Chaffey Hut is a basic hut located in the Cobb Valley halfway between Trilobite Hut and Fenella Hut. It can be visited as a day walk or as an easy overnight tramp.
| Details | |
| Length | 5.6 km from Trilobite Hut; 7.1 km from Fenella Hut |
| Time Required | 1 hr 30 min from Trilobite Hut; 2 hr 30 min from Fenella Hut |
| Trail Type | Tramping track |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate |
| Uses | Walking and trail running |
| Start Elevation | 830 m |
| Finish Elevation | 890 m |
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Cobb Hut and Fenella Hut
Walking and trail running
Trilobite Hut (Cobb road end)
Walking and trail running
2 hr 30 min from Nelson
From Richmond, head west along State Highway 60. After you’ve driven over Takaka Hill, turn left at Upper Takaka onto Cobb Dam Road, and follow it up Cobb Valley and over the ridge to Cobb Reservoir. The road is very narrow and has steep drop-offs to Takaka River below, so you must drive with caution. The road is unsealed from the turbine house, and reaches 1100 m elevation at Cobb Ridge, meaning snow and ice can be present throughout the year. Descend to the reservoir and follow the road along it all the way to Trilobite Hut, where there is a parking area.
Cobb Valley Track begins at Trilobite Hut, and heads up the floor of Cobb Valley. Staying on the true right of the Cobb River, the track alternates between open grassy meadows and beech forest on the flat-bottomed valley floor, and follows a very gentle uphill gradient. Along the way you will enjoy views of the ranges that bound the valley, with Mt Benson particularly prominent ahead.
Chaffey Hut is located a short distance from a bend in the Cobb River. It was originally named Hannah Creek Hut after the nearby watercourse, but was renamed Chaffey Hut after Henry Chaffey. The hut was built in 1953, a year after Henry Chaffey’s death, by forest ranger Jack McBurney. It is made of hand-cut red beech logs. In the following decades it fell into disrepair until 2012 when it was restored by the Golden Bay Deer Stalkers Association.
| Chaffey Hut | |
| Hut Type | Basic Hut |
| Capacity | 3 |
| Bookings | Not required; first in, first served |
| Fee | No fee |
| Altitude | 890 m |
Beyond Chaffey Hut, Cobb Valley Track continues up the valley to Cobb Hut and Fenella Hut (2 hr 30 min away).
Chaffey Hut is a basic hut located in the Cobb Valley halfway between Trilobite Hut and Fenella Hut. It can be visited as a day walk or as an easy overnight tramp.
| Details | |
| Length | 5.6 km from Trilobite Hut; 7.1 km from Fenella Hut |
| Time Required | 1 hr 30 min from Trilobite Hut; 2 hr 30 min from Fenella Hut |
| Trail Type | Tramping track |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate |
| Uses | Walking and trail running |
| Direction | Either |
| Start Elevation | 830 m |
| Finish Elevation | 890 m |
2 hr 30 min from Nelson
From Richmond, head west along State Highway 60. After you’ve driven over Takaka Hill, turn left at Upper Takaka onto Cobb Dam Road, and follow it up Cobb Valley and over the ridge to Cobb Reservoir. The road is very narrow and has steep drop-offs to Takaka River below, so you must drive with caution. The road is unsealed from the turbine house, and reaches 1100 m elevation at Cobb Ridge, meaning snow and ice can be present throughout the year. Descend to the reservoir and follow the road along it all the way to Trilobite Hut.
Cobb Valley Track begins at Trilobite Hut, and heads up the floor of Cobb Valley. Staying on the true right of the Cobb River, the track alternates between open grassy meadows and beech forest on the flat-bottomed valley floor, and follows a very gentle uphill gradient. Along the way you will enjoy views of the ranges that bound the valley, with Mt Benson particularly prominent ahead.
Chaffey Hut is located a short distance from a bend in the Cobb River. It was originally named Hannah Creek Hut after the nearby watercourse, but was renamed Chaffey Hut after Henry Chaffey. The hut was built in 1953, a year after Henry Chaffey’s death, by forest ranger Jack McBurney. It is made of hand-cut red beech logs. In the following decades it fell into disrepair until 2012 when it was restored by the Golden Bay Deer Stalkers Association.
| Chaffey Hut | |
| Hut Type | Basic Hut |
| Capacity | 3 |
| Bookings | Not required; first in, first served |
| Fee | No fee |
| Altitude | 890 m |
Beyond Chaffey Hut, Cobb Valley Track continues up the valley to Cobb Hut and Fenella Hut (2 hr 30 min away).
Cobb Hut and Fenella Hut
Walking and trail running
Trilobite Hut (Cobb road end)
Walking and trail running
Updated 23 March 2022