A Gorge(ous) day out

Middle Hill – Three Gorges, Kaweka FP, Saturday 29 August 2026
Banner Photo: “… shapes mimicking rock formations, pressured and thrusting out of the ground like a tectonic plate.” The patterns and colours on one of the trees brought down in the February storm

This is a story of ups and downs, highs and lows. Well, actually, no lows; as winter fades and spring weather starts to warm things up, it’s just good to be out. The Three Gorges route in the northern Kawekas fits the bill.

Four of the five

It’s a loop running from Makino car park to Middle Hill car park on Makahu Rd.  Neither Makino Hut nor Middle Hut are situated on the track, but Middle Hill is only five minutes off the main route, so easy enough to visit on the way.

We chose to walk counter-clockwise and our group of five set off from the car park at 8.30am with the weather expected to clear but some cloud and drizzle still hanging about.  There had been a lot of potholes on the way in and rain during the previous night had made the dirt road slick with soft and slippery sections – not ideal for a two-wheel-drive van.

First, the ups.  If you have done this route, you know that there is no gentle introduction; just straight into a climb, nothing too taxing but it is straight up the spur to the ridgeline. The gradient eases after about half an hour and the track becomes a carpet of sphagnum moss with ferns and other lush greenery, and even the occasional rimu.

Distant views from Makino Ridge

We crested one ridge, ready for the picture-perfect scenery; well, you could just about see the ridgelines in the distance and the bush canopy was keeping the drizzle at bay. About 90 minutes in, we paused at the track turn-off and had a quick morning tea.

Now, the downs. It was fairly steep and soft underfoot, so careful boot placement was required and then we took a hop, skip and jump across the small stream at the bottom of the gorge.

We had been checking and clearing traps as we went, some being easier than others to check at a glance.  We had two winners – no bingo drama, but any score with traps is a good one.

Once we reached the top on the other side of this gorge, the terrain flattened out and we had a great walk through an area recently cleared by DoC personnel.  There had been a lot of storm tree-fall in this area and the track had been a significant challenge to navigate before the clearance.

DoC has done a great job and its work was extensive.  Really interesting were the woodworm patterns on some of the cut trunk portions, along with the rich colours of the fallen native timber. One grand old tree, looking as if it was spilling its innards, had shapes mimicking rock formations, pressured and thrusting out of the ground like a tectonic plate.

That was the fun part. Now for two more gorges of ups and downs, steep and challenging.  We stopped at the bottom of the middle gorge by the stream for 20 minutes to recharge. There was a brief discussion on whether it was better to climb on a full stomach or wait until we got to the top before stopping. The drizzle had gone and there was even an occasional glimpse of sun, so we chose to stop at the bottom, for lunch.

The first gorge, but second stream crossing (from Makino Ridge)

Off and upwards we went again. On the descent into the last gorge, it became very slippery and soft as the track approached the stream.  Feet became wet as we crossed, and then it was a grunt to the top.

You might think that we were all done with the Three Gorges route by then, but we were only two thirds through and it had just passed 2 o’clock. We had made good time, and no one wanted to skip the five-minute detour up to Middle Hill Hut.

Then we headed down the hill towards the car park. At the end of the day, this track becomes slightly tedious as it undulates along the ridge before a steepish drop to the bridge and then along the side of the stream until the car park is reached.

Jenny, who’d joined us for today’s expedition, had moved the van down to the lower car park, so we didn’t have to walk along the road to complete the circuit.  (She had been doing her own adventuring while we tackled the gorges.)

The Three Gorges is a gorgeous walk: there are lots of ups and downs and it’s quite a long day – but great all the same.

Trampers: Paul Hendy, Juliet Gillick, Georgia Van de Loo, Craig Mountfort (story and pictures),  Jenny Burns and Alison Greer