Cobb Power Station

Sitting in mountainous terrain on the Takaka River the reservoir feeding the Cobb Power Station is the highest in the country being 808 metres above sea level.. Powered by Pelton wheels the Cobb station is fed by two 4 kilometre (km) long steel penstocks providing a head of 593 metres.

Thestation took 20 years to build and has a fascinating history. An article in Stuff explains how the powerhouse turbines were automated in the 1980s and are now largely controlled from current owner Trustpower's headquarters in Tauranga.

According to DOC "The Cobb Valley region is one of the most interesting in the country for trampers and naturalists."