Hackett to Brook St via RocksIntermediate
Submitted by Dave Hall
Front country - easily accessible
Point to Point (one way)
Undulating, some big hills
Native bushPlantation/exotic forestRiversideOpen ridges/tops
Intermediate
8:00 (Slow)
6:00 (Moderate)
5:00 (Fast)
-11.7%
+10.8%
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
Please set your gender to see your position on the FKT leaderboards.
Men
Women
There are currently no female FKTs for Hackett to Brook St via Rocks.
Filter FKTs
The more , the harder the FKT will be to beat. Learn about Fastest Known Times.
Description
From the Hackett picnic area head across the bridge & up the forestry road. After 1 km, you will cross a swing bridge & then head off on your way up the single track. There are a few places where the river has eaten away at the track so show some caution. At approx. the 4 km mark you will come to a fork in the track, take the left branch towards Browning Hut (the right branch goes to Hackett Hut which is worth a look on another day).
From here you have a few river crossings, on low days you won't get your feet wet, you then head up & over a small hill & then drop down into a small gorge. Be careful here as you have to climb over some large boulders which can be slippery, you then have another river crossing & then head into a climb for a couple of km's before you reach Browning Hut at approx. 8 km.
After Browning Hut you have a very steep climb for 1 km & then a more steady climb through the bush before you come out on the open tops for a few hundred metres. On a clear day you will have a good view back towards Brightwater/Wakefield. You then head back into the bush for quite a few km's. There was quite a bit of windfall here a few years back but DOC have cleared a good path through. As you near Rocks Hut the track tends to be quite middy year-round & a lot of roots so good ankle twisting ground.
It's worth a stop at Rocks as this is a major stopping point on the TA Trail so a good chance to meet some tourists. From Rocks Hut head towards Dun Mountain Saddle, then drop down to the Coppermine Saddle & follow NZ's oldest railway line down to Brook St approx. 18 km away. The decent (as you would imagine being a railway line) is easy going so enjoy the run back to Brook St, Nelson. After approx. 6 km you will pass 3rd House, and then another 4 km or so you reach 4 corners (don't turn left here) & then on down to the Tantragee Saddle & follow the road or Codgers Trail down to Brook St.
Trail Community
Features of interest
The Dun Mountain Trail, NZ's oldest railway line
Make Up of Run
Technical Single Track: 30%
Moderate Single Track: 50%
Farm Road / 4WD Track: 20%
Route Data
Reviews:
Overlapping Runs
The following trails overlap with this run to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate Strava activity for each
Photos:
Your Trail Wishlist
All the runs that are on your To Do list (no limit).
Add to wishlist view wishlistWild Explorers
I did it!-
Access
Start at the Hackett Car Park. From Richmond head on SH6 towards Brightwater. Turn left onto Aniseed Valley Rd & head up over the hill. Follow this for several km over a couple of single lane bridges until to reach the signposted Hackett picnic area.
There is fair amount of parking space at the Hackett picnic area, but as this is not a loop you are better to get dropped here if possible. Although this is quite a busy car park/picnic area it is quite remote & I have often seen cars with broken windows.
29 km
38 minutes
No
No
-
Staying Safe
Moderate.
As per above take a left turn at the fork at 4 km. Also when running thru the bush after the clearing at the top of the large hill after Browning Hut there is one area where the markers are a little hard to spot so keep your eyes open
After leaving Rocks Hut head towards the Dun Saddle, NOT Middy Hut which is the opposite direction.
Very patchy.
Short-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Windproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map.
Good water until Browning Hut & then nothing until Rocks Hut, so make sure you fill up in the creek at Browning. You can then get water at Rocks Hut. From Rocks back to Nelson there are generally a couple of creeks across the track year round.
-
Post run indulgence
Numerous locations as the finish line is only a km or so from central Nelson City.
-
Sponsor this trail
See other runs nearby:
Cable Bay - Glenduan
Hunters Hut Mission
Coppermine Climb
Brook-Fireball-Maitai Loop
Stu's Monaco Marathon
Hackett - Rocks
Brook - Fringed Hill - 3rd House return
Involution Loop
Tahuna Trails
Dew Lakes Climb
Dun Mountain Loop
The Brook Fenceline
Maitai Cave Track
Flights and Sights
Sharlands-Central Road Loop
Grampians Grunt
Murderous Mangatapu
Fringed Hill Slugger
Scout loop
