Time: 4 hours and 20 minutes (includes copious photo taking and admiring scenery)
Distance: 8.5 km
Start: Cave Stream car park, West Coast Road, State Highway 73
Finish: Same place, it's a key-shaped walk
Date: Friday 18th September 2026
Elevation gain: 577 m
Warning: Dodgy paths, river crossings, rockfall danger, closed for lambing 14th Oct - 1 Dec (see https://castlehillbasin.co.nz/teapot)
Distance: 8.5 km
Start: Cave Stream car park, West Coast Road, State Highway 73
Finish: Same place, it's a key-shaped walk
Date: Friday 18th September 2026
Elevation gain: 577 m
Warning: Dodgy paths, river crossings, rockfall danger, closed for lambing 14th Oct - 1 Dec (see https://castlehillbasin.co.nz/teapot)
Wow! A perfect day to head towards snowy peaks and soak up some stunning scenery at Prebble Hill. It all started in the Toyota Wish, hurtling across the Canterbury Plains / Kā-Pākihi-whakatekateka-a-Waitaha, having a good laugh about hard case names from school days, for example the woodwork teacher Mr. Wood, and the Down family (Bob, Neil and Heidi).
We parked at the Cave Stream Reserve car park and walked on the wide touristy path for about five minutes to the cave entrance (i.e. where the water enters the cave). From there, I know of a "secret" rock-climbers path that winds through narrow gaps between large rocks and pops out just downstream from the cave exit (i.e. where water leaves the cave). We set to it, stepping off the safety of the touristy path and into the unknown, following a mere scrap of a trail. There was a bit of scrambling to be had, and at one point we were crossing a collapsing scree slope - so it all felt rather adventurous and simultaneously slightly dodgy.
After about 10 minutes of uncertainty we were standing at the edge of Cave Stream with no alternative but to cross. After recent snow, the water was bubbling along at a furious pace. We linked arms and arrived without mishap on the other side. The experience was neither a dry- nor a bare-footed undertaking by any means. On the true river right, there is a fairly easy grassy path to follow which, every now and again merges with the stony riverbed. We spied fossils and lignite and crystals. According to the Department of Conservation / TePapa Atawhai, the whole area was once (30 million years ago) a shallow sea. Compressed sediment was eroded by wind and water, forming today's stunning karst landscape. We made our way slowly to the confluence with the Porter River where we had no alternative but to cross.
The crossing technique for Porter River was roughly in the same vein as that for Cave Stream. Three in a line, with the one upstream trying to shelter the others from the brunt of the current. Even so, we had to take it slow so as not to lose one's footing. On the other side Kim emptied water from her waterproof boots and wrung her socks semi-dry. A herd of black cows watched us intently from a distance. I use the word "cow" here in a generic sense, and we had some discussions about what they actually were. The word "bull" was bandied about [alarum!!], but on closer inspection they had no balls.
We were now squelching along a rough "cow" trail on the true right of the Porter River. At a swampy bit Jane stepped into deep mud. Then it was an easy ascent to a saddle or plateau of sorts, with fabulous views down to the gorge below.
Finally we were up amongst the rocky field of Prebble Hill. If the scenery was lovely up to this point, from here on in it was like: WOW! A grassy landscape strewn with massive limestone boulders in all shapes and sizes. Tertiary tuffs. We decided to climb up through the middle of it all to the "teapot" - a large slab of rock topped with a "spout" - popular with rock climbers. It could be seen sticking out in the middle of a sea of scrub and boulders. We could also see two black "cows" ambling about. We followed our nose and found an easy passage through it all. Plenty of cow shit underfoot, but no face-to-face bovine interactions.
Jane managed to leap wide gaps and get to the base of the teapot. Close up, I thought the whole ensemble resembed the back of Batman's masked head. Others described the spout as "Mother Mary" and I'm inclined to agree. We stopped for lunch and soaked up magnificent views. To the south: Torlesse Range and "The Gap". North: Gorge Hill and West: Castle Hill Village. By now, we had run out of superlatives and we were reduced to repeated utterances of "Awesome!", "Amazing!", "Wow!" To top it off, Kim flourished Whittaker's Almond Dark Chocolate and we munched happily. The icing on the cake so to speak.
After lunch we climbed to the rocky skyline ridge, in the direction of the half moon. Under a mushroom-shaped formation, I thought I found traces of fire - the ahi kā - but on closer inspection there were blackened lines of moisture. We were seeing recognizable shapes everywhere: surfing waves, a whale fluke; a rhinocerous, a camel, an upside down lizard, and a giant johnson. There was a narrow gap to squeeze through then we were soon standing at the massive drop-off to the east.
We walked along the cliff edge for awhile pausing at the nifty overhang for a gazillion photos. It all looked rather more dodgy when viewed from below. At some point we took a rough steep trail down through matagouri. The sun was shining hotly and alpine grasshoppers were jumping. We circumnavigated more "cows" at the bottom and headed for the river.
The Porter River was hurtling along at a furious pace but we all shuffled across no worries and we were soon striding alongside Cave Stream. Terns were dive-bombing for fish in the river, and swallows were flitting about over our heads.
We linked up for the final Cave Stream crossing then we were back on the rock-climbers "secret" trail crossing the dodgy scree and scrambling up through the boulders. We checked out the Cave Stream entrance and removed wet shoes at the car. A sandfly flew into my left eyeball and disappeared into the socket within the blink of an eye. Little bugger.
On the way home we stopped at the Springfield Hotel for a coffee (actually procured from the garage across the road) and an ale (hazey dazed and confused). It was so lovely sitting in the sun outside after such an epic walk, flicking through copious photos and chatting about how important it is to enjoy the little things, seize every day, and appreciate the party girls in your life.
