Fox Settlement, Punakaiki, Barrytown and Blackball as gateways to adventure...
Karen and I recently visited Punakaiki on the West Coast. It is roughly half way between Greymouth and Westport and is well known tourism hot spot. It is also an excellent starting point for a variety of excellent adventure opportunities in Paparoa National Park.
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| Paparoa National Park: limestone karst country with coastline, dense forest and rivers... |
I have only been in Paparoa National Park a couple of times. Back in the late 1980's I tramped to Garden Gully and the Moonlight Mine on the eastern side of the Paparoa Range. I also visited when on holiday along the West Coast and stayed at Punakaiki while exploring the local area. Going forward I envision more visits here as there is a ton of good tramping tracks I am keen to try out.
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| The Pancake Rocks Reserve is part of Paparoa National Park |
I thought it might be good to have a look at what this park has to offer the keen outdoor person with sight seeing, tramping, hunting, MTB riding and water based sport options.
Paparoa National Park
Paparoa National Park has an area of 430 square kilometers of land first set out as a national park in 1987. Over the years additional parcels of land have been added to the park but it is still one of the smaller national parks in New Zealand. There have been proposals to greatly enhance the size of this park with other Crown land but this has not yet happened.
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| Map: Paparoa National Park |
Paparoa National Park stretches from Westport in the north for nearly 50 kilometers south to near Blackball. It reaches from the Tasman Sea to the Paparoa Range approximately 20 km's inland. The main points of entry into the park are the Fox River, Punakaiki & Barrytown on the coast, and Blackball on the eastern side of the Paparoa Range.
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| Te Miko Beach at the end of Truman's Track |
The land is mainly limestone karst- high limestone plateaus with many caves, resurgences and deeply incised river valleys. The Paparoa Range with mountains up to 1500 meters asl lies just inland from the coast and the majority of the land is either lowland forest, podocarp forest or high tussock tops.
Paparoa National Park is one of the least developed in the country and most of the land within it is only accessible by following the infrequent tracks, by helicopter or strenuous overland walking. At one time a large section of the park was a wilderness area but this has since waned as the area included was too small to be practical.
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| High limestone bluffs along the Pororari River Valley |
Tourism is the main industry within the area with over 1 million tourists visiting the region or travelling down SH6 every year. There are many scenic points of interest along the coast for this trade as well as more backcountry style adventures in the hinterland.
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| Punakaiki is backed by high rugged mountains... |
The area has been heavily exploited over the years and farming, forestry and mining have all occurred within the park in the past. Threats still exist as successive governments have looked to use the natural resources which lie within the park boundaries. Since the
Pike River Mine disaster interest in exploiting coal has waned but the threat of mining will persist as long as money can be made by selling minerals.
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| The Pike River Mine portal.... |
If you would like more information on the Pike Mine debacle I recommend that you read Tragedy at Pike River Mine by Rebecca Macfie. I am sure you will be as shocked as I was by the total incompetence shown during the whole fiasco with blame equally shared by the mine manager, Pike River Mine, the regional council and central government. Twenty nine men died and no one was ever really held accountable for numerous breeches of protocol and regulation.
A bloody awful episode in New Zealand industrial history...
Gateways into Paparoa National Park...
So lets have a look at all of the access points around Paparoa National Park and see what outdoor activities are accessible from each.
Punakaiki: at the heart of the National Park
Punakaiki is the main access point for the Paparoa National Park...more of its tracks, rivers and scenic reserves can be reached from here than any other point. Punakaiki has few permanent residents but it is fully equipped to act as a tourism town with numerous accommodation options, several cafes, a tavern, public transport options and a DOC office.
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| Access to Paparoa National Park from Punakaiki |
Punakaiki has few permanent residents but it is fully equipped to act as a tourism town with numerous accommodation options, several cafes, a tavern, public transport options and a DOC office.
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| The cafe, shops and DOC center are opposite the Pancake Rocks Reserve |
Please note there are no petrol stations between Greymouth and Westport and there are no supermarkets or food shops either. Fill up and bring any alcohol & vittles you want to consume with you....
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| Punakaiki is the main access point to Paparoa National Park |
There are many tracks that start or finish at Punakaiki and the area is well known for the various tourism attractions it has along the coastline. Probably the easiest way to break this down is by looking at some of the tracks and attractions accessible from the settlement.
Paparoa Great Walk Track:
The
Paparoa Great Walk Track opened in 2019 but has yet to see a full open season due to adverse weather and track damage. This Great Walk uses some existing track sections notably the Croseus Track, Moonlight Tops Track and Pororari River Track but the majority of it is pristine new track.
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| The Paparoa Track is proving prone to slippage... |
The Paparoa Track can be walked or ridden by MTB...this is the default practice with any new DOC track as a means of maximising use. MTB riders begin from the Smoke-Ho car-park and ride to Waikori on the Punakaiki River. Walkers start at the same place but end at Punakaiki. As a ride it is a Grade-4 or advanced track with some narrow sections, bridges, big hill climbs and tricky descents.
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| MTB riders on the new Paparoa Track.... |
If you ride this track it will take you 2-3 days, walking the track takes 4 days with overnight stays at two brand new and one refurbished DOC Huts. You start by walking up the side of Blackball Stream, use the Croseus Track to gain the tops and head north along a new ridge top track. You then descend down to the Pororari River and follow the river side track out to the coast.
One section of this track is not yet completed...the Pike 29 Memorial Track to the site of the Pike River Mine. This track will not be opened until recovery work is finalised at the mine sometime in early 2021.
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| The last hour is along the Pororari river Track to Punakaiki |
I am scheduled to walk the Paparoa Track in February 2021 so I will be able to give you a clearer picture of what it is like once I have completed it. I have heard from trampers I know that the track is a stunner in good weather but challenging if it is raining or windy.
We shall see...
Pororari River Track:
Karen and I walked up the
Pororari River when we visited Punakaiki in early June...it is a lovely walk to a swing-bridge which connects to the Inland Pack Track. You could do this as a over night trip if you take a tent but really it is a 2-3 hour return day walk.
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| Stunning scenery on the Pororari River Track |
You start at the car-park at the mouth of the Punakaiki River (opposite the camp ground) and head up river for about three kilometers or 1-1.5 hours. The track is mostly flat with a few undulations to avoid gorge areas where there is not enough space for a river side track.
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| The Pororari River swing bridge... |
Return is along the same track or you can do a circuit by returning along the first section of the Inland Pack Track from the Pororari River to Waikori on the Punakaiki River. This is often called the Punakaiki Loop. There is a 2 kilometer road walk back to the car park at Punakaiki after you finish. This option is about 8 km's and takes around 3-3.5 hours.
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| Estuary of the Punakaiki River at Waikori, Punakaiki |
If you ever go to Punakaiki I recommend this track to you...it is beautiful and remote feeling with views of the lovely river, limestone bluffs, thick lowland forest on a excellent track. Just go as far as you like...even a 30 minute jaunt up the river is totally worth the effort.
Watersports on the Pororari & Punakaiki Rivers
Both the Punakaiki and the Pororari Rivers are navigable for quite a long distance from their estuary mouths. You can hire canoes, kayaks and paddle boards at places near both of these rivers. The company is called
Punakaiki Canoes and prices start at $45 per adult with watercraft, wet-suits, life jackets, helmets, paddles and other gear supplied.
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| Kayaker seen paddling up the Pororari river from the track... |
Karen and I saw a number of people out paddling in the Pororari River and we could see people in canoes messing around on the Punakaiki River from the lawn of the accommodation we were staying in. It looked like a lot of fun...
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| The Punakaiki River mouth as seen from our accommodation at Punakaiki |
If you own an inflatable pack raft that these rivers could be for you. You could carry it up river to a point of your choosing and raft back down. The next time I visit Punakaiki I am going to look into hiring a canoe and I will go for a paddle up the Pororari River...
Inland Pack Track, Punakaiki River to Fox River:
The Inland Pack Track is a 25 km long track from Waikori on the Punakaiki River to Tirimoana/Fox Settlement approximately 12 kilometer's north of Punakaiki. The Pack Track used to be the main transport route for people travelling up and down the West Coast...high coastal bluffs, step ridges and rugged terrain between the Fox River and Punakaiki meant it was easier to do a massive inland loop than fight along the coast.
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| Map: Inland Pack Track, Punakaiki to Fox Settlement |
The Inland Pack Track is a 2-3 day tramping trip with stays at the Ballroom Overhang on the Fox River and sometimes a second scratch camp somewhere between Dilemma Creek and the Pororari River bridge.
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| River travel up the Fox River to the Ballroom Overhang... |
The track was heavily damaged during Cyclone Ita in 2015 but it has now been cleared and is rated as a advanced to expert track on the DOC website. I think this reflects the many river crossings and route finding required rather than the difficulty of walking the track sections.
This whole trip involves rivers...the Pororari, Dilemma Creek, Bullock Creek and the Fox River so it cannot be undertaken in heavy rain as you are walking in the river bed for a lot of the time. The Fox in particular is problematic...there are nearly 30 required crossing of this river. This is generally easy in fine dry weather but dangerous with any rain. If you find yourself at the Ballroom Overhang and the river floods you are stuck as there is no bail out option.
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| Trampers on one of many crossings of the Fox River, Inland Pack Track |
One place you stay is the Ballroom Overhang a massive limestone semi cave with excellent camp sites below it. This is one of the most iconic camp sites in New Zealand and is a must do for any self respecting Kiwi tramper. If you want to take it easy on the track most trampers will stop and camp somewhere along the track, usually at the Fossil Creek campsite or the clearing at Bullock Creek.
A typical trip will see you walk up the Fox River to the Ballroom Overhang on day one. Day two is up and along the bed of Dilemma Creek, over a ridge and down to the Bullock Creek area. You could stop here for the night as this is all DOC land.
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| Jon on the Inland Pack Track near the Pororari River bridge |
You then travel along the Inland Track to the Pororari River and exit at Punakaiki. Alternately you can continue along the Paparoa Track and Inland Pack Track and exit onto Waikori Road at the Punakaiki River.
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| Crossing the Pororari River bridge along the Inland Pack Track |
I have long had my eye on the Inland Pack Track as a 'to do' tramp but my recent visit to Punakaiki has given me a renewed interest in the area. I have a trip to walk the Inland Pack Track provisionally penciled in for December or January of the 2020/2021 season.
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| Track Junction: Pororari/Paparoa Track and the Inland Pack Track to Waikori Road... |
For more information about the Inland Pack Track see this excellent post from the
tinytramper website.
Pancake Rocks Reserve:
Famous for a reason...the
Pancakes Rocks at Punakaiki receive over a million visitors a year because they are stunning. They are ancient seabed accretions which are slowly eroding through sea and wind action into fantastical formations that look like....well...a big olde pile of pancakes.
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| At the Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki, West Coast of the South Island |
Great views up and down the West Coast with a high quality sealed track that takes about 40 minutes to walk around. On an especially clear day you can see Mt Aoraki, Mt Tasman and Mt Haast 200 kilometers away to the south.
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| Looking towards Punakaiki settlement from the Pancake Rocks |
If you are passing through you must stop and have a look....day or night they are beautiful.
Truman's Track, Te Miko:
This is another of the tracks Karen and I walked while holidaying in Punakaiki in early June. This track gets missed by a lot of visitors as it is north of Punakaiki and not all that well marked. It is situated on the coast side of the road a couple of hundred meters before the small settlement of Te Miko.
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| Sign at the start of Truman's Track on SH6 at Te Miko |
There is parking for about 30 cars in two areas at the start of the track...be careful crossing the road as it is super busy. I would stash all valuables as these car-parks have been targeted by thieves in the past.
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| Cars parked at the Truman's Track car-park on SH 6 |
Truman's Track goes down through a reserve of mature native trees to a lovely beach with great views along the coast, sea cave and a beach of fine pebbles and sand. The bush at the back of the beach is home to a small but growing Penguin colony who are regular visitors during their breeding season.
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| Looking down on Te Miko Beach from Truman's Track |
The forest here is awesome..a perfectly preserved area of lowland coastal forest that was protected as there was no settlement along this coast until recent times. There are some stonking examples of Rimu, Rata, Kahikatea and Totora trees as well as the local Nikau Palms.
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| A mixture of species along Truman's Track |
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| Jon in front of a large Rimu Tree, Truman's Track |
You must exercise care if you visit the beach as it is inundated at high tide and in bad weather and there is only one entry/exit to the beach. There are a series of tidal pools and some small coves...no fishing please as this is a marine reserve.
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| One of the small coves at Te Miko Beach, Truman's Track |
There is a viewing platform at the end of Truman's Track with excellent views out to sea as well as south along the coast to Punakaiki. You can see the settlement, Pancake Rocks and Dolomite Point from here as well as the mountains down near Mt Aoraki.
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| View south along the coast from Truman's Track |
The trip to the beach at Te Miko and along Truman's Track takes 40-60 minutes return so it is a good option for a half day trip or a quick stop off when travelling between Greymouth and Westport.
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| Truman's Track is backed by thick forest and massive limestone bluffs |
Totally recommended of course...I have been here a couple of times now and it is always different...and special.
Punakaiki Cavern:
The whole of the coastline around Punakaiki is limestone karst country so it is riddled with caves, caverns, overhangs and sinkholes. There is a large cavern just before Punakaiki Settlement which goes back into the hillside for around 50 meters and is big enough to stand up inside.
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| The entrance to the Punakaiki Cavern from SH6 at Punakaiki |
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| Punakaiki Cavern, Punakaiki: Karen thinks it looks like a butt... |
The cavern is free to access and there are a set of stairs to make it easier to get into the cavern. DOC have placed reflective markers in the cavern so you can follow them to the end of the two navigable arms and back to the entrance.
There is a small parking bay near the cavern but it is actually easier to park in the Pancakes Rocks car park (which is huge...it holds +100 cars at one time...) and walk the 300 meters down to the cavern along SH6.
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| The small stream through Punakaiki Cavern, Punakaiki |
Note that once you get past the portal it is hellishly dark in the cave system so you need to bring a torch with you so you can see where you are going. Boots and a jacket can also be useful...it is a good 10 degrees colder in the cavern than outside. In times of heavy rain there is a small stream which runs along the floor of the cavern...you can still enter but it will probably be wet and muddy.
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| Punakaiki Cavern, Punakaiki: Jon in the portal as seen from inside... |
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| Punakaiki Cavern, Punakaiki: Karen in the cavern portal from outside... |
I must admit that I am un-easy in caves and caverns...living through the effect and aftermath of two major earthquakes has dented my faith in the integrity of caves. Look at Cave Rock and Redcliffs Cave in Christchurch..they seemed indestructible and a bastion against the ages. Both sustained major damage and Redcliffs Cave has been permanently closed as it is too dangerous to enter.
Nothing lasts forever....it is the nature of things.
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| Karen at the entrance to Punakaiki Cavern, Punakaiki |
A visit to the cave is a great filler exercise, you can explore the whole cavern system in under 15 minutes so this is a great experience if you are travelling through the area.
Around Bullock Creek:
There is a gravel road leading into Bullock Creek about a kilometer north of the Pororari River bridge on SH6. There is a car-park at the end of the road and a number of tracks leading off from here to various different destinations.
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| Bullock Creek gravel road to the car-park near Cave Creek |
The main reason to come here is to visit the scene of the Cave Creek tragedy...back in 1995 a faulty DOC platform over the Cave Creek Resurgence collapsed leading to the death of 14 young outdoor education students. The Department was heavily criticised and fined over $2 million dollars for a number of mistakes made during construction of the platform.
As a result the whole Department of Conservation was forced to upgrade how it builds outdoor infrastructure including huts, bridges, platforms and walking tracks. There is a memorial here to those who died and a short track to the old location of the platform.
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| The Cave Creek Memorial at the end of Bullock Creek Road |
The Inland Pack Track continues onto the Ballroom Overhang or Waikori from here...Bullock Creek is really the half way point between Waikori and Fox Settlement which are the two ends of the track. Some people will camp near here to break the Inland Track into three days instead of the usual two day trip.
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| The Cave Creek area just north of Punakaiki |
Other destinations accessible from here are the track to Mt Bovis (1252 asl), the Taurus Major Submergence of Bullock Creek, Cave Creek Resurgence and of course off piste hunting/tramping trips into the un-tracked interior of Paparoa National Park.
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| Climbing faces along Bullock Creek road, Punakaiki |
There are also some well used climbing routes on the massive limestone bluffs that line the Bullock Creek road...
Tiromoana/Fox Settlement...
Tiromoana/ Fox Settlement is a collection of houses and farms at the mouth of the Fox River approximately 15 km's north of Punakaiki on SH6. It is little more than a road junction but it does have tracks to two other places of interest within Paparoa National Park.
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| There is a historic wooden bridge over the Fox River at Tiromoana |
These are the Fox River Cave and the Fox River/Inland Pack Track to the Ballroom Overhang.
Te Orumata/Fox River Caves Track:
From the car-park on the north bank of the Fox river you follow a track up valley for 5 kilometers or 45 minutes to the junction of the Fox River Track and the Inland Pack Track. You stay on the true right bank of the river for 30 more minutes to access the cave portal.
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| Start of the Fox River Caves Track, West Coast |
The cave is big enough to stand inside and has some interesting stalactites and other water formed structures. You will need a strong torch as it is totally dark inside the cave as it reaches into the hillside for 200 meters.
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| Inside the Te Orumata/Fox River Cave |
The return trip is a reverse of your journey in and the whole return tramp takes 2-3 hours. The trip to the cave is a good day trip or it can be combined with a visit to the nearby Ballroom Overhang on the Inland Pack Track.
This would require you to backtrack for 30 minutes and joining the track on the true left of the Fox River. It is about an hour from the track junction to the Ballroom Overhang approximately two kilometers up river.
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| The Fox River near Te Orumata/Fox River Cave |
There are multiple river crossings on this trip so do not go up the valley in heavy rain as they will be impassable.
Inland Pack Track to the Ballroom Overhang:
Tiromoana/Fox Settlement is the northern terminus for the 25 km long Inland Pack Track which starts on the Punakaiki River. Most trampers will start from this end and walk back to Punakaiki using the public transport which goes up and down SH 6 from Greymouth to Westport to connect the two ends.
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| Mid part of the Fox River, Inland Pack Track |
There is a bush covered forest track for about the first 30 minutes of this trip then it is all in the bed of the Fox River making your best way up to the confluence with Dilemma Creek. The river must be crossed numerous times..in fine weather this is moderate to easy but in rain it may well be impassable.
The Ballroom Overhang is a massive limestone bluff with a safe and flat campsite at its base which provides excellent protection fro any bad weather which strikes. This is 30 minutes up the Fox River from the confluence with Dilemma Creek and is the end of the first day on the Inland Pack Track.
Dilemma Creek is the start of day two of this track which is again in the bed of a creek for the first hour. After that it is bush track to the area around Bullock Creek and from there to the Pororari River. The crux of this tramp is from Tiromoana to Bullock Creek...all of this is river bed travel which requires good weather. From Bullock Creek to Punakaiki via the Pororari Track is an all weather track so it doesnt mater if it is rainy through here.
The trip from Tiromoana is about 8 km's one way and will take around three hours to complete. It is graded as advanced by the Department of Conservation but I think this is more about all the river crossings and route finding and not about the difficulty of the track.
Barrytown as an access point...
Barrytown is a small settlement approximately 30 kilometer's north of Greymouth on SH6 (the Greymouth to Westport Highway). It was a gold dredging and service town in times past but now that the gold is gone it is a very sleepy backwater.
Barrytown is undergoing a minor resurgence as a tourism destination as it caters for the hordes of tourists who drive up and down this highway during the summer season. There are a number of accommodation options here as well as outdoor adventure guides, and some small home craft industries.
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| Barrytown is on SH6 just south of Punakaiki |
There is one track accessible from here, the Croseus-Moonlight Track.
The Moonlight-Croseus Track:
I have fully covered the Croseus below under Blackball as this is the main access point for this track.
The C
roseus-Moonlight Track is a single or multi-day tramp from Barrytown on the coast to Blackball on the eastern side of the Paparoa Range. Parts of the old track are incorporated into the new Paparoa Track which follows the Moonlight Track to the north on existing track and then joins new track sections built over 2018/2019.
You can stay at Ces Clark Hut or the older Top Croseus Hut which are both near the apex of the track. Ces Clark is on the hut booking system as it is one of the Paparoa Great Walk huts.
You can use the Croseus Track to access Mt Ryall and the poled route from Croseus Knob to Mt Leitch/Mt Watson away to the south. From either place you can follow marked tracks down to the Smoke-Ho car-park and Blackball OR retract your steps back to Barrytown.
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| Looking out along the poled route to Mt Leitch, Croseus Track (photo DOC site) |
The track from the Smoke-Ho car-park to Barrytown can be done as a long day walk, you would be looking at approximately 15 km or 7-8 hours walking. You can ride your MTB up to the apex of the Croseus Track but the track from there to Barrytown is pedestrians only at this stage.
Blackball as an access point to the Paparoa Range...
There are two access points for the Paparoa National Park from the eastern side of the Paparoa Range, the first is via the Moonlight Creek Track. The second is from the Smoke-Ho car-park at the end of Blackball Road, Blackball.
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| The Paparoa Track runs from Blackball to Punakaiki |
The Moonlight Track starts at the end of a long gravel road from Atarau just north east of Blackball. From here you can access the Moonlight Creek area, the derelict Mickles Hut, Moonlight Mine and the Moonlight Route up onto the crest of the Paparoa Range.
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| On the Moonlight Tops Track to the Paparoa Range |
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| The old derelict Meickles Hut on the Moonlight tops Track |
From here you can walk south along the new Paparoa Track to the junction with the Croseus Track & from there to Barrytown on the coast. This Croseus-Moonlight Track has existed since the 1880's and was once the route miners and pack horse trains used to get over the ranges to the coast. It fell into disrepair over the years but has slowly been regaining favor as a overnight tramping route
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| Track conditions on the Croseus Track en-route to Barrytown on the coast |
The second and more important access point is from Blackball a small settlement about 20 minutes drive from Greymouth. Blackball was once a thriving coal mining town but it has fallen on hard times since most of the mines closed. It currently has about 200 residents who mostly work in Greymouth and Hokitika.
I used to visit Blackball in the 1980-1990's with my friends and it always had a very chill and laid back feel to it. People went here to escape from modern society and because it was a cheap place to buy a house.
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| The small settlement at Blackball, 22 kms from Greymouth... |
Blackball also had a reputation as a notorious dopers settlement. It was totally justified..."herb gardeners" have used the surrounding hills to grow marijuana for decades. There was gold in them thar' hills but the gold was in the form of a green leafy material....
You would go visit people in Blackball living in these ratty looking houses and inside it was like some opulent Sultans palace with brand new furniture and appliances, pool tables, $10 000 stereos and 40" TV sets (huge for the time). They had to hide all the wealth inside the houses to avoid the attentions of the Police.
It was obviously a very lucrative trade!!!
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| Blackball is surrounded by mountains and forest... |
It was always a sleepy settlement but since the development of the new Paparoa Great Walk it is slowly getting busier. There are now a number of accommodation providers, guiding, transportation and MTB related businesses. I only see this growing over time as experience with other new walking/MTB tracks like this over the last 20 years have led to minor economic bonanzas for nearby small towns.
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| The Blackball Hilton is one accommodation option in Blackball |
The eastern entrance to the Paparoa Great Walk starts at the Smoke-Ho car-park at the end of Blackball Road. From the Smoke-Ho car-park you can walk or bike the 25 km's to Punakaiki on the new dual use Paparoa Track and the Pororari River Track. It takes two days to cycle and four days to walk and you stay at Ces Clark Hut, Paparoa Tops Hut and the Pororari Hut en route.
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| The access road to the Smoke-Ho car-park near Blackball |
The Smoke-Ho car-park is also good for day walks into this side of the Paparoa Range...the area around Garden Gully is about 2 hours along the track and the super keen could walk up to Ces Clark Hut as a day trip or overnight. It is MTB heaven as they are the major users of this track network.
Remember to book your sleeping space before you go as this hut is on the hut booking system.
Obviously this area is wide open to hunters right through the year, the only place you need to avoid is around the tracks especially the very busy Great Track. You must not hunt anywhere near these tracks although you are able to use the track as a way to access the country. There are deer, pigs, possums and feral goats in the immediate area, you should check with the Greymouth DOC office before hunting here.
So there you go...a quick look at what this most sleepy of the National Parks has to offer...
