Thread: Head of North Branch Ashburton walk in access advice sought

The area upstream of Comyns hut, beyond Round Hill Ck.
Is that a gorge or can you just walk up the stream bed ?

It looks as if there might be a gravel saddle route from around Turtle saddle into the head but can you walk right down it ?
Is there a way through the knarrly contours back onto the Te Araroa trail ?

I would be grateful for any advice / warnings / tall tales.

Here's a map:

@Husky1600 might be the best to answer this

I think most of that country is easy going. By the looks of the contours just hop out of the watercourse after leaving the te a trail on to bench country. We walked in Thru the other saddle and come upstream to comyns hut. Nice little round trip, saw goats in there.

Thanks, I'll take a few spare rounds then. Never hurts to reduce the goat population.

All of that country is accessible via the creek bed or the tops. Lots of open country, be prepared to glass a long ways. Access to the tops from Turton saddle is a slog, but not difficult, from there you can drop in to Petticoat Lane pretty much anywhere, or travel way further if you want. And there use to be a decent stock track out of Petticoat Lane to Round Hill Stream and then down to Comyns, can still follow it in most places. The goats tend to be downstream around Kings Drive and Boundary Creek. If you're coming up this way call in and say hi and I can draw little crosses on your map for you.

Thanks guys.
We had some average weather so didn't get over to that headwater but stayed around the A Frame Hut area.
Didn't see any animals, except a few hares. We couldn't easily get up into the highest tussock basins.

Here are a couple of pics to show what it's like.

This is the countryside on the true right downstream of the A Frame:


This hut has a few nice campsites around it and is a good sheltered hollow, although Te Araroa walkers do stay at the hut. It's all really clean and well looked after. Quite a long way to the loo if you're in a hurry ...

This is looking downstream from near Turton's saddle.
A 4WD road runs through it, but not in use.


For hunting this area, you need:
fitness and light pack
good long range glassing gear
a tent