identified as the 1st side-creek on the west upriver of a shingle fan dropping on the eastern side of The Big Unknown) The stream is small, narrow & scrubby – as usual. The route heads up the gully between the 2 forks, nearer the north one than the south – but we manage to miss the forks entirely – they are not obvious, and end up several hundred meters up the south branch, before cutting north across the face. We head up on a compass bearing towards the saddle through tall toetoe – great fun in the rain. At some point a DOC track cuts across this basin – we spot one triangle but can’t find the next -and cuts into the bush on the north side. We missed the tracks and a lot of bush bashing & compass work followed.. But once on the track, in the bush, it’s well cut, well marked all the way to the saddle. Where it stops. Descending the far side of the pass is fairly obvious, and the usual mixture of bush, supplejack & fern. Simply head down the initially dry valley until you find the stream, and follow it all the way to the Motu. It hardly warrants description: the usual mix of windfall, supplejack, slimy riverbed stones & waterfalls to be scrambled / sidled. The creek emerges right on the corner of the Motu, where the sedate river enters rocks and rapids as it swings south. A good, well used camp spot is tucked just inside the mouth of the sidestream, complete with tarp & chair. A handy spot to wait for the Motu to drop …