Bullock Road and Cave Creek

Bullock Creek Road is an old 1900s farm track that winds its way up though a magnificent limestone canyon...

passing through lush rainforest and flax wetlands before coming to the open old farm site with Mt Bovis in the background.  The short walk to Cave Creek starts from here and takes you through the beech forest and over a couple of ridges before descending into the gorge where the creek resurges.

Bullock Creek Road is the original farm track from the early 1900’s. It is a narrow gravel road that follows Bullock Creek as it winds its way through a limestone gorge to the old farm. Tropical rainforest surrounds both sides of the track before it opens up into a flax wetland where you can see the towering limestone canyon walls. Soon after crossing the bridge, the road finishes at the locked gate at the end of Bullock Creek Road.

The limestone cliffs finish here and the landscape opens up into beech forest and hills with Mt Bovis in the background.  Because this is a karst landscape there is a risk of limestone holes being hidden under the long grass; take care to stay on the marked pathways.

To reach Cave Creek follow the walking track from the gate to the T-junction and turn right - this takes you on to part of the Inland Pack Track. Follow the pathway until there is a turn off with a sign post indicating the Cave Creek/Kotihotiho track.

The grassy walkway from the turn off takes you through the beech forest and across a couple of ridges. There is plenty of birdlife around and friendly bellbirds and robins greet you as you walk by.

The track then descends down the wooden steps into a deeply incised gorge with ferns and huge green mossy boulders. This is where Cave Creek resurges after traveling though limestone caves underground.

In normal conditions the creekbed is dry and it is easy to climb over the boulders to where the creek emerges from underneath the rocks. However do not enter the creekbed if it is raining, as the water levels can rapidly rise with very little warning.