Careys Creek Track Voyage Tips and guide

Careys Creek Track is a tramping (hiking, bush walking) track about 20 km north of Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs from Evansdale, by Blueskin Bay, to Semple Road near the southern end of Silverpeaks Forest at Double Hill. It starts at a small public picnic area, Evansdale Glen, off State Highway 1 about 200 m north of the township of Evansdale.

All tracks are described here heading upstream or uphill. Careys Creek Track and its branches can be enjoyed in several ways:

• Walk in from either end, walk a loop of the two branch tracks, and head back again.
• Start at the Honeycomb Track entrance and go down one branch track, along the main track a short while, and back up the other branch.
• Start at either end, walk the full length, and get picked up at the other end.

The track requires a good level of fitness and some hiking experience — it is classified as a challenging walk. No permits are required to walk the track, though a permit is needed if you intend to hunt in the Careys Creek area. Tramping boots are essential, as the track is rough, muddy and crosses the creek repeatedly.

There are no shops, cafés or food services anywhere along the track. Bring all food with you. For the full route done as a day walk, a packed lunch and snacks are sufficient. There is no cooking infrastructure on the track, so carry a portable stove if you plan to cook.

Careys Creek runs alongside much of the track and is the only water source en route. As with most backcountry streams in New Zealand, treat the water before drinking — boiling, filtering, or purification tablets are all suitable methods. Carry enough water to cover the ridge sections of the Honeycomb and Rongomai Tracks, which are away from the creek.

The track is generally done as a day walk, with most parties allowing around seven hours for the full route. There are no huts, shelters or designated campsites on the Careys Creek Track itself. If you wish to extend your trip into the broader Silverpeaks area, the Jubilee Hut — managed by the Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club and accessible from Mountain Road — offers bunk beds and basic facilities, though it is not directly connected to this track.

The track is open year-round, but conditions vary considerably by season. Dunedin has a cool marine climate, with a mean annual temperature of around 11°C and rain falling on roughly half of all days. Summers (December–February) are mild and the most reliable time to visit. Winters bring frosts and occasional snow to the higher ground, and the exposed ridges on the Honeycomb and Rongomai Tracks can be particularly bitter. The creek is prone to flash flooding, so avoid the area during or immediately after heavy rain. Rain gear and warm layers are recommended at any time of year.

The track is muddy and slippery in places, with exposed rocks and roots, and crosses the creek numerous times — tramping boots are strongly recommended. A short section of the Honeycomb Track runs along an active logging road used by logging trucks; take care on this stretch. A permit is required to hunt on the conservation land within the Careys Creek area.

New Zealand has strict biosecurity requirements to protect its native ecosystems. Follow the Check, Clean, Dry procedure for all gear — check boots and equipment for soil, seeds and plant material, clean thoroughly, and dry before moving between catchments or conservation areas. Dogs are permitted on the track but must be kept under control at all times.

There is no public transport to either trailhead. Walkers doing the full point-to-point route typically leave a car at each end or arrange a pick-up. The entrances to the Rongomai and Honeycomb Tracks from the forestry road (Steep Hill Road) are not accessible by car due to a locked forestry gate; the last formed car park is on Steep Hill Road at the entrance to the Silverpeaks Circuit Track, approximately 5 km from the Honeycomb Track entrance.

• Evansdale Glen (southern end): Continue along State Highway 1 past the turn-off to Warrington. Access to Evansdale Glen Scenic Reserve is via a gravel signposted road on the left as the highway turns up the hill. Park in the gravel turning area before the ford — the road beyond is muddy and only suitable for four-wheel-drive vehicles. A pedestrian bridge crosses the creek from the car park to the track entrance.
• Double Hill Road (northern end): From Dunedin head north on State Highway 1 and turn left just after Waitati onto Double Hill Road, which becomes Semple Road. The car park is an open area on the right, signed as Careys Creek Conservation Area.

Map of Careys Creek Track

Careys Creek Track

 21.3 km

Starting from -45.71347170.56841 Evansdale Glen, the first section follows an old farm vehicle track (now prohibited and impassable to vehicles). This mostly runs along the "true right" (that is, as you are facing downstream) of the valley but briefly criss-crosses the stream for two brief stretches, as the easiest vehicle route was sought. This results in four river crossings. The first of these pairs of crossings can be avoided by a rougher alternate route which scrambles over a steep bluff and becomes gradually less distinct until the main track is rejoined at the second crossing.

The track continues up the "true right" bank for some distance, at one point scrambling over an old landslide of dirt and boulders.

The second pair of crossings takes the track over to the "wrong" side (the "true left") again briefly as the Kilmog Creek flows in from the north. Here the Careys Creek valley swings south. The track continues on its usual "true right" side of the valley to a signpost marking the junction of the -45.71212170.539211 Rongomai Track at the foot of Rongomai Ridge.

From here the track becomes a narrow foot track. This section probably dates back to the construction of a water supply pipeline in the early 20th century for a psychiatric hospital at Seacliff. After a short distance, an old dam of large stone blocks has been built over the creek. The dam no longer forms a lake as it has entirely filled with gravel and silt. There is a good waterfall over its crest. Further on, with interesting flora and fauna abounding, there is a 20-30 foot high dam with an impressive fall of water over the crest. Behind is a dark, dangerous-looking lake with a DoC sign warning of the danger of going too near. This is called Black Gully Dam and it has a steep path leading from its base up to a car-park on Doouble Hill Road. Many people leave a car at each end of this 7-hour walk so that they can avoid back-tracking. It's a very interesting walk with remnants of the old water-supply pipe often exposed. Much work has been completed on it by the Green Hut Track Group who claim to try to maintain tracks in this back-country area of Dunedin city.

Further up the valley from here the -45.72135170.538262 Honeycomb Ridge Track branches off. The main track continues south to the head of the Careys Creek valley. This southern section of the track, from the Honeycomb turnoff to the Semple Road carpark is by far the more interesting and follows the old pipeline closely. Previously little-used and often overgrown, it was extensively worked on in 2006 and is now clearly passable. Green Hut Track Group volunteers spent way over 700 hours clearing, benching and making it safer. The track passes another dam, Black Gully Dam (this one with a small lake) at the creek's source. The steps up from Black Gully Dam are steep and require caution. The track ends at a car park on -45.7516170.52393 Semple Road.

Rongomai Track has a steep climb from the valley floor up a ridge through dry native forest until the pine plantation is reached. Here the track continues as a forestry access road to -45.72224170.518834 Mountain Road. A short link before the end crosses over to Honeycomb Track, where during logging operations, walkers may be diverted for safety.

Honeycomb Track branches off further up the main valley and heads up steep climbs to emerge at a parking area opposite a quarry on Mountain Road. The sign here implies that both tracks start at this point, but Rongomai Track's starting point is actually a few minutes walk north along Mountain Road, where a sign marking the start can be found.

The nearest town is Waitati, a short drive south on State Highway 1, where there is a small store. Dunedin, about 20 km to the south, has a full range of services.