I followed a creek to the top of the hill behind Sunny Grove and descended into the head of Nikau Valley.
Today was a continuation of my previous adventures, exploring more of the eastern hillside of Skerretts Gully (Sunny Grove) and over to Nikau Valley. I initially retraced much of the same route as my previous adventure 3 days earlier, until reaching a small waterfall on the hillside. However, this time I ventured south whereas last time, I headed up a different creek arm more to the north. Once again, the aim was to reach the old firebreak that once traversed the ridge, but to then connect with the Whakanui Track. According to Google Earth, the Whakanui wasn’t far from the end of the ridge.
From the waterfall, I climbed the steep slope and soon spotted a piece of corrugated iron wrapped around a tree, likely carried there by a past flood. This hinted at the possibility of a structure higher up. However, the creek became obstructed with supplejack, forcing me to ascend the hillside higher than the creek to get around it. I discovered a plateau onroute that seemed suitable for a structure, but there was nothing there. Eventually, the gradient the creek took eased, allowing me to return alongside the creek. I continued following the creek and climbing until the ridge and sky came into view.
I emerged onto the old firebreak from the 1970s and followed it briefly until it ended at a steep, bulldozed embankment. Memories came flooding back of walking this same firebreak to this very spot nearly 50 years ago. Beyond the embankment stretched untouched native bush, pristine and likely never logged. Continuing along the ridge proved challenging, as it descended sharply in multiple directions. After a few wrong turns, I corrected my course but still descended slightly too early, eventually finding the Whakanui Track not far below. Navigating the ridge was tricky because it wasn’t a straight path; it branched off into several small spurs, all descending except for the correct path. The dense forest made it difficult to discern the correct route though.
While ascending the Whakanui Track, I identified the exact point where the ridge actually intersects the track and made a mental note of the spot. From there, I headed east along the small ridge toward Nikau Valley, then descending a spur with a manageable gradient to get a better view. The descent was surprisingly easy, though occasional glimpses through the trees revealed that the valley floor was still far below. Encouraged by the ease of the route, I continued downwards, mindful of the risk that the gradient might steepen unexpectedly. Fortunately, the slope remained forgiving—except for the final stretch.
As I approached Nikau Creek, I found myself in a narrow gully with steep walls. Thankfully, the dense vegetation and vines provided ample support for the descent. Upon reaching the creek, I followed it downstream, admiring the lush surroundings adorned with Nikau palms. I began to wonder whether the entire valley was once covered in these iconic trees or if the person who named Nikau Valley had stood in this very location. Curiously, the official Nikau Creek Track shows little evidence of the palms that inspired its name.
Further downstream, I hit a steep section choked with supplejack, making progress impossible. I climbed out of the gully and over a small spur and crossed to another creek arm, which I followed until it merged with the first. From there, I continued downstream until I found the Old Nikau Creek Track. By this point, a stick had worked its way into my boot, so I looked forward to reaching an old bench seat with a geocache box underneath, in order to have a rest and remove the stick. However, I never found the old bench seat and instead arrived at the seats at the end of the official Nikau Creek Track. I must have missed the old bench when I came down the second creek arm.
The rest of the journey was straightforward, following official tracks back to the car at the Hine Road Recreation Area. I arrived earlier than expected, leaving me with an hour to visit family nearby.
