Skull Gully Stream is a tributary of Wainuiomata River located within the pristine water catchment area.
Skull Gully Creek flows through a pristine podocarp and broadleaf rainforest in the upper Wainuiomata Water Collection Area, a protected catchment managed by Greater Wellington Regional Council. The forest is one of the most intact lowland ecosystems in the lower North Island and is home to ancient rimu, hinau, kamahi, rewarewa and kahikatea that have stood for centuries. Intensive pest control supports native birds such as North Island kiwi and robin, which have returned to the area from neighbouring reserves.
In 2020 a proposal was developed to create Puketahā, a 28 kilometre predator proof fence enclosing about 3,300 hectares of the catchment around Skull Gully and the Wainuiomata headwaters. A 2022 feasibility study found the project achievable, with total fencing costs estimated at around 42 million dollars. The sanctuary would aim to eradicate invasive mammals and reintroduce endangered species including kākāpō, rowi kiwi and hihi to a secure mainland habitat.
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