Hokitika, V of V: Lake Mahinapua, Jum Michel Track: 24th September 2021

 Bush trekking at Lake Mahinapua...

The second track of the day and last walk I did while we were at Lake Mahinapua was the Jum Michel Track. The Jum Michel Track is a 45 minute 2.5 kilometer loop with part of the track through the forest and the return leg along one of the two access roads into the Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve. 

Swimmers Beach and Jum Michel Tracks start at the same place...

Karen had a sore foot as she is still recovering from her bike accident so I walked this track by myself. The track is through a section of old growth Podocarp forest and along with some huge native trees there is a thick and varied understory along the track.

...the track is in old growth Podocarp forest...

Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve is a great place to visit when you are at Hokitika. It is only 12 kilometers south of the town and there are a multitude of walking tracks as well as the lovely lake, a dock and camping ground. The West Coast Treetop Walkway is just five minutes down the road so you could easily fill a couple of days exploring the immediate area....

The Jum Michel Track ends on the Lake Mahinapua access road...

Lets have a look at the last walk I did on our campervan trip to the West Coast...

Jum Michel Track, Lake Mahinapua:

As I said Karen was having problems with her foot so she stayed at the camper van and had some coffee while I went and walked the Jum Michal Track. The track starts from the same place as the Swimmers Beach Walk with a track junction about 100 meters along the Swimmers Beach Track. From here it is 30 minutes to the other end of the track down by SH6....

The junction of the Jum Michel Track and Swimmers Beach Walk

Map: Track network around Lake Mahinapua

The track goes through an rea of remnant Podocarp forest along a well maintained track made up of dirt, gravel and boardwalk sections. It is an easy flat track suitable for most people but it is not wheel chair compatible. The kids would like this one but keep them in sight and on the track as the bush is super dense...easy to get lost in!!!

Heading along the Jum Michel Track, Lake Mahinapua

It was darker along the start of the Jum Michel Track

You have alternate areas of light open forest and dark dense forest depending on the type of trees you are walking through. It gets progressively lighter and more open the closer you get to the main highway. There are a couple of small streams to cross but they are all bridged so this is an all weather walk.

The Jum Michel Track is gravel, boardwalk and bush track....

A tree dwelling grass along the Jum Michel Track

The photo below gives you a bit of an idea of just how thick the bush is along this track...it would be super easy to get lost if you strayed off the track. This is a coastal Podocarp forest so the floor of the bush is wet with lots of small ponds, swamps, bogs and wetlands. 

...an idea of how thick the bush is off the Jum Michel Track...

The area has small hills and hollows as I would imagine it is old sand dunes under the forest detritus....the track goes up and down over these small undulations for the length of the walk. None of them would be more than a couple of meters high....

Jum Michel Track: nice play of shadow and light...

There are a couple of low laying track sections that could be under water after heavy rain but you should be able to keep walking if you can see the path under the water. Here is one such area below...

Jum Michel Track: sections of the track are inundated...

About half way along the track you pass over a section of boardwalk...this is in a wetland area surrounded by Kahikatea trees and the shallow water is covered with typical native wetland species...grasses, flax, worts, moss and other small moisture loving plants...

Boardwalk over Kahikatea swamp...Jum Michel Track

Jum Michel Track: the ground is wet and boggy...

After the wetland the Podocarp forest returns with Miro, Matai and Totora as the main species you will see. There were also a few Mahoe trees with their characteristic large broad leaves and leaf skeletons on the track. It is more open at this end of the forest so there is more light shining through the canopy onto the floor of the forest.

Typical section of the Jum Michel Track, Lake Mahinapua

Most of the trees support epiphytes and other plants...

There are a lot of those DOC tree species information panels along the track which gives you some key facts about the flora you are passing. This is a great way to gain some familiarity with the trees in our forests so make sure you have a look as you walk by...

There are main species panels along the Jum Michel Track

Jon on the Jum Michel Track at Lake Mahinapua

Ferns and smaller plants come right to the track edge...

Podocarp forest is awesome to walk through as it has such a variety of plants to see...the West Coast is a temperate zone so it often resembles the jungle you might find in much warmer parts of the world. The trees will often be covered in moss, vines, epiphytes and other canopy dwelling plants which all add to its rich fullness...

Old mans beard on trees along the Jum Michel Track

The typical variety in a Podocarp forest...many species!!!

Large Podocarp trees along the Jum Michel Track

I encountered a curious Weka at the western end of the walk...I heard it just off the track and stopped for a while and watched it nose around through the ferns looking for food. It was happy enough if I stood still but took off whenever I moved...good survival instincts buddy. 

I decided to call him Wodderwick......

A Weka I encountered on the Jum Michel Track

...Wodderwick is just minding his own business...

There are some huge Miro/Matai trees in this forest...easily some of the biggest I have seen anywhere. They are an elegant tree and much favored by birds as they have small edible fruits in their canopy. Miro/Matai must be great timber trees as they are tall and straight and the wood has a lovely lustre and smell to it. 

They other place I have seen big Miro/Matai is along the Paparoa Track up above the Pororairi Gorge. There were some huge ones in the forest in that area... 

Large Miro Tree, Jum Michel Track

...some information about Miro Trees...

The forest thins out and the sound of cars becomes louder as you get closer to the end of the walk down by SH6. The trees at the end of this forest are smaller species like Pakatea, Mahoe, Hinau and large shrubby trees like Pigeonwood, Mahoewao and Lemonwood. 

The forest thins at the ocean end of the Jum Michel Track

Here I am near the end of the Jum Michel Track

The last 100 meters of the track parallels SH6 heading south and once you turn the last corner you can see right down to where the Jum Michel Track exits onto the Lake Mahinapua Reserve access road. 

Last section of the Jum Michel Track, Lake Mahinapua

Jum Michel Track...back at the access road!!

Highway end of the Jum Michel Track at Lake Mahinapua

From here you can turn about and walk back the way you came or take one of the two access roads back into the Lake Mahinapua Reserve carpark and campsite. It is roughly a kilometer back along the road and it is quite a nice finish to the walk as the road is flanked on both sides by thick native bush. 

...entrance to Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve...

The Jum Michel Track heads back along the access road...

Dense bush lines both sides of the Lake Mahinapua access road...

The access road will dump you out next to the Lake Mahinapua campsite and you can walk around the edge to the carpark and other facilities. It would probably be a decent place to camp or stop at for a night or two in your camper van...lots of space and trees to shade you from the sun and worst of the weather.

 It is often busy here at Christmas and over the summer holidays...or so I have been told.

Lake Mahinapua Campsite, Lake Mahinapua

Heading to the Lake Mahinapua carpark..

Karen was setting out to collect me as I walked back into the carpark and we headed back up to Hokitika for some well deserved dinner after a long day of exploring the area around Lake Mahinapua. We both enjoyed it here...it was a lovely day.

Bruce was parked at the Lake Mahinapua carpark

 It was well worth the return visit to Lake Mahinapua as we managed to knock of another couple of walks and seeing the Kotuku/White Heron was awesome. That dear reader is the end of our camper van adventures for this year...it was a lot of fun and using a larger and more comfortable camper van was a great idea. We are already thinking about our next escapade and we thought a trip around the bottom of the North Island might be on the books for 2022. 

Access: Lake Mahinapua Reserve is located off SH 6 approximately 10-12 km's south of Hokitika. The entrance is signposted and is directly opposite the Lake Mahinapua Tavern. Swimmers Beach and the Jum Michel Tracks both start from the northern edge of the carpark. 
Track Times: The Swimmers Beach Walk takes 20-30 minutes return to walk.
Miscellaneous: There is a toilet block located at Lake Mahinapua Reserve and the nearby campsite has water and a BBQ shelter. The track will be wet and muddy after rain but should be fine to walk in shoes most of the time. There is no beach at Swimmers Beach as the forest has reclaimed the land..leave your togs at home....

Hokitika Area, IV of V: Lake Mahinapua, Swimmers Beach Track: 24th September 2021

Viewing Kotuku at Lake Mahinapua......

After visiting the Mananui Bush Walk we drove two kilometres south down SH6 to the turn off for Lake Mahinapua Reserve. The entrance to the reserve is opposite the Lake Mahinapua Tavern and is hard to miss with the massive signs. You drive about 800 meters down a gravel road to the sealed carpark at Lake Mahinapua itself. 

Entrance to Lake Mahinapua Reserve off SH6 at Ruatapu

The Lake Mahinapua access road...

Lake Mahinapua is about 12 kilometres south of Hokitika and has a wealth of short tracks, a campsite and boat ramp so you can enjoy the lake and its surrounds. We have been here before in 2019 to visit the lake shore and walk a short nature track located next to the campsite. 

There is a huge carpark at Lake Mahinapua...

When we walked down to have a look at the lake we were delighted to find three Kotuku or White Herons nesting close to the boat ramp. We managed to get quite close as they were on a small island less than 40 meters out on the lake...they are huge birds. Normally they nest on the far side of the lake far away from humans so we were very lucky...

Kotuku or White Herons at Lake Mahinapua

We had a stroll around the Lake side and watched a chap put his boat into the water and putter off to do some fishing on the northern side of the lake. Power boats are allowed here (no Jetskis!!!) and we also saw someone in a kayak on the southern side of the lake around the portage trail. 

There is an old steam paddle boat here which was once used to transport people up and down the lake and surrounding waterways before the road was built. There are several information panels explaining its presence. 

Small craft launching from the Lake Mahinapua boat ramp

The old paddle steamer at Lake Mahinapua Reserve

We walked along the shore to the Lake Mahinapua Boat Club where there is a wharfe...it is closed off about 2/3 of the way along to stop people falling off into deeper water. The last time we were here in 2019 there were masses of Swallows flying around the dock but it is still too early in the season for them.

Looking south across Lake Mahinapua...distant Mt Greenland

At the Lake Mahinapua Boat Club warfe

The campsite is massive and could easily hold about a hundred caravans, campers or tents...I have heard it is very busy over the summer weekends and also when they hold regattas here. It is a DOC backcountry campsite but it has toilets, water points and a gas BBQ shelter so it is not totally basic. 

There was one caravan parked up at the campsite when we visited...and another freedom camper arrived just as we were leaving. 

The solitary camper at Lake Mahinapua campsite...

We both walked the Swimmers Beach Walk and I walked the Jum Michal Track from here...both start right next to the carpark.

Swimmers Beach Walk:

Swimmers Beach Walk is a one kilometre ex forestry track to the edge of Lake Mahinapua and it takes approximately 30-40 minutes return. The track starts from the northern side of the Lake Mahinapua carpark and the track is wide and well maintained. It is alternating gravel and soil so it will be a bit muddy after rain. 

Start of the Swimmers Beach Walk at Lake Mahinapua

This area looks like it was once milled but it still has an assortment of typical Podocarp species and the under brush is thick and tangled. The canopies of the trees meet over the track so it is like walking down a cool green corridor. There are a lot of birds in the area and we saw several Tui, Bellbirds, Fantails and Bush Robins as we walked. 

Swimmers Beach Walk is an old forestry road...

The turn off for the Jum Michal Track is about 100 meters along the track...I will cover that walk in a separate post. 

Junction of Jum Michal and Swimmers Beach Walk

The track was wet and a little muddy as it had been raining on and off for the previous week so we wore our boots on this walk. It was certainly too wet for walking shoes but I'm sure in the middle of summer it would fine to walk it in shoes. 

Nice solid surface to the Swimmers Beach Walk

Large Totora and Kahikatea trees along the Swimmers Beach Walk

...you alternate shade and sun along the Swimmers Beach Walk...

There were a few big Totora, Rimu and Kahikatea Trees in the forest but most of them looked to be either Matai or Miro with a few large Manuka trees. If they once milled the area they were very selective and it must have been a long time ago as some of the Manuka were huge (for that species of tree...). They are usually the first trees to reoccupy old milled areas.

Moss and Ivy cover trees along Swimmers Beach Walk

Lots of big tree ferns through here as well with the full gambit of supporting small natives in the bush. It was really nice forest we were waking through and with the clear sunny weather it was an enjoyable wee stroll...

Swimmers Beach Walk: a clearing along the track

There is a clearing about 600 meters along the track which looked like either old farmland or a skidder area for forestry. It is covered in Gorse now but we could see where someone has been planting native trees amongst it. Gorse needs a lot of sun so when the trees mature they will naturally kill it off as it will be in the shade. 

This is a long standing practice pioneered by the Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula. They discovered that Gorse is a great nursery bed for native trees by protecting it while it regenerates. Once the trees are taller than the Gorse it dies off. A great solution to a potential problem...

Old farmland regenerating along the Swimmers Beach Walk

Five minutes to Swimmers Beach....

The northern edge of the clearing is five minutes from the end of the Swimmers Beach Track...there is a sign near the northern edge of the clearing. You walk through a more mature area of native bush before descending a short set of stairs to the lake access point. 

Mature Podocarp forest in the last section of the track

Stairs down to Swimmers Beach

Jon descends down to Swimmers Beach....

Here is the kicker in this tale...there is no bloody beach at Swimmers Beach!!!! 

Instead you find yourself at a small clearing on the edge of the lake with nothing but water in front of you. I did a bit of research after we got back and it seems there was a beach here up to the late 1950's as it was a popular weekend haunt for residents of Hokitika. Over the years it waned in popularity and the forest grew back down to the water edge. 

Hmmmmmmmmmm!!!

...and there is no beach at Swimmers Beach...

Looking out over Lake Mahinapua from Swimmers (not) Beach

Normally there is a bit more of a clearing here but the lake was high after all the rain so at the end of summer I am sure there would be a dry rocky area at the end of this track. 

...Lake Mahinapua was very high...so flooded bush!

It doesn't make a difference though as it is a lovely short walk through some nice forest and that is reason enough to follow the track. there is a nice view of the lake from the end of the track right out to the Southern Alps so it makes a nice photo opportunity. 

After a couple of minutes we turned around and headed back the way we had come as we were hungry and had some lunch waiting for us in the camper van. 

Heading back up the stairs on Swimmers Beach Walk

...at the end of the old farmland, Swimmers Beach Walk...

The land has a definite slope to it and this was much more noticeable as we walked back to the carpark. You could actually see the land sloping down to the track entrance which was interesting as it seemed almost flat walking towards the lake...

...the slope is more noticeable on the way back...

Bush growing right to the edge of Swimmers Beach Walk

Ten minutes had us back at the start of the track and ready to chow down...it was getting on for 1.30 pm by this time so we were overdue for some vittles. We sat in the van and listened to a couple of Tui trying to loudly compete with each other to be the local Lothario....

Back at the entrance to Swimmers Beach Walk

There were a couple more cars in the carpark when we got back and the same family in the camper we saw at the Hokitika Seawall, Hokitika Gorge and Shantytown so it was like we were following each other around. I gave them a wave of recognition....

Bruce parked at the Lake Mahinapua car park

 Swimmers Beach Walk may not have an actual beach at its end but it is a lovely bush walk down to a more remote part of Lake Mahinapua. It would make a great taster walk if you had limited time to enjoy the pleasures of the area. 

Hey...I am spending four days in Able Tasman NP this coming weekend. I will be walking from Wainui Bay to Whariwharangi and then from there to Totoranui. A water taxi will take me to Anchorage for the night and then I will be walking out to Marahau in the morning. 

It should be fun...come back soon to see the detail....

Access: Lake Mahinapua Reserve is located off SH 6 approximately 10-12 km's south of Hokitika. The entrance is signposted and is directly opposite the Lake Mahinapua Tavern. Swimmers Beach and the Jum Michal Tracks both start from the northern edge of the carpark. 
Track Times: The Swimmers Beach Walk takes 20-30 minutes return to walk.
Miscellaneous: There is a toilet block located at Lake Mahinapua Reserve and the nearby campsite has water and a BBQ shelter. The track will be wet and muddy after rain but should be fine to walk in shoes most of the time. There is no beach at Swimmers Beach as the forest has reclaimed the land..leave your togs at home....