Careys Creek facts for kids
Carey's Creek, also known by its Māori names Whaitiripaku and Waihema, is a small river in Otago, New Zealand. It starts in the Silverpeaks mountains and flows into Blueskin Bay near Evansdale.
This creek helps drain the water from the Silverpeaks Forest and the Careys Creek Conservation Area. These areas have both planted forests and native New Zealand bush. State Highway 1, a main road, crosses the creek at Evansdale, close to a hill called The Kilmog.
Who Looks After the Land?
The land around Carey's Creek used to be part of a large area called "Silverpeaks State Forest." This forest was created in the 1960s and 1970s from land that wasn't good for farming.
Later, the native bush areas were separated from the planted pine trees. The native bush became the Careys Creek Conservation Area. This special area is now looked after by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
The pine tree plantations are now managed by City Forests Ltd. This company is owned by the Dunedin City Council. These planted forests are known today as Silverpeaks Forest.
The valley floor used to be grazed by animals. Now, native plants like grasses, brooms, willows, and manuka are growing back. This helps the area return to its natural state.
A Bit of History
A long time ago, the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum needed water. During the time Truby King was in charge, they built a pipeline to bring water from a dam. This dam was located at the very top of the valley, near Semple Road. You can still see rusty pieces of this old pipeline in some places today.
Fun Things to Do
You can start exploring the Careys Creek valley at a small public picnic spot. It's called Evansdale Glen and is just off State Highway 1. This spot is about 200 metres (656 feet) north of Evansdale.
- Careys Creek Track: This walking track follows an old farm road. It leads to the bottom of Rongomai Ridge. The track gets rougher as you go further along. It eventually becomes a narrow path that goes all the way to where the creek starts. This path ends at a car park on Semple Road. This part of the track might be the same path used when the old water pipeline was built.
- Rongomai Ridge Track: This track has a steep climb. It then continues as a forestry road, leading up to Mountain Road.
- Honeycomb Ridge Track: This track branches off further up the valley. It also has steep climbs and ends at a parking area on Mountain Road. From here, you can walk north along Mountain Road to find the start of the Rongomai Track.
