Cockayne Nature Walk

Cockayne Nature Walk is a short loop through the wet, dense forest at Kellys Creek. Plan for about 0.6 mile (1 km) around the full circuit and roughly 30 minutes. DOC lists 850 m; the detailed mapped path and a walker’s account come closer to 1 km. From Kellys Creek car park, the track climbs to a bench on a small hill, then descends toward the highway before a short connector returns to the car park.

This isn’t a flat stroll. The path climbs steeply on rough, mossy ground with roots and steps, then drops back toward the creek flats. Uneven footing can be slippery when wet. The upper spur has a brief clearing and partial views toward Kelly Creek and the Otira River, but this is a forest walk, not a wide-open lookout. Recent visitors have found the route hard to follow, so get your bearings before leaving the car park.

High rainfall keeps this side of the pass lush: podocarp and broadleaf trees, vines, epiphytes, ferns and moss fill the loop. Near the top, poorer soils open the forest a little. Southern rātā flowers red in late summer, a good reason to look up as well as down at the slick tread.

The walk honors botanist Leonard Cockayne. In 1901 he drew attention to the threats facing the pass’s distinctive transalpine plants; his campaigning helped secure protection for the area and the national park established in 1929. It’s a fitting name for a short walk whose main reward is seeing how quickly the forest changes across the pass.

DOC reported a safety closure over deteriorating steps in 2023, and its 2024 records still listed the walk among tracks closed or not maintained. I couldn’t find an official reopening notice. Check directly with DOC before setting out; don’t assume the track is open.