There’s a rock structure in Wairarapa made famous by Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films called the Pinnacles. There’s also a legendary Pinnacles walk on the Coromandel Peninsula.

But while Hawke’s Bay has no shortage of natural wonders - the likes of Lake Waikaremoana, Cape Kidnappers, and Te Mata Peak - our own Pinnacles-style rock spectacle goes well and truly under-the-radar.

It certainly looks similar to Wairarapa’s crown jewel, shaped neatly in the formation of a set of natural church organs.

But accessing it has been a constant challenge for visitors wanting to see it, due to its isolated location in the middle of the Mōhaka River.

And that’s not set to change either. The Department of Conservation says there is one “designated photo point”, but that is at the mercy of land lessee Pan Pac, which says the area is not open to the public at the moment.

So perhaps enjoy it, from here, on your computer or in your newspaper instead.

Off the beaten track

Tourism these days is, rightly or wrongly, geared towards quick Instagram snaps.

But if you want to get an easy picture up close with the Organs, unfortunately, you’re pretty much out of luck.

Malcolm Lock, senior heritage and visitors ranger in Hawke’s Bay for the Department of Conservation, said while ‘the Organs’ were located on public conservation land under DoC’s remit, no recreation work had been undertaken in the area.

“There are no tracks or visitor assets at the site, and the terrain is rough. DoC would advise people to only view from the designated photo point, and not attempt to go down to the rock formation,” he said.

“The only real access to view the formation is about 200m off Waitara Road, located on Pan Pac-managed land.”

In a statement, Pan Pac confirmed that this area wasn’t openly available for public use. It doesn’t appear any permanent viewing features are in the works.

“The land adjacent to which the Organs is located is owned by Ngāti Hineuru and leased by Pan Pac Forest Products. This area is not open for public viewing at this stage,” a statement read.

‘A great tourist point’

Naturalist and birder Art Hyde spotted the Organs earlier in the year and thinks there’s enormous potential to promote the site as a natural wonder, as well as put some resources towards the area’s development.

“It was very interesting. It’s all soft rock so it’s a pattern of natural erosion. I’d never seen it before or heard about it when I was a kid,” he said.

“Not that people were looking for things like that when I was a kid.”

He described the road to get near as being “like arteries” - fitting for a structure called the Organ - and said would be a great idea to get some more permanent visitor features and signage in place.

“It would be very good to get a couple of more permanent lookouts. If they improved the road a bit going through, I think it would definitely be a great tourist point.

“That whole area along the riverbank is a real asset. It really just needs a few boards and directions to it.”

What are the Organs actually made of?

“It’s a bit of a perplexing one,” geologist Dr Kyle Bland said.

“What we think it’s formed from is movement along the Mōhaka fault line. There’s probably been a fault line there for tens of millions of years.”

Bland said the Organs were vertical pinnacles (badlands) of crushed greywacke rather than the usual ‘papa’ sandstone seen in many other similar structures.

Rainfall dropping onto the hot rock has also helped form the pinnacle structure.

“There will be some parts that are ever so slightly harder than the others,” he said.

Years ago, Bland said he made an attempt to get to the structure on a research trip, but said it wasn’t an easy task.

“I had a crack many years ago when I was doing fieldwork out there. It’s steep, hard to get out from the river, and also hard to get through the forestry.”

He agreed the structure was little known, even to those in Hawke’s Bay, and he would support further promotion of it if landowners agreed.

“Anything you can do to promote the aspects of a place with geological history is good.”

He said anyone thinking about going to Waitara Rd should be mindful of logging trucks, property rights, and their own safety.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community.