Wakamarina Track Blenheim: Goldfields Crossing of the Richmond Range

Last updated November 2026

The Wakamarina Track crosses the Richmond Range from the Wairau Valley to the Wakamarina Valley, following routes once used by goldminers, about 30 km from Blenheim. DOC grades it as an advanced tramping track and times it at 7 hours walked south to north, from the Kiwi Road car park to Butchers Flat.

DOC suggests it as a weekend trip with a night at Devils Creek Hut, and Fosters Hut sits just off the track near the top of the range.

Vehicle access on the Blenheim side has changed: when we checked on 18 October 2026, DOC’s track page said, “Kiwi Road access via Onamalutu to the Wakamarina Track is now open to walkers and bikers only.” Check DOC for the current access before you go, and tell someone your plans.

Track Facts

Practical Information

Start

Kiwi Road car park (Blenheim side, via Onamalutu Road); finish at Butchers Flat (Havelock side, via Wakamarina Road from Canvastown)

Distance from the city

About 30 km from Blenheim

Walking time

7 hr one way (south to north); DOC suggests an overnight at Devils Creek Hut

Track length

About 20.5 km (calculated from the DOC track line)

Grade

Advanced tramping track (DOC grade); mountain biking grade 3 to 5

Dogs

Dogs with a DOC permit only (maximum four dogs per party)

Huts

Fosters Hut and Devils Creek Hut (DOC huts); Butchers Flat campsite at the northern end

Managed by

Department of Conservation

Status

Open when checked on 18 October 2026. Check DOC before you go.

Track markers

On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.

About Wakamarina Track

DOC says the Wakamarina Track is popular with experienced, beginner and family trampers as well as mountain bikers. It is best walked or ridden south to north, starting on the Blenheim side and finishing in the Wakamarina Valley near Havelock. The track is steep and rough in places, particularly between Devils Creek Hut and Fosters Clearing, and DOC recommends boots.

From the Kiwi Road car park a well-graded track follows the eastern side of Bartletts Ridge, crosses the head of Bartletts Creek and climbs to the saddle known as Foster’s Clearing, about 2 hours in. A short side track leads up the ridge to Fosters Hut.

Beyond the clearing the track crosses the head of Foster Creek and a second saddle before descending to the Wakamarina Valley. Devils Creek Hut is five minutes from there, in a large clearing above the Wakamarina River, about 3 hours on from Foster’s Clearing.

The last stage, about 2 hours, sidles above the river on a benched track, leaves the beech forest, crosses a burnt-over face and reaches a bridge over Doom Creek, then climbs briefly to the track that leads to the road end at Butchers Flat.

The forest changes with altitude. DOC describes a canopy of tall red and silver beech, rimu and kāmahi, with pepperwood shrubs and dense crown fern underneath.

Birdlife is plentiful, with lots of tomtits and weka, pigeons and tūī lower down, and riflemen and brown creepers easier to spot higher up. You might also see the carnivorous native land snail Powelliphanta. It is fully protected, and it is illegal to take the snails or their empty shells.

Huts and Camping

Both huts are standard DOC huts. DOC lists Fosters Hut, on the main ridge of the Richmond Range, with 4 bunks, heating, mattresses, a non-flush toilet and untreated tap water.

Devils Creek Hut, roughly halfway along, has 6 bunks with the same facilities. Butchers Flat at the northern end is a standard DOC campsite with 20 tent sites, a non-flush toilet and untreated tap water. Boil hut and campsite water before use.

Gold Mining History and the Doom Track

Gold was first found in the Wakamarina River in 1860, but it wasn’t until 1864 that the field was prospected properly and proved one of the richest in New Zealand.

Tent towns sprang up, and by July 1864 about 2800 miners were working between Doom Creek and Canvastown. By early 1865 the rush was over. DOC says virtually the whole river is staked for claims today, so leave historic sites undisturbed.

The Doom Track (2 hours return) is a side trip from the Havelock end that follows an old water race built to carry water to the quartz-crushing battery of the Golden Bar Claim at Deep Creek. It crosses two deep, wide unbridged creeks that are at least knee height; DOC says not to cross during or after heavy rain. There are many mine shafts in the bush around the Doom Track and the main track, so stay on the track and keep children and dogs with you. Only the known shafts near the track are fenced.

Getting There

Blenheim side

Turn off State Highway 6 onto Northbank Road 6 km north of Renwick, which DOC puts 16 km from Blenheim. Follow Northbank Road for 5 km and Onamalutu Road for 11 km, past Onamalutu Domain to the Flowers Creek ford, then 5 km up Kiwi Road to the car park.

When we checked on 18 October 2026, DOC’s page said Kiwi Road was open only to walkers and bikers, not vehicles. DOC says 4WD vehicles can still reach the track via Bartletts Road/Bartletts Creek Road.

Havelock side

Take Wakamarina Road from Canvastown, 9 km west of Havelock on State Highway 6. It is a narrow, winding gravel road with two steep fords near the campsite that are difficult for long campervans, caravans and vehicles with long overhangs.

The track beyond the Butchers Flat car park is no longer open to 4WD vehicles, so park there and walk or cycle to the track start.

Mountain Biking

Mountain bikers can ride the crossing in a day. DOC recommends riding from Onamalutu Reserve at the Blenheim end to Canvastown at the Havelock end, about 45 km over 1–2 days, graded 3 (intermediate) to 5 (expert).

The Havelock end up to Devils Creek Hut is a popular shorter ride, mostly grade 3. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.

Where to Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Wakamarina Track take?

DOC times it at 7 hours walking south to north: about 2 hours to Foster’s Clearing, 3 hours to Devils Creek Hut and 2 hours to Butchers Flat. DOC suggests a weekend trip with a night at Devils Creek Hut.

How hard is it?

DOC grades it as an advanced tramping track. It is steep and rough in places, especially between Devils Creek Hut and Fosters Clearing, and boots are recommended.

Can I drive to the Kiwi Road car park?

Not via Onamalutu when we checked on 18 October 2026. DOC’s page said Kiwi Road access was open to walkers and bikers only, though 4WD vehicles can still reach the track via Bartletts Road/Bartletts Creek Road. Check DOC before you go.

Which huts are on the track?

Fosters Hut (4 bunks) near the top of the range and Devils Creek Hut (6 bunks) in the Wakamarina Valley. Both are standard DOC huts with heating.

Can I mountain bike the Wakamarina Track?

Yes. It is a shared-use track graded 3 to 5, best ridden from Onamalutu Reserve to Canvastown over about 45 km.

Are dogs allowed?

Only with a DOC permit, up to four dogs per party. Contact the Nelson Visitor Centre for a permit.

Are there hazards to know about?

Changeable weather at altitude, unbridged creeks on the Doom Track that rise after rain, and old mine shafts in the bush. Stay on the track and keep children and dogs close.

Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.

Sources and data notes 1

• Track Facts: Track facts and line: Crown Copyright, Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026, CC BY 4.0. Elevation: LINZ (LiDAR), CC BY 4.0.