Walk Details

NZ Walking Routes > Canterbury > Ashburton > Mt Somers - Sharplin Falls

Mt Somers - Sharplin Falls

Location

Access to Woolshed Creek is through Mount Somers township. Follow the Ashburton Gorge Road for 10.5 km then turn down the signposted road 3.5 km to Woolshed Creek picnic area – a large, grassy, sheltered picnic and camping area, with toilets and information panels.

Description

Sharplin Falls Track is a well-formed, easy walk suitable for people of modest fitness. From the carpark the track leads to a bridge across Bowyers Stream and follows it upstream for a short distance.

The falls can be reached two ways. One route is to follow the streambed. However, at times this may not be possible because of high water levels. The other route is to take the high-level track, going through the forest to a catwalk around a bluff, and then descending to the falls.

Bowyers Stream, named after an early Staveley sawyer, drops several metres over the Mt Somers southern fault system, forming a series of cataracts. The tracks rejoin at Goldsmith Rapids, making it possible to do a round trip.

Nature Trail
Time: 30 min

The trail begins with a crossing of Woolshed Creek and climbs up the true left river bank. The track continues up the valley following the stream bed, crossing it again to the right bank, ending with a climb out through the dross (old coal dust) screened from coal at the bottom of the jig.

Duration

0.45 hours

Level

Medium

Amenities

• Carpark

Source

www.doc.govt.nz

Discussion

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