Tracking down a hidden, unnamed waterfall in a deep gully beyond Skerretts Creek.
Some time ago, a friend of mine, Tony Weir, alerted me to a waterfall in the middle of nowhere marked only on a single 2019 topo map. There appears to be no earlier reference to it on any mapping. It lay on a tributary of Skerretts Creek. I logged it as a future mission, and today’s conditions were perfect for an attempt at finding it. Given Tony was the one who spotted it on a map, it was only right to invite him along, and he was keen.
We started from the top of Sunny Grove and followed Skerretts Creek beyond the lower waterfall. There are three known waterfalls on this creek, Lower, Middle, and Upper, in that order. As we climbed the lower waterfall, we came across a pipe joint in the stream below. About halfway up the falls, it was clear a recent storm had dislodged it from its original position, with exposed concrete still showing the shape of the pipe join. This was part of an old water catchment that once supplied water to Wainuiomata residents.
We continued to the point where a steep tributary branches off to the west, between the lower and middle waterfalls. About a quarter of the way up this side stream, the hidden falls came into view. They were taller than expected, so we spent time photographing them and took a few shots with ourselves in frame to give a clear sense of scale.
With the photos done, we looked for a way up the waterfall. I made it most of the way up the falls, but the final section was exposed, with real consequence if you slipped. We agreed it was not worth the risk. Instead, we climbed the northern wall of the gully, which was very steep, but offered plenty of handholds.
Navigating upward, we were not able to safely descend, and when it did seem feasible, we were quite high above the tributary. So we decided to keep pushing uphill and leave the upper section of the tributary for another day. A top down approach might work in future, although picking the right gully from above would be a challenge. However, that uncertainty is part of the bush bashing experience. You do not always end up where you expect, and the real test sometimes is finding your way back out.
The gradient eased as we climbed to the point we didn’t need to use handholds, but it was still a grind. Just when it felt like we were nearing the top, there was always more to go. Eventually we gained the ridge and picked up a marked track. From its position, it appeared to be the Old McKerrow Track (McKerrow Ridge Track), no longer official but still maintained as a bait line. The question was whether we were above or below the Bivy Track junction because that would mark our proximity to Mount Crowther Track which would lead us to the top of Sunny Grove. We headed uphill to check, but found no turnoff, then dropped back and continued until we located the Bivy Track sign quite a bit down the track. From there it was clear. Another ten minutes along the Old McKerrow Track brought us to Mount Crowther Track, right where expected.
From there it was simply a matter of following this 4WD track back towards Sunny Grove. It is a steep descent and easy to lose footing on, and while neither of us went over, there were a few slips along the way. Eventually we reached the bottom and it was an easy walk back to the cars.
All up, a solid trip. Steep terrain, some dense native bush and open forest higher up slopes. But today’s attraction was a waterfall that likely sees few visitors. It is hard to say how many have stood there, but it could be the person who marked it on the topo map and us. At this stage, the falls appear to be unnamed, so I have called them Tony Falls, in recognition of the person who first identified them on the map and was the first to see them on this trip.
