About | Pinnacles Walk (Kauaeranga Kauri Trail)
The Pinnacles Walk is a popular walking track and it’s easy to see why. Swing bridges, a wonderful (but also hard) walk up to enjoy amazing views of the Coromandel Peninsula. This can be done as a day walk or an overnight walk, with younger children it might be nicer to split it up and stay overnight.
There are two different ways you can go before the tracks link up at the junction – the Webb Creek Track (2 hours) or the Billy Goat Track (3 hours). From the junction, it’ll be another hour to the hut and from the hut another 45 minutes to the pinnacles. The track from the hut to the pinnacles is really spectacular so it won’t feel like 45 minutes. A lot of people like to head up there for sunrise/sunset and either go up or come back down in the dark so bring torches if you want to catch the golden hour.
Stop in at the Kauaeranga Visitor Centre on the way there if you have questions.
Please be a tidy kiwi and leave no trace.
No dogs.
Pinnacles hut
- The hut has 80 bunks and this is split up into two large, divided rooms.
- They have a toilet block close to the hut which can be accessed by a boarded walkway. Toilet paper is supplied. Two sinks and soap provided.
- There is a cold water shower and sinks outside the shower – a great place for brushing teeth and freshening up.
- Non-paying guests can use the toilets and picnic tables at the hut but not the kitchen facilities.
- There are 6 double gas hobs, kettles and sinks. Scrubbing brushes, cleaning cloths and dishwashing liquid, too. Inside, they have about five tables to eat at, but when this is fully booked they can fill up pretty quick, especially on a cold day when no one wants to sit outside. There’s a nice, warm fireplace inside and this place quickly becomes the hangout spot because this is also the only spot that has lights. You’ll need your torches when it gets dark to navigate the room and toilet.
- The rooms have no heating. And being so high up it can get quite cold so don’t forget to bring layers.
- They usually have lots of pots, pans and utensils in the kitchen but it seemed like this was taken away because of Covid-19.
- Don’t forget that you’ve got to take all of your rubbish back with you. Keep this in mind when you’re thinking of what you’re going to bring. This means orange peels and food scraps as well.
- Book a few weeks in advance, the hut usually books out quickly, especially weekends.
Nearby
Hoffmans Pool
Location
As you head towards the Pinnacles Walk, turn off the main highway, through a small rural town and past the Kauaeranga Visitor Centre.
Photos
The Pinnacles had been on the bucketlist for far too long so we were so happy to have finally been able to do it! The first hour of the track is made up of slight ups and downs, mostly on flat gravel and with some fun swing bridges. And the kids loved the swing bridges! The second half is made up of uneven stairs, some very high and slippery when wet. Though pretty, awkward to climb up and down. When you get to the junction, you’ve only got an hour left to the hut. Here it gets pretty rocky and again, awkward to walk along.
It took us about 3 hours to get up to the hut, including rest stops and a quick stop for lunch. There aren’t too many good places to stop for lunch especially when you’ve reached the stairs but we found a nice rock to sit on. Coming back down it took 2 hours from the hut back down to the car park.
People walking down from the tracks were always really surprised to see two young boys jumping up the steps – with backpacks on. They were like, “Wow! I wish I had so much energy!” That sure made the boys happy and motivated them to keep going. And they really did have heaps of energy, the boys were always upfront, and most of the time, waiting for us to catch up. It quickly turned into a little game.
Finally reaching the hut, we saw that the warden would be in at 2:30 so ended up having to wait an hour for her before we could go in, so we sat at one of the picnic tables in the warm sun, brought out some snacks and Pokemon cards.
The boys were the only kids staying at the hut, the next youngest being young teenagers and most of the other guests being young adults. The boys were disappointed at first that they wouldn’t have any other kids to play with but they soon made friends with two couples who were bunking next to us. They always make friends so easily.
The plan was to go up to the pinnacles at sunset and watch the sun dip below the horizon, but the weather was getting worse and it was already cloudy so we decided to go up earlier.
The walk to the pinnacles from the hut was supposed to be about 45 minutes. But as we neared the pinnacles and started the climb, we forgot all about time. There are ladders that help with the climb up but no barriers so stay close to the kids if they’re coming up with you.
Dinner time came around and we made our way to the kitchen where a roaring fire was going – it was super warm inside. If only that heat could have made it’s way to the rooms! Looking in our bags, we discovered that we’d forgotten our pot so we looked around in the kitchen, hoping to find some – we’d read that lots were left behind. However, the benches seemed to be empty this time, then luckily, we found a set of huge pots, big enough to feed the whole hut. It would have to do. It was busy in the kitchen and lots of groups of people had made there way there and were sitting at the tables, washing dishes and heating up their dinner on the gas hobs.
As the sky grew darker, we found our way to our bunks and huddled in. Delightfully surprised, everyone was polite, came in quietly and went straight to sleep after hanging out in the cosy kitchen.
Early in the morning, we heard others rustling around as they got ready to make their way up to the pinnacles for sunrise. The weather was supposed to be windy and cloudy so we didn’t bother, though I definitely would have been up there to greet the sun if the weather had been better.
We truly loved doing the Pinnacles Walk, and yes, even the kids! They loved getting to the top, climbing those ladders and going on a real adventure and were hopping all the way back down the hundreds of steps on the way down. Definitely recommend!
