This was a classic Emily mission. Planned last minute, minimal research, no booking, but the weather is looking mint so it's happening. These missions aren't always the most successful, but we are usually stoked by the end of them.
Hugo probably would have googled whether gravel bikes are advised on the Paparoa track, and would have found that the answer is no. However, this was something that didn't concern me, until we were on the track.
So here was the plan. Ride most of the Paparoa track in a day and find a campsite near the last hut (Porari Hut). Only 37 km on the track on the first day, but with 1,460 m of elevation. Day 2 will see us ride all the way back to the trail head, along the number 6 highway. Total of 122 km, and 2,430 m of vertical.
The Paparoa National Park is on the West Coast of New Zealand, ranging from the coastline to the peaks of the Paparoa Range. Limestone underlies most of the park, creating interesting landforms such as high coastal cliffs, river canyons, caves and 'pancake stack' coastal rock formations in Punakaiki.
On November 19 2010, 29 men died in an underground explosion at the Pike River Mine. The mine site is now part of the Paparoa National Park. The Paparoa Track is a memorial to the men, and was created in partnership with their families and Ngati Waewae (a hapu (sub-tribe) of Ngai Tahu, the iwi (tribe) of the South Island), as a thank you to New Zealanders for their support of the Pike River families.
So off we went.
For the first hour or two, you'll be wondering why the hell you committed to this. At one point, I recall suggesting that we should just go back to the car. But if you can make it through those first hours, you're sweet for the rest of it.
This was what the track looked like. Great for mountain biking, not so great for gravel bikes laden with 20 kg worth of gear. Definitely some parts worth pushing to avoid mental breakdowns, punctures, loose bolts, etc.
The forest is a beauty, and the swing bridges are fun.
After 10 km of progressively steeper climbing, we reached Ces Clark Hut, which is on the edge of the bushline with stunning views of Lake Brunner and the main divide.
Another hour or so of climbing and traversing, looking out over the Grey River and the Tasman Sea, brought us to Moonlight Tops Hut. This section was still surprisingly hard, mostly because it is pretty rocky. Here we learnt the importance of lock-tight (due to loosing a couple of screws and having to get creative) and have since made sure every bolt is locked in place. We stopped pretty frequently to tighten things up. This was stressful for me, but Hugo, ever calm, always had a solution.
Overlooking the Paparoa ranges:
From Moonlight Tops, things get way more fun. Its mostly down hill and the track is in much better condition. There are stunning views with steep cliffs, massive boulders and rocky outcrops.
The track descends into the Pororari River Valley, where we found Pororari Hut. Here we found a place to pitch the tent. We had a well-deserved feed of lentil curry. The sunset over the Tasman Sea in the distance was spectacular.
Camping at Pororari Hut:
Riding out to Punakaiki the following day was only 17 km, and it felt like a highway it was so smooth relative to the previous riding. We wished we had gone slightly further the previous day, as it would have been super easy to find a secluded camping spot along the Pororari River, where we could have washed.
Hugo and I were gob-smacked by how awesome the road riding was from Punakaiki to Greymouth. What an unexpected highlight. We definitely had to keep an ear and an eye out for trucks coming from behind, they move fast and don't create space. But wow, what a stunning road with the wild west coast on the right, and the native bush-covered mountains on the left.
I cannot go without mentioning the pies at Top Shop Runanga, just north of Greymouth. Legendary lunch stop, not to be missed.
Riding back up the gravel road to the trail head, right at the end of the day, was a bit of a chore. But extremely worth it to be able to make a loop out of this awesome trail. Here we are at the end, back where we started, stoked with our efforts.
Another highlight is Blackball, which we spent some time exploring on our way out. Funny little mining town (and actually the birthplace of the Labour Party!). We enjoyed hot chips and a bevvy at the pub, and an ice cream. The West Coast is just unbeatable on days like this. How lucky are we.
