36-842: The Inland Pack Track is a trail in the Paparoa National Park on West Coast of New Zealand. The full length of the trail commences at the Punakaiki River in the south, and ends at the mouth of the Fox River in the north. It takes two or three days to complete the track. There was no formed road along the Punakaiki coast until the late 1920s. Early European explorers navigating the coast encountered sheer cliffs at Te Miko, navigable only by climbing ladders totalling 46 feet high (or so Haast estimated) made of harakeke and rotting rātā vine . Charles Heaphy noted in 1846 that "…as several of
72-696: A discussion paper including a proposal to remove 7,058 hectares of land from Schedule Four of the Crown Minerals Act 1991 , including the Inangahua sector of Paparoa National Park. The area of the Inangahua sector included in this proposal was 3,315 hectares, or 8 per cent of the park. The proposed change would remove the prohibition on mining for the area concerned. On 26 March 2010, a spokesman for Gerry Brownlee said that opencast mining in Paparoa National Park could not be ruled out. On 20 July 2010, in
108-631: A joint statement by Brownlee and Wilkinson, the Government announced that it had received 37,552 submissions on its discussion paper, and that it had decided not to remove any land from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act for the purposes of further mineral exploration or extraction. Ms Wilkinson said the government had agreed to continue with its proposal to add 14 areas with a total of 12,400 hectares of land to Schedule 4, including 240 hectares of Paparoa National Park (the northwest addition). The park
144-469: A large park incorporating the wilderness area was rejected, but after seven rounds of submissions and help from other environment groups including the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society , an area of 30,327 hectares was gazetted as Paparoa National Park on 23 November 1987. Following the liquidation of Pike River Coal , Solid Energy purchased the assets of the company. The government then purchased
180-651: A viewing platform above the chasm collapsed, leading to the deaths of 14 people. There is a memorial on the side of the track to those who died. This section of track was renamed the Cave Creek Memorial Track/Kotihotiho in 2020, as part of the 25 year remembrance of the disaster. From the intersection with the Cave Creek Memorial Track, the route of the Inland Pack Track follows an old farm road to Bullock Creek. The Bullock Creek road
216-551: Is a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long gravel road that provides an exit to State Highway 6 on the coast for those not wanting to complete the full distance. This 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) section of track follows an old farm road before the route becomes a single track around a swamp in mixed rimu and beech forest. The trail then climbs a ridge between Bullock Creek and the catchments of the Fox River and then descends to Fossil Creek. The route follows Fossil Creek downstream, and there
252-501: Is a commercial tourist attraction. The majority of the park is forested with a wide variety of vegetation. The park was the site of the 1995 Cave Creek disaster where fourteen people died as a result of the collapse of a scenic viewing platform. The Paparoa Track , one of New Zealand's Great Walks , runs through the park. The small settlement of Punakaiki , adjacent to the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes tourist attraction, lies on
288-464: Is a large limestone outcrop on the Fox River in Paparoa National Park , in the Buller District of New Zealand. The Ballroom Overhang provides a sheltered place for resting or overnight camping. The overhang is 10 m (33 ft) at its highest point, 100 m (330 ft) long, and 30 m (98 ft) at its widest point. In suitable conditions, the 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) hike to
324-407: Is a popular location for tramping, walking, and viewing scenery and caves. The Truman Track , located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Punakaiki, provides access from State Highway 6 to a headland via a short walk through coastal forest of ferns, nīkau palms, podocarps and rātā, with flax nearer the coastline. The Paparoa Track is another popular route. A 55 km (34 mi) walkway,
360-520: Is a river crossing where the route moves to the true right of the Fox River. The route from this point follows the Fox River Caves Track. These caves were closed following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake because of a large rockfall over the entrance. There is some river bed travel before a forested track section that leads to the Fox River car park at the northern end of the Inland Pack Track. Paparoa National Park Paparoa National Park
396-460: Is at Lake Disappear in Waikato. The river gorges, confined by high, forest-crowned limestone cliffs, provide a means of access to the park's karst interior. However, in many of the tributaries the gorges are narrow, steep and include waterfalls. Dry, mossy streambeds, karren, sinkholes (or dolines), blind valleys and basins where water emerges from caves or vanishes into sinks are all indicators of
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#1732868883655432-540: Is fed by a complex cave system. Upstream of the Xanadu and Taurus Major sinkholes , on Bullock Creek (the most northerly on the west coast, others being near Ross and Fox Glacier ), a polje of up to about 1 km (0.62 mi) square and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) deep can form after heavy rain. Bush felling and drainage took place in the polje from the 1870s, but the wetland ecology has been undergoing restoration since 1986. The other large polje in this country
468-442: Is no formed path. The route then goes along Dilemma Creek, known for its forested limestone canyon, before meeting the junction of Dilemma Creek with the Fox River. After the widespread damage caused by Cyclone Ita in 2014, the section of the track between Bullock Creek and Fox River was closed for two years, and this led to complaints. It was eventually re-opened in 2016, after the clearance of around 400 fallen trees. The route to
504-536: Is on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand . The park was established in 1987 and encompasses 430 km (170 sq mi). The park ranges from or near the coastline to the peaks of the Paparoa Range . A separate section of the park lies to the north and is centred at Ananui Creek. The park protects a limestone karst area. The park contains several caves , of which Metro Cave / Te Ananui Cave
540-516: The Ballroom Overhang is a short side-trip upstream along the bed of the Fox River, from the confluence with Dilemma Creek. Crossings of the Fox River are required. The Ballroom Overhang is a limestone half-dome shape, formed by erosion at a bend in the river. There is a formed track downstream from the confluence with Dilemma Creek, on the true left of the Fox River. The track follows the gorge for 2 km, with some climbs around bluffs. There
576-613: The Inangahua River . The park covers the catchment areas of the Punakaiki , Pororari and Fox (Potikohua) rivers and Bullock Creek (Punungairo) , and also the Metro / Te Ananui cave system and the southern side of the Tiropahi River catchment. The park has unusually diverse geology with a wide variety of coastal, lowland and mountain landforms. The major geological structures that form
612-533: The Paparoa Track from Blackball to Punakaiki and the Pike29 Memorial Track were constructed through the park as a memorial to the 29 miners lost in the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster . Most of the families of the victims approved, but there has been some criticism because Solid Energy decided in 2014 that it was too risky to re-enter the mine to recover any remains from the mine. The formation of
648-557: The Tasman Sea , with indented coves and sandy beaches. There are small islands offshore and rock pillars. These terraces were once islands, which became part of the mainland when New Zealand was uplifted quite recently in its geological history. The most well known feature of the coastal region is the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Dolomite Point, near Punakaiki, where evenly layered stacks of platey limestone have been eroded in places to form surge pools and blowholes . Bird habitats within
684-718: The 3,580 hectares (8,800 acres) of land around the Pike River Mine. The environment minister, Nick Smith , announced on 15 November 2015 that the 3,580 ha of land was to be added to the Park. Paparoa National Park is located in the northern West Coast region of the South Island, between the Buller River (Kawatiri) and the Grey River (Māwheranui). It includes the western side of the Paparoa Range and some separate eastern sections along
720-613: The Ballroom Overhang and back can be made as return day trip from the coast road. However, it involves multiple river crossings, and these are likely to be impassable during or after heavy rain. The route to the Ballroom Overhang is classified as an advanced tramping track by the Department of Conservation . The Ballroom Overhang can be reached from the Inland Pack Track , and is approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) upstream from
756-484: The Inland Pack Track for two years. Regeneration can be seen occurring in clearings left from the storm damage. The remaining part of this section of the track includes mature rimus and many ferns. As the track approaches the flat land of the former Bullock Creek Farm, there is a side trail of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to Cave Creek / Kotihotiho and the resurgence. This is the site of the Cave Creek disaster in 1995 when
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#1732868883655792-594: The National Parks and Reserves Authority identifying the western Paparoa Range as a prospective national park. Meanwhile, a joint proposal by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the National Museum succeeded in having a core area of great ecological significance – the forests of the lowland karst syncline – gazetted as the Pororari Ecological Area in 1979. The initial proposal for
828-558: The Paparoa Track has been a catalyst for the emerging adventure sports community on the West Coast with events such as The Paparoa which features trail running and mountain biking over the track. The event is based around the regions mining history and also celebrates the number of exceptional female adventure athletes the region has produced such as Casey Brown, Ruth Croft and Emily Miazga. Ballroom Overhang The Ballroom Overhang
864-640: The chains instead, or jammed sticks into the links. The cliffs and headlands between Fox River and the Punakaiki River were the greatest obstacles to travel, and many miners died as a result of falls, or from drowning. To mitigate the on-going risks, the Nelson Provincial Council arranged for the construction of the Inland Pack Track in January-February 1867. The route was not popular with the diggers, because it involved many river crossings, it
900-468: The complex subterranean system beneath. Intricate systems of shafts, passages and caverns have been slowly formed by the continual effects of water through the soluble limestone. The forest ensures that this process continues by supplying decaying vegetation to add to the acidity in the flowing water. The largest single feature in the karst region is the Barrytown syncline. Limestone is exposed on both flanks of
936-606: The edge of the park. The park is also located near the towns of Westport , Greymouth and Barrytown . In 1976, the Federated Mountain Clubs had identified the northern part of the Paparoa Ranges as a potential wilderness area. In 1979, the Native Forest Action Council proposed a 130,000 hectare national park, including the northern Paparoa Ranges and land to the north and east. This eventually led to
972-531: The highest population densities in the nation) and some other dolphins including killer whales can be observed close to shores as well. For whales, their number is still very small, but various species have been observed. Although Paparoa National Park is protected from mining by Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, there have been proposals to allow some mining within the park's borders. On 22 March 2010, Gerry Brownlee (Minister of Energy and Resources) and Kate Wilkinson (Minister of Conservation) released
1008-543: The junction of the Pororari River track and the Inland Pack Track, the route continues to the Lower Pororari Swing Bridge, where the shared-use ends. The remaining sections of the Inland Pack Track are for walkers only. The section of track to Bullock Creek was badly damaged during Cyclone Ita in 2014, with a large number of fallen trees. The storm caused widespread damage and led to the closure of parts of
1044-631: The late Pliocene or early Quaternary periods. Mt Lodge, the highest mountain in the park at 1,447 metres (4,747 ft), has rocks that are the oldest in New Zealand. Over the last 10 million years, the movement of the Alpine Fault has separated the predominantly granite and gneiss rocks of the Paparoas from their original neighbours, so that they now more closely resemble the rocks in Fiordland , far to
1080-430: The northern entry or exit point of the Paparoa Track . From the bridge across the Punakaiki River, the track climbs over a low saddle passing through mixed broadleaf forest before dropping into the Pororari River valley. Walkers who take the track down the Pororari River back to Punakaiki from this point will complete the "Punakaiki loop", a round trip of about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) that takes around 3 hours. From
1116-663: The park are the Barrytown syncline , the Punakaiki anticline , the Paparoa Tectonic Zone, the Cape Foulwind fault and the Hawera fault. Most of the land area of the park is mountainous. The eastern side of the main range has deep glaciated valleys that run north and south, with towering bluffs and cirques , hanging valleys, and truncated spurs . The western coastline is known for its spectacular and varied scenery and its accessibility. The Paparoa mountains were uplifted during
Inland Pack Track - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-839: The park range from on or near the coastline to the peak of the Paparoa Ranges. Several species such as tūī , bellbird, kākā , kererū (New Zealand pigeon) and parakeets migrate from winter habitat in the lower forests to summer habitat in the upland forests. A significant feature of the coast is the colony of the rare seabird, the Westland petrel (tāiko), that is located on densely forested terraces just south of Punakaiki river. The Westland petrel breeding site at Punakaiki has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International . Large colonies of New Zealand fur seals have been established adjacent areas around Westport such as at Cape Foulwind . Rare southern elephant seals and leopard seals also visit. Hector's dolphins (some of
1188-419: The rotten steps gave way under our feet, our position was far from being pleasant. A number of cormorants and other marine birds, too, that had their nests in the crevices of the rock were screaming and wheeling about us at the intrusion." During the gold rush of the 1860s these were replaced by chain ladders, soon known as " Jacob's Ladder ", but the wooden rungs were destroyed by overuse, and travellers slid down
1224-508: The southwest, than to the relatively nearby main range of the Southern Alps . Rivers flowing from the Paparoa Ranges pass through the limestone syncline, creating subterranean waterways and extensive cave systems that are one of the features of the park. The main rivers are the Fox , Pororari and Punakaiki . Another of the rivers is Cave Creek, site of the 1995 Cave Creek disaster . Cave Creek
1260-438: The syncline with more recent gravels and mudstones occupying the low-lying area in between. These more easily erodible rocks overlie interstratal karst. The majority of known cave systems are in the western side of the limestone syncline where underground drainage patterns are concentrated mainly along horizontal lines of weakness in the bedding planes . The Paparoa coastline is characterised by high cliffs cut away by waves from
1296-475: Was difficult to travel along valley floors and proved time-consuming for the diggers and their laden pack horses. The track eventually fell into disrepair. The trail commences from the south at Waipori Road, where there is a suspension bridge across the Punakaiki River. The section of the trail from the Punakaiki River to the Pororari River is dual-use – shared between walkers and mountain bikers, and serves as
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