News fresh from TRENZ 2019, New Zealand’s biggest annual international tourism showcase, currently underway at Rotorua’s Energy Events Centre – the country’s newest and 10th Great Walk – the Paparoa Track – on the rugged west coast of the South Island, will open in December 2019.
The new Walk will traverse the Paparoa Range, home to limestone landscapes, verdant rainforest and astonishing views. The spectacular trail also features a side trip that serves as a memorial to the 29 men who lost their lives in the Pike River Mine tragedy.
Māori for “Long Place”, the Paparoa Range is punctuated by peaks and threaded with rivers. On the new Paparoa Track, hikers will experience the Pororari River Gorge, towering limestone cliffs, remnants from the region’s mining history and ever-changing forest that transforms from beech to rainforest, studded with nīkau palms. A standalone walk or add-on is the Pike29 Memorial Track, an 11km (one-way) tribute to the men who lost their lives in the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster.
The Paparoa Track starts near Blackball (Smoke-ho car park) and emerges at Punakaiki (Pororari River car park). The ideal time to walk is between September and May, but check the weather forecast before setting out. At 55km from end to end (not including the Pike29 Memorial Track), the trail takes three days to complete. It’s also open to mountain bikers.
