My personal opinion of the various Great Walks
As I have said on this site before I am working my way through the various Great Walks, so far I have walked ten of the eleven. Many do not feature on these pages as the trips occurred back in the late 1980s & early 1990's. Back then I seldom carried a camera so no photographs to enliven a post. The exception was the Tongariro Northern Circuit where I snapped half a dozen black and white photos.
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Whariwharangi Hut at the northern end of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track
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I thought it might be useful to say a few words about my experience on these various tracks, this is my opinion only you can decide for yourself by walking the track.
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| Onetahuiti Beach, Abel Tasman Coastal Walk |
Anyway I shall start with the first Great Walk I tramped and work my way through the other tracks I have completed over the intervening years...
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| The bridge over the Kohaihai River...start/finish of the Heaphy Track |
Update: Ha, ha, ha...nice one DOC and Minister Eugenie Sage. Soon to be 11 Great Walks, the Humpridge Track is going to become a Great Walk after a $5 million upgrade to the track and huts. I would imagine we are looking at late 2021 or 2022 before it opens in that guise.
The Great Walks I have tramped...
Some of these tracks were walked a long time ago, specifically all the North Island tracks. I was in the Army in the late 1980's and early 1990's and based in the North Island. The comments would be more relevant to the track conditions at the time rather than now. I am also a bit hazy about dates as it was nearly 30 years ago I remember the year just not the month, day etc.
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| Te Pukatea Bay, the most photographed point on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track |
Many of the following photos are not mine so I have noted the source if applicable. Back then I wasn't much of a photographer...I never imagined I would have a website one day that required pics of the tracks, huts, scenic sights I visited. In fact I only have three photos of me wearing a uniform from the whole time I served in the military (1987-1992).
The Tongariro Northern Circuit: 1988(?)
I walked the
Tongariro Northern Circuit in the late 1980's while stationed at Waiouru Training Camp. A group of us walked the track as part of a supposed communications exercise we were running but really one of the Sergeants was a hunter/tramper and he wanted to have a go at the track!!!
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| On the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Central North Island |
We got to do a lot of good stuff in the Army because an Officer or Sergeant had a hankering for some outdoor adventuring...like the time we walked overland from St Arnaud to Hanmer or the time we went fishing for a couple of days in the Marlborough Sounds, but those are other stories...
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| On the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Central North Island |
The Circuit back then was very, very quiet...it was early autumn and the weather was getting colder but mostly the track was hardly known outside Kiwi tramping circles. I'm not joking we saw less than 10 people the whole time and that included the day we walked over what is now the Tongariro Crossing. We saw five (...yes 5...) people the day we walked the Crossing....in 2019 you might be sharing the track with up to a 1000 or more on any given day.
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| Tama Lake, On the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Central North Island |
The huts were old but serviceable, the tracks 'rough as' in places but the scenery was the same as you see today. I remember being thirsty most of the time...it is hot on the Circuit when the sun is out and good water sources are scarce...only at the huts.
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| Lunar landscape on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Central North Island |
I took my camera with me on this trip, I had black and white film in my camera so that is why the pictures are black and white. I didn't take many photos, maybe the film was almost finished...I cant remember all these years later. I think black and white is the right medium for this track...it brings out the beautiful starkness of that volcanic terrain.
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| On the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Central North Island |
All of this track is beautiful in its own kind of way but my favourite section was on the eastern side of the mountains with that view out over the Desert Road. You had a bit of grass and some trees to break up the volcanic rock.
I really like the weird and wonderful forms a volcanic field holds...sharp edges and weird shapes. You can see why they practise Mars landings in volcanic areas.
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| On the Tongariro Northern Circuit, Central North Island |
It is a magnificent and unique track but I don't know if I would call it a Great Walk. It has a bit too much rock, sand and dust for my liking, I prefer thick forest really. That said I recommend it readily when people ask me about good tramping tracks in the North Island.
I'd like to walk the Tongariro Crossing again but I think I would hate the damn crowds it now attracts. Maybe when I get too finishing the Te Araroa Trail..it goes right past the Tama Lakes.
8/10 on the Jon tramp-o-meter.
Lake Waikaremoana Track (1989...?)
This was the first 'civilian' tramp I went on....it was while I was in the military but was not an Army organised trip. I was in Waiouru for three months doing some course or another. A group of us decided to go tramp around
Lake Waikaremoana one long weekend because one of the guys was from up that way and told us how cool it was.
We walked the track anti clock wise so the Panekire Bluffs were at the end of the trip. Memories of the time are of the feeling of dark permanence in Te Urewera....that forest is ancient and dense, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Moa walk out of the bush and cackle "....how are yer maaateeee...!!!".
You can stand on the high bluffs around the lake and see nothing but bush and forest out to the horizon. I imagine that is what all of New Zealand looked like before humans arrived.
The quality of the track was excellent and while some of the huts were older they were obviously well loved. It was a magnificent experience and I'm just sorry more people don't have the time to go there. Getting to the lake is the problem it is remote and the approach roads are gravel so long, hot and dusty.
While access is a curse it is is also a salvation...you have to REALLY WANT TO VISIT this locale so your normal tourism hordes are absent even now.
I have heard that the track/huts have deteriorated since it was handed back to the local Iwi...I cannot comment on this but if true it is a real shame. This would be the perfect place for a genuine Maori take on the outdoors and show the deep relationship between the people and the land in Aotearoa.
This is by far one of the finest tramping trips I have ever been on...in my top five of all time.
It is absolutely a 'Great Walk'...go walk it folks!!!
+10/10 on the Jon Tramp-o-meter.
Wanganui River Journey (1989)
Another hair brained scheme....same Army course (we also went and tramped in the Kaimanawa's around this time...). We had a free weekend so we borrowed some gear from the Outdoor Pursuits Centre at Waiouru and went and rafted down the
Wanganui River. We went into the river up near National Park and came out just south of Jerusalem a couple of days later.
The Wanganui River is sacred to the local Iwi, there are many Pa sites along the river as this was a major locus of Maori settlement right through history. It also featured heavily in the New Zealand Wars as it has always been a transportation link to the remoter parts of the Central North Island.
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| Drawing of a typical fortified Maori village or Pa |
Today most people would kayak or canoe the Wanganui as those craft are more suitable but back in those days most journeys were done by raft. This wasn't a Great Journey as they now style it, just a trip adventurous nutters had a bash at.
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| Canadian style canoe on the Wanganui river |
The only people we saw were a group of hunters at
John Coull Hut and a few jet boats tooling up and down the river. Apart from them we had the river to ourselves...
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| The modern iteration of John Coull Hut: Image from DOC website |
It was very peaceful drifting down the river, exploring the caves, side streams and points of interest and camping at the end of each day. I remember us talking about going to the Bridge to Nowhere but not having the time to actually do so. I also remember the dozens of cans of beers ( I had two dozen just for myself...) we each took with us as vital supplies, empties rolling around in the bottom of the raft.
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| The famous Bridge to Nowhere, Wanaganui River, Central North Island |
When it is dry the Wanganui River is gentle and deep with the occasional grade 1-2 rapid, but if it rains in the headwaters it can become an angry raging beast. We had three days of beautiful sunny weather so we saw the nice face. You don't want to be down there when the bad face comes out.
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| Flood in the Upper Wanganui River |
It is wild, remote wilderness along most of the river...dense bush, high bluffs and deep dank side streams cutting down through the mudstone. What it reminded me of was the movie Deliverance...at any moment I expected a couple of dungaree clad good ole boys to come on down out t'Holla and say "....yer gotta purty mouth...."
I know this has become a bit of a tourist trap with the Te Araroa walkers and massed organised trips down the river but I think every Kiwi should add it to their agenda. If I was to do the journey again I would walk up to the Bridge to Nowhere and stop at Jerusalem and the Maori Village (Tieke Kainga) as they are an integral part of the story of this river.
This is the only Great Walk on a river so straight away it is unique, the area is deeply steeped in history and has a wild remote feeling you do not find in many places anymore. You would not look out of place dressed in flax and poling a waka down this river it has that ancient kind of feeling. It is definitely worth a visit...add it to the bucket list.
BTW: the name of the river is spelt both Wanganui and more correctly Whanganui...the local Iwi use both names for their Awa.
8/10 on the Jon Tramp-o-meter (only because I do not like the water that much)...
Heaphy Track: 1990(?)
I was stationed at Addington Barracks, Christchurch from 1988-1990...the unit I belonged to was 3 Signals Squadron. We used to frequently ticky-tour around the country doing military exercises usually on the West Coast, near the Southern Alps or around Tekapo. The big multi battalion exercise we did in 1990 was up near Karamea close to the West Coast end of the
Heaphy Track.
Towards the end of the exercise we were all sitting around waiting to go back to Christchurch when a message went around asking if anyone wanted to walk the Heaphy Track. Obviously we all said yes so the next day several groups of us were flown by helicopter to points along the track by the New Zealand Airforce.
My group consisting of myself and the five other Signalers and about five infantry guys (hard to recall but you could get a 10 man squad on an Iroquois helicopter...) got dropped at Perry Saddle Hut. We walked back to Kohaihai from there...
I loved it.....what I remember is the varied terrain: thick native bush, the expansive tussock covered Gouland Downs, steep descents into verdant river valleys and that awesome walk through the Nikau Palm groves from the Heaphy River to Kohaihai.
We mostly had the huts to ourselves with a few Kiwi trampers chucked into the mix....no European tourist crowds in those days. We were eating Army ration packs and someone managed to slip a bottle of Rum into their pack. We had one day of torrential rain but the other three days were beautiful as only the north west of the South Island can be.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Later in the early 1990's my girlfriend and I walked into Perry Saddle Hut from the road end near Brown Hut. We stayed for the one night and then walked back out again as she was not too keen on this tramping lark and did not want to walk the whole track.
Is the Heaphy a "Great Walk"....by damn...yes it is...my favorite section is between Lewis Hut and Heaphy Hut, as you wind down to the river and coast. My favorite hut was the old Heaphy Hut because we had such a good night there. We made a massive bonfire on the beach and then went back to the hut and played cards and drank rum laced tea and coffee for about four hours.
Everyone should walk this track, I know it has transport difficulties (300+ km's separate the two ends...) but the problems are worth over coming for the fun you will have on the track.
I am absolutely going to walk this track again someday..... soon I hope!
+10/10 on the Jon tramp-o-meter.
Abel Tasman Coastal Track: September 2017
I had a massive gap in my tramping adventures between the mid 1990's and the early 2010's. Marriage, family, my job, post grad study and other crap took up all my time and meant I didn't get out much. In 2011 I decided this was crazy and started going for some tramping trips once again...one of my early plans was to finish walking the rest of the Great Walks before I got to old to do so.
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| One of my first 'modern' tramps...at Ryde Falls, Oxford Forest in 2013 |
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| Karen at the start of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track in 2018 |
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| Totaranui Beach, start/finish point for the Abel Tasman Coastal Track |
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| Bark Bay from the Abel Tasman Coastal Track |
The Abel Tasman is awesome...golden sandy beaches, easy tracks (along the coast..the Inland Track is proper tramping), water-taxi transportation, swimming in the summer, decent huts...it really has it all. If I lived in Nelson this would be my Port Hills..I would be in the park most weekends doing something or other.
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| Rimu grove alongside track near Torrent Bay, Abel Tasman NP |
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| The tidal crossing at Awaroa Inlet, the hut is on the distant shore |
Nelson really is
the trampers town, these parks/tracks are all within 1-3 hours from the city: Abel Tasman National Park, Kahurangi NP, Nelson Lakes NP, Paparoa NP, Richmond Forest Park, Victoria FP, the Queen Charlotte Track, Dun Mountain Track, Molesworth Conservation Area.
That is a lifetime worth of tramping there..
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| Approaching the campsite at Onetahuiti Beach in 2017 |
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| Bark Bay Hut, my favorite in Abel Tasman National Park |
I still have a power of good tramping trips to do in this park. If I am able to continue tramping into my 'golden years' I would like to do a annual trip to the park as I enjoy it so much. My next iteration is likely to be a summer tenting trip staying at some of the more secluded beaches....
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| A watertaxi drops trampers at Torrent Bay settlement, Abel Tasman NP |
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| Abel Tasman Coastal Walk, Anchorage....lovely beach and shallow bay=swim time!!! |
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| Coquile Bay and the Astrolabe Roadstead, from the Abel Tasman Coastal Track |
I already have a trip planned to the park in late October 2019, I will be walking from Totaranui to Whariwharangi Hut and then returning along the same route. That will be the whole of the Coastal Track knocked off like the mythical bastard...
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| Jon waiting to cross Awaroa Inlet, Abel Tasman Coastal Track, 2017 |
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| Awapoto Hut, Abel Tasman Inland Track |
The Coastal Track rates highly with me...I think it is easily one of the best tramps in New Zealand. All the Kiwis who avoid Abel Tasman because of the crowds...don't. Why should it only be the tourists who get to enjoy our treasures...go visit and see what all the commotion is about.
You will not be disappointed...
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| Bridge over Richardson Stream, Onetahuiti Beach, Abel Tasman NP |
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| Luxurious Anchorage Hut, Abel Tasman Coastal Track |
Keep an eye out for further posts....
9/10 on the Jon tramp-o-meter (only because of the crowds...go in August/September/October to avoid them)..
Milford Track: December 2018
I finally walked my first Fiordland track back in December of 2018. I had previously been to Te Anau for an hour many years ago but had never managed to go tramping.
Te Anau is a mecca for outdoor people with various tracks, Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri, Milford Sound and many classic climbing routes. There are a number of Great Walks in the area; the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn. There are also some stonking general tramping tracks....Doubtful Track, Hollyford Valley Track & Te Araroa Trail all of which are accessible from Te Anau.
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| Walking along the shore of Lake Te Anau, Fiordland |
The
Milford Track has been erroneously titled the "finest track in the world"...it was a throw away line used in a 19th century magazine article about walking the track. The title is now used as a marketing tool to get tourists to come and visit the region. Is it the finest track in the world..? Its all up to personal opinion as there are many, many equally impressive tracks around the world.
Personally, I think the Travers-Sabine Circuit (which is very similar) is just as beautiful if not quite so accessible.
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| On the watertaxi across Lake Te Anau to the start of the Milford Track |
I started with the
Milford Track as it is the easiest of the three to arrange transport around while still being relatively easy to walk. Last year I was feeling a bit off (...I had cancer...) so I though chucking myself onto the much harder Kepler or Routeburn Track was probably not a stellar idea.
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| Start of the Milford Track at Glade Wharf |
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| The Milford Track close to Glade House |
The thing that decides how enjoyable a trip you have on the Milford is the weather...Fiordland is one of the wettest places in New Zealand and heavy sustained rain is a constant threat. It is no fun walking in torrential rain for 5-6 hours regardless of how fancy a rain jacket you own. In the event I had one day of light rain and three days of sunshine so the best of conditions for the track.
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| I had my jacket on for most of Day 1 & 2 on the Milford Track |
The main features of this track are the steep sided river valleys, the massive mountains and the interplay of water and terrain. All of these features are sculpted by water...either frozen in ancient glaciers or fresh in the many rivers, streams and creeks which flow here. Over the millennia they have shaped the very fabric of this region and continue to do so today.
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| Clinton River swing bridge, Milford Track |
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| View up Clinton River from near the swing bridge |
Both the Clinton and Arthur Valleys are beautiful with thick forest and those gorgeous rivers. The Clinton is by far the more verdant but even the Arthur Valley has deep thick forest cover. You walk with water for most of this track with the rivers running next to or within sight of the track all of the way.
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| The Clinton River near the Clinton Hut turn off |
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| Rain falling on the Upper Clinton River |
The waterfalls...oh my god....they are everywhere. It was raining as I walked up the Clinton Valley and I could literally see hundreds of waterfalls running some of which fell straight through the clouds. Hope for light rain on the second day....
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| Some of the many waterfalls in the Clinton Valley, Milford Track |
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| Marlees Stream, Milford Track |
The valleys are flanked by some of the most abrupt and massive mountains/bluffs I have ever seen...some of them reach 1700 meters from the valley floor. How can you be standing 200 meters from a 1.7 km high bluff and not feel the raw power and majesty of nature.
It is over powering at times.
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| Mt Balloon dwarfs Mintaro Hut, Milford Track |
There are two stand out points of interest on this track..the climb to MacKinnon Pass and the Sutherland Falls. MacKinnon Pass is tackled on the third day and causes much apprehension amongst trampers but actually it is not that bad a climb. It zig zags up for most of the way and eventually deposits you up on the pass after two relatively gentle hours.
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| Milford Track..one of the zig zags on the way to Mackinnon Pass |
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| More zig zags on the way to MacKinnon Pass, Milford Track |
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| Approaching the Quinton MacKinnon memorial at MacKinnon Pass |
If you are lucky and it is fine when you get to the top the views down the two valleys and around the surrounding mountains are jaw dropping spectacular. Everywhere you look is some new and powerful image to store.
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| Jon photo bombed on MacKinnon Pass, Milford Track |
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| View of the Clinton Valley from MacKinnon Pass |
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| First view of MacKinnon Shelter, Mt Balloon in background |
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| Mt Elliot and the Jervois Glacier |
Sutherland Falls is the reason for this track, back in the 1880's it was the second highest falls in the known world. It drops for 580 meters from the lip of Lake Quill and its a mesmerising sight. The power is immense...you can hear it from over two kilometers away and the spray hits you 500 meters away. It is absolutely beautiful....there is no other way to describe it.
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| Distant view of Sutherland Falls from the Milford Track |
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| Idiot guided walkers tempt fate...Sutherland Falls |
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| Closer view of the top drop at Sutherland Falls, Milford Track |
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| Guided walk Quinton Lodge, Milford Track |
The last day is a 18 km slog down the Arthur River Valley but even this is enjoyable. The scenery is wonderful with several interesting stops on the way. It is easy walking just a long way after three mildly strenuous days...start early and take lots of breaks.
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| Mt Edgar Massif and Arthur River from the swingbridge, Milford Track |
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| MacKay Falls, Milford Track |
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| Arthur River near Lake Ada, Milford Track |
You should stop for lunch at Giant Gate Falls where there is fresh water and a lot less sand flies than near the adjacent day shelter. If you are brave enough go for a dip in the pool at the base of the falls but beware as it is perishing cold water....
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| Giant Gate Falls, Milford Track...it is freakin cold!!! |
The track eventually dumps you out at Sandfly Point, 33.5 miles/57 kilometers later. From here you catch a quick water taxi ride across Milford Sound to the ferry terminal. While you are there make sure you go for a cruise on Milford Sound...I did not and it is the one thing I wish I had done.
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| The end of the Milford Track at Sandfly Point |
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| On the water taxi heading for Milford Sound |
Well...this might not be the finest track in the world but it is definitely spectacular, beautiful, awe inspiring and mind boggling. This is a track I would gladly re visit.
+10/10 on the Jon tramp-o-meter.
Routeburn Track: (partial, December 2019)
I partially walked the Routeburn Track in December of 2019...the partial part of that statement was unfortunately not of my choosing. I was booked to tramp from the Divide Shelter to Routeburn Shelter so west to east....Te Anau to Queenstown. That did not come to pass due to a massive storm front moving in and making it impossible to finish the track.
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| The Divide Shelter, Te Anau to Milford Road...the start of Routeburn Track |
I had a beautiful first day to this tramp and walked from the Divide Shelter up to Key Summit and then to Howden Hut. It was slightly cloudy but a really nice days tramping.
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Start of the Routeburn Track at the Divide
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| Easy walking on the Routeburn Track en-route to Key Summit |
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Side track to Key Summit, Fiordland
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One of the tarns on Key Summit, Fiordland NP
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More of the Key Summit Tarns
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You can just see Lake Marian from the Key Summit Track
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Arrival at Howden Hut on the first day...
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And that is as far as I got...the storm pushed through two days early and it was a big 'un....200mm of rain over three days, 120kph winds on Harris Saddle, snow, hail, fog etc. etc. Earland Falls was pumping out so much water that DOC had no option but to close the track. It stayed close for the next week as bridges washed away, the track past Routeburn Flats Hut washed out and the access road on the Queenstown end was closed.
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Torrential rain and strong winds at Howden Hut
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I was faced with a dilemma...Karen was coming to pick me up in a couple of days and I didn't want to stay in an over full Howden Hut...so I walked 1.5 hours down the Greenstone Valley Track past McKellar Lake and stayed at McKellar Hut for a couple of nights.
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Approaching Lake McKellar on the Greenstone Track
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One of several flooded creeks on the Greenstone Track
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McKellar Hut from the Greenstone Track
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It was awesome...the hut was full-ish but I still had a bunk and I got to bag another hut on my to do list. Me and the other 20 odd people in the hut sat around the inferno of a fire, played cards, read and drank lots of tea...
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View down the Greenstone River Valley from near Greenstone Saddle
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Water was running off every hillside on the Greenstone Track
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Lake Howden Hut on my way back from McKellar Hut
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A flooded Lake Howden in the on/off rain
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Then I walked back past Howden Hut and out over Key Pass to the Milford Road and took the shuttle back to Te Anau. Well prepared Jon had pre booked a ticket just in case the track was closed....smart move buddy!!!
So I have only tramped the first day of the Routeburn Track and will need to go back and polish it off some time in the future. Not any time soon however as the track has been closed since a '1-200 year' storm in February 2020 that mangled most of the Fiordland tracks including the Milford, Hollyford, Routeburn and sections of the Kepler.
Lovely Howden Hut is now gone as it got clobbered by a rock slip and was totally pushed off its foundations. It is not going to be replaced and is scheduled to be dismantled over this summer.
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A comprehensively knackered Howden Hut in Fiordland NP
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| Wet weather gear was a necessity on this trip to the Routeburn Track |
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| The Routeburn Track-Key Summit Track junction |
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| Routeburn Track: just past the turn off for Key Summit |
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| One of the many footbridges on the Routeburn Track |
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Many small streams were crossing the Routeburn Track
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Sitting in the Divide Shelter waiting for the shuttle
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As a post script to this trip Karen and I got stuck south of the Rangitata for three days as the river burst its banks and closed all road access north. Nice....sucks to be me!!!
I will have to go back and finish the Routeburn in the future as I have only walked the first third of the track. Now that Howden Hut is gone you have to walk all the way from MacKenzie Hut to the Milford Road. Probably on my list for the 2021/2022 season...Queenstown to Milford Road this time.
Rakuira Track: (January 2020)I have wanted to get down to Stewart Island/Rakuira for over twenty years but have never made it there. For Kiwi trampers it is the holy grail....a whole island of mostly unspoiled nature with a series of gnarly tracks and a wealth of huts.
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| Aerial view of Oban, the only settlement on Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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Panoramic photo of Oban Harbour, Rakuira
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In January 2020 my partner Karen and I visited the island for five days and walked the Rakuira Great Walk while there. It was awesome with highlights including a visit to the Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary, staying in the South Seas Hotel in Oban and the Rakuira Track was prime.
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Panoramic photo of the wharf at Ulva Island
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The watertaxi to the Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary
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A Saddleback on Ulva Island
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Ulva Island is covered in dense Podocarp Forest
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A Bush Robin on my boot...Ulva Island
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We walked the Rakuira Track in an anti clockwise direction Oban-Port William-North Arm-Oban which is the way most people walk the track. The forest, seascapes, huts and people were for the most part excellent and I would have no hesitation recommending a visit to anyone.
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Start end of Rakuira Track near Fern Gully
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Lee Bay looking out to Port William, Rakuira/Stewart Island
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| The swing bridge at the end of Maori Beach, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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| Port William Hut, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
I can totally see why people who have visited Rakuira rave about it so much...it is like stepping back into the past and even the relatively busy Great Walk was not crowded.
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| Mature Podocarp forest on the second day, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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| Remnants of the forestry industry, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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| Some of the legendary Rakuira/Stewart Island mud.... |
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| North Arm Inlet, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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| At the Sawdust Bay campsite, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
Forget about getting your ass to Mars...no...I say 'get your ass to Rakuira....'
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| In the forest on day three, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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| Bridge over the inlet at Burial Bay, Rakuira/Stewart Island |
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| A lot of the land on Rakuira/Stewart Island is Maori owned |
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Oban and the red roof of the South Seas Hotel
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Ultimately I would also like to tackle the Rakuira Northern and Southern Circuits, this will be something for the future.....
+10/10 on the Jon Tramp-o-meter.
Paparoa Track: February 2021
I went over to the West Coast to walk the
Paparoa Great Walk Track over Waitangi Weekend 2021. This was my penultimate Great Walk...after this I just have the Kepler to walk in late March and they are all wrapped up. Ten Great Walks walked over three decades and it just waits on the formation of any new Great Walks like the Humpridge Track before I can add to my bag...
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| View of Pororairi River Valley from Tindale Ridge, Paparoa NP |
You can start the Paparoa Track from either the carpark at Smoke-ho above Blackball or from Punakaiki on the West Coast. I started from Smoke-ho BUT I actually drove over to Punakaiki and stayed at the
Punakaiki Beach Camp the night before I started the tramp. There is a shuttle service from the camp ground which will take you over to Blackball and the start of the track. That way your car will be waiting for you at the end of the track in Punakaiki.....
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| The main road through Punakaiki, West Coast |
I hired one of the cabins at the campground for before and after my tramp...it was reasonably priced at around $60 per night. I had a small kitchenette in the cabin but not a toilet or shower...you have to use the camp ground facilities but this is no problem.
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| My cabin at Punakaiki Holiday Park.... |
Because it was Waitangi Weekend it was super busy...I arrived later in the afternoon and spent a bit of time down looking at the Pancake Rocks and the shops a Dolomite Point. Later in the afternoon I went for a walk along the beach and it was marvelous...bright, warm sunny weather. In the evening I went to watch the sun go down over the western horizon and it was equally spectacular.
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| The distant Pancake Rocks from the beach at Punakaiki Holiday Park |
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| Gorgeous golden sunset at the beach at Punakaiki Holiday Park |
The start of the Paparoa Great Walk runs along the old
Croesus Track from Smoke-ho to Ces Clark Hut. the carpark is up a long winding gravel road prone to slips..you can drive here yourself of course ut that leaves you without a car at the far end of the track.
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| The Smoke-ho carpark on the Paparoa Track |
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| Maori entrance gateway...Smoke-ho end of Paparoa Track |
This was once an old pack track and bush railway so the track is well established and has a lot of history associated with it. You should do the side trip to Garden Gully half way along the track...it is an old mining area with a replica miners hut and old stamping battery. It is 20 minutes return to Garden Gully and the track and area around the hut is quite lovely.
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| Paparoa GW Track: on the Croesus Track on day one... |
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| Garden Gully Hut, Croesus Track |
The Croesus Track meanders for a good five hours through typical West Coast forest before breaking onto the tops and 16 bunk Ces Clarke Hut. One of the features of this track are all the Rata Trees...they were dropping their red needles all over the track and the forest canopy was shot through with red.
Really beautiful...
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| Blackball from the veranda at Ces Clarke Hut |
Day two of the track is a short three hours all of it on the open tops....in good weather you can see the coastline, the Southern Alps and as far south as Aoraki/Mt Cook. Or so I was told....I did not have good weather as it utterly pissed with rain for most of the day and blew like a bastid making for less than stellar tramping. Still a nice walking track though...
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| On the Paparoa GW Track near Croesus Knob |
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| Rain, fog and strong wind at Moonlight Tops Hut |
Day three is a mixture of forest walking and tops travel with a steep descent at the end down to Pororairi Hut on the Tindale Ridge. Even in the rainy and windy conditions I experienced it was still spectacular and it is the most interesting section. There is an expanse of beautiful Goblin Forest before the Escarpment and a whole mini forest of large Dacrophyllum trees for interest.
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| In goblin forest between Mt Anderson and Pt.1030, Paparoa GW |
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| At the start of the Escarpment on the Paparoa GW Track |
I had no clear views from the Escarpment but the immensity of the surrounding country is plain to see. The descent down to Tindale Ridge was spectacular with the track passing through ancient podocarp forest and crossing the bridge at the base of the Paparoa Escarpment Falls in a thick mist of falling creek water.
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| Heavy rain and falling water at the Escarpment Falls, Paparoa Track |
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| Rainy approach to Coal Creek on the Paparoa GW Track |
Then it is five long kilometers of flat travel along the top of Tindale Ridge with a number of rises and falls to negotiate along the way. You end the day at Pororairi Hut with views down to the coast over 15 kilometers away....
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| On the five kilometer slog along Tindale Ridge |
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| View of the Tasman Sea and the mouth of the Punakaiki River |
The last day of the track is a descent down off Tindale Ridge to the headwaters of the Pororairi River. This is through beautiful old growth Podocarp forest with some staggeringly huge examples of Kahikatea, Totora, Hinau, Miro, Rata and Rimu. It is absolutely humbling to be in the presence of these giants of the forest....it is some of the nicest rain forest I have ever encountered here in New Zealand.
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| Paparoa GW Track: heading down off Tindale Ridge on day four |
Another excellent section...the upper and mid reaches of the Pororairi River are magnificent and it is fantastic that they are now accessible along this new track. The middle section starts as wide and calm flowing before entering a narrow gorge then it reverts once again to calm water...
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| The calm mid reaches of the Pororairi River, Paparoa GW Track |
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| The gorge in the middle section of the Pororairi River |
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| Mid reaches of the Pororairi River, Paparoa GW Track |
The final stretch out through the Pororairi River Track was enhanced by the full river after all the rain the area received in the previous days. This section has the wow factor you would expect on a Great Walk as the Pororairi River is very photogenic with magnificent forest, huge limestone bluffs and a beautiful river right next to the track.
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| Approaching the end of the Paparoa Great Walk Track at Punakaiki |
This is a awesome track and I can easily see it becoming one of the best loved Great Walks over time. It is beautiful, awe inspiring and remote feeling in turn and features a wide array of terrain. It can be a challenging track to walk or ride but I think the effort is worth it.....if you haven't already go walk it before the tourist hordes descend on us once again.
+9/10 on the Jon Tramp-o-meter!
Kepler Track: Late March 2021:
Well....that is that...the end of the existing Great Walks done and dusted. It has been a long journey from 1988 when I took my first steps on what would become the Tongariro Northern Circuit and I am finally finished after all those years.
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| Crossing the Lake Te Anau control gates.... |
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| Start of the Kepler Track at the Control Gates... |
I walked the Kepler Track in late March of 2021 and let me tell you ...those are some goddam hard kilometers. It isn't the distance as much as the gradient and general rough nature of the tracks. I actually found this to be the most physically taxing of the Great Walks.
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| Lots and lots of hill climbing on the Kepler Track |
Day one is the easy walk into Brod Bay campsite where the real work of the day starts...900 meters of climbing to get above the bush-line and along the tops to Luxmore Hut. The track is not that steep or difficult but it is relentless and you will be climbing for at least four hours before reaching the hut.
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| On the Kepler Track to Brod Bay |
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| Approaching Brod Bay on the Kepler Track on day one... |
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| The limestone bluffs on the way to Luxmore Hut |
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| Ascending through goblin forest to the Mt Luxmore Tops |
Luxmore Hut is very lush...55 bunks and well designed with plenty of living space inside and out. There are some stonking views down to Lake Te Anau and the hinterlands including the seldom visited West Arm of that lake. From here you should do the short trip to the Luxmore Cavern to see the limestone formations within.
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| Lake Te Anau from above the bushline, Kepler Track |
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| Luscious Luxmore Hut, Fiordland NP |
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| Interior of Luxmore Hut, Kepler Track |
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| Plenty of outdoor seating at Luxmore Hut...no sandflies!!! |
Day two is the most spectacular....a whole day spent walking along the tops with awesome views of the surrounding mountain ranges. It really is the highlight of the trip and the section that cements this as an iconic New Zealand track. There are views out to Lake Te Anau and Manapouri and you can see as far as Stewart Island if you have clear weather and do the side climb to Mt Luxmore.
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| View looking south from the flank of Mt Luxmore |
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| Tops travel sidling Mt Luxmore, Kepler Track |
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| Heading along the ridges to Forest Burn Shelter, Kepler Track |
The end of the day is the massive drop down to the Iris Burn with a great hut to stay in for the night. We saw kiwi near the hut after dark and the visit to Iris Burn Falls is worth the effort.
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| Descending to the bushline from Hanging Valley Shelter...Kepler Track |
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| In the forest heading down to Iris Burn Hut |
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| A great sights...Iris Burn Hut, Kepler Track |
Day three is different once again...mostly flat valley travel down the Iris Burn Valley with just a few undulations to break up the travel. On the way you pass the infamous "Big Slip' the destructive remnants of a late 1980's landslide still clearly visible over 30 years later.
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| Start of day three at Iris Burn Hut |
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| Crossing the 'Big Slip' on the Kepler Track |
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| Most of the track is gently undulating on day three...Kepler Track |
The rest of the day is through lovely mixed beech forest with the Iris Burn River as a companion for most of the way. You end this day on the shore of Lake Manapouri with the potential for a well deserved swim on offer.
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| Plenty of boardwalk on day three of the Kepler Track |
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| Lake Manapouri from in front of Motauru Hut, Kepler Track |
The last day is a short one with only a couple of hours walking across wetlands and through lowland forest to Rainbow Reach and a shuttle back to Te Anau. The forest is beautiful and this area is alive with birds who make the forest and swamplands their home. If you have time you can also do the short 30 minute trip to Shallow Bay just to visit the 6 bunk hut there.
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| In the forest heading for Rainbow Reach, Kepler Track |
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| Shallow Bay Hut is just off the Kepler Track |
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| Some of the boardwalk across wetlands on the last day of the Kepler Track |
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| On the last section along the Waiau River, Kepler Track |
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| Jon at the Rainbow Reach suspension bridge, Kepler Track |
The Kepler Track was the only purpose built Great Walk from 1987 up to the construction of the Paparoa Track and they got it right the first time. A great track and a awesome Great Walk...
...10/10 on the Jon-o-meter!!!
The Great Walks I have not yet completed...
I still have one future Great Walk to complete....the Humpridge Track.
Humpridge Track...
After the tracks I'm booked to walk in the 2020/2021 season I will have completed all the currently existing Great Walks. This will leave the Humpridge Track to tramp once it finally becomes a Great Walk.
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| The Humpridge Track features views down to Te Waewae Bay.... |
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| ...and the historic wooden viaducts!!! |
I might have to wait to walk the Humpridge Track till the 2022-2023 season as Covid has slowed the conversion work to the track and huts. I imagine a LOT of people will be trying to walk the track in the first couple of years as DOC are building a new hut which will shorten the long distances you walk on day 1 and 3.
The Great Walks going into the future
It looks likely that the Department of Conservation is going to announce a new Great Walk track every couple of years. They are attempting to minimise the stress on the existing tracks while looking for ways to use recreation as a economic stimulus in the regions. It is a smart move (...sans Covid-19 of course...) as tourism is probably the way of the future now the extractive industries have waned.
The Pike 29 extension to the Paparoa Track was announced in 2017 and will be completed when recovery operations at the Pike River Mine finish. I have heard that the track is already there built and finished except for a couple of hundred meter section at both ends. I will try to walk this section if and when it finally opens.
I would imagine the upgrade to the existing Humpridge Track will take about 2-3 years to complete.
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| The Tors on the Humpridge Track, Fiordland NP: Image from DOC website |
Going into the future I can see many more tracks getting the Great Walk moniker, in a way this is good as it means money for huts, campsites and track maintenance. Other tracks mentioned as possible great walks include: Queen Charlotte Track, Te Paki Track, Greenstone-Caples, Round the Mountain Track, St James Walkway and the Travers Sabine Circuit.
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Could the Travers-Sabine in Nelson Lakes NP become a Great Walk?
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| The Queen Charlotte Walkway could also become a Great Walk |
It will be interesting to see which tracks change designation in the future.
I'd like to finish by encouraging you to get out there and walk one of the Great Walk tracks. I have walked four Great Walks since Covid hit and it is a totally different experience just sharing the tracks with other Kiwis.
It is not as hectic and it doesn't feel like a tourism escalator as these tracks sometimes did before Covid rolled in. That is one reason I accelerated my Great Walk tramps...to take advantage of the relative solitude before the tourists return.
There are many Great Walk tracks to choose from and they are not all in the South Island. It is a wonderful way to spend your spare time and you will see some truly amazing sights on the way.
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