30 Jul 2010

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Gold Miners Inland Pack Track Walk

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track Walk

Location: West Coast of the South Island

Nearest Town: Punakaiki Village

Nearest City: Westport - 57km

Length of tramp: 10km

Time needed: 3 hours

Difficulty: Very easy

Route: Round Trip

Elevation: 20m to 140m

Wet Feet: Yes, you have to cross the Waikori River

Toilets: Yes, only at the Punakaiki township

Dogs: No

Mobile phone coverage: No

Date this tramp was last walked: 2010

Track quality: Very good, you could walk the track in sandals

Hazards: Trying to cross the Waikori River after a day of rain will be just about impossible!

Transport: No Public transport, but there are plenty of tourist buses passing through Punakaiki.

Water: Yes, out of the side creek on the main track

Accommodation: See the map below for great accommodation in Punakaiki

Driving Instructions:

From Westport take highway 67 to Reefton. 6km south turn right on to Highway 6 to Greymouth via Punakaiki. Charleston Township is another 25km. The next point is Fox River at 45km. There is a good walk into Fox River Caves, well worth the walk. The Irimahuwhero lookout is also a good place to stop. Punakaiki is just another 2km.

Camping on track: Yes. Mainly along the Waikori River, permission is required from the land owner

Track highlights: The native bush in this area is very open compared to most coastal areas. The walk down the Pororari River with the towering bluffs is also a change from high bush covered ridges.

Area & Track History: The Inland Pack Track was created in the mid 1800's for gold miners to move through the area.

Map of Gold Miners Inland Pack Track :

This is a dynamic map. You can zoom in and out using the "+" and "-" buttons, drag the map to see surrounding areas and click on the flags to see each position on the map

Accommodation near Gold Miners Inland Pack Track:

This is a dynamic map. You can zoom in and out using the "+" and "-" buttons, and drag the map to see surrounding areas

Detailed track description for
Gold Miners Inland Pack Track:

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Start

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From the town ship, walk south down the main road. Across the Punakaiki River bridge. Then turn to the left at the Grey District sign.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 2

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Now walk to the end of the dirt road to the river. Don’t try to cross this river when it is in flood.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 3

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The start of the track is only 100m down the farm track. There is a small emergency hut on your right just before the track.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 4

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The track starts off with a pleasant grass lined walkway. But don’t be fooled, you have a pleasant 25 minute uphill walk to the saddle.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 5

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The downhill amble is very pleasant you will notice the change in the bush as you walk from the saddle down to the Pororari river.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 6

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At this turn off you need to take the left fork down the Pororari River Track. To the right will take you deep in to the Inland Pack Track.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 7

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The walk down the river is a limited view of the river. You can walk off the track and down to the river, but take care you might walk over the edge of a cliff!

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 8

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At the steps, look back up the Pororari River to see the bluffs, they look really neat.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 9

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The next set of steps look like a dead end, but as you reach the top and look round the corner you are met with a little squeeze through some rocks.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 10

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The last bridge to cross. A few minutes more and you can take a few minutes to sit on a bench and look up river for the last time.

You are only 10 minutes from the car park now.

Gold Miners Inland Pack Track - Point 11

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From the car park walk out on to the main road and turn left and walk back to your car in Punakaiki township. This should take 15 minutes unless you have a look at the Punakaiki caves on the way.

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