Kaituna Track

The track begins at the car park at the end of Carters Road and extends all the way to Westhaven Inlet on the West Coast, a challenging 8–9-hour trek. Most visitors opt for shorter walks, such as a 20-minute stroll to the old Kaituna gold workings or a 2-hour return trip to Kaituna Forks. From the car park, cross Little Granity Creek via a footbridge and follow the farm track for 400 meters to the start of the trail. A short side track showcases remnants of gold sluicing operations, water races, tailing piles, and a small cave before rejoining the main track. Beyond Kaituna Forks, the trail transitions into a marked "route," suitable only for experienced and fit trampers. The river crossing at the forks becomes impassable during floods, so caution is advised. Strong navigation skills are required as the route is unmaintained. The route continues for another 5–6 hours, climbing two ridges and crossing two streams before traversing an open pahiki area to the base of Knuckle Hill. Here, it connects with an old logging road that descends to the car park on Dry Road.

Use these locations on Google Maps to help find your way to the start of the track on Carters Road , and the end of the track on Dry Rd.

We encourage you to continue gaining the skills and knowledge required for a safe trip. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has lots of free resources and information you can use. These can be accessed via www.mountainsafety.org.nz . We recommend trying these online learning tools: Trip Planning Tramping / field Skills Basic Navigation River Safety Additionally, check out the range of helpful videos available from the NZ Mountain Safety Council YouTube channel

No dogs.