Gibbons and Muir Tracks are the section of Hillary Trail Te Ara Tūhura that joins Whatipu to the Pararaha Valley. It is about halfway between Whatipu and Karekare in the Waitakere Ranges.
The track starts from the Whatipu car park and runs in front of the campground to the steep hills and cliffs to the north. It winds up to the high ridge (280-metre total climb) above the coast. From there, it's an easy walk until the very steep drop down to the Pararaha Valley.
The first section of the track runs up through a forest dominated by several mature puriri trees. There are a couple of fantastic cliff-edge viewpoints that look along the coast and out to the Tasman Sea. Once on the ridge, it is an easy hike through mostly regrowth forest, including young kauri and rimu trees.
As you drop down into the valley, there is a fantastic view across the steep-sided valley. To the right side, you may see a waterfall cascading from the top of one of the cliffs after a reasonable amount of rain. Then, it is a steep series of steps, with a chain to help out if needed, down to the campground in the valley.
