Paparoa Track

Starting near the sleepy settlement of Blackball and ending at the well-known Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, the trail traverses the breath-taking Paparoa Range.

Day one starts with the historic Croesus Track, a remnant from the region’s gold rush. It’s steep, slightly rough, and winds through podocarp and beech forest, with glimpses of Blackball Creek through the trees, where you might even spot rare blue ducks (whio) bobbing in the water.

Once you reach the open alpine tops, you’ll be treated to views usually reserved only for mountaineers. On a clear day, you’ll see all the way to Aoraki Mount Cook. Listen out for cheeky kea and the shrill calls of roroa – a giant among kiwi birds, rarely spotted outside of their mountainous South Island habitat.

Day two, the final day for mountain bikers, winds along a steep escarpment and then alpine forest, before descending through ancient podocarp forest under towering cliffs. When it reaches the Pororari River, it sidles along a spectacular gorge before descending through beech and northern rātā.

For the last section, mountain bikers and hikers diverge. Those on two wheels ride over a low saddle into the Punakaiki River valley, and walkers take the Pororari River Track through the Pororari River Gorge. Both are rewarded by deep-green pools and towering limestone bluffs graced by nīkau palms and tree ferns.