Alternative biking option for the Paparoa Track

The Paparoa Track, New Zealand’s 10th Great Walk, opens on 1 December 2019. It’s already proving popular and bookings are filling up fast. Moonlight Tops Hut, the middle hut on the track, now has limited capacity on many dates, particularly in summer and on weekends.

Keen to bike the track on a particular date, but can’t get a bed in Moonlight Tops Hut? Don’t despair – you can still mountain bike the Paparoa Track without stopping for the night at Moonlight Tops.

There is the two night, three day mountain bike ride, staying at Ces Clark Hut and Pororari Hut

This is a fantastic option for a slower-paced ride. Having two nights on track gives riders the chance to slow down and enjoy the stunning landscapes and rich rainforest of the Paparoa National Park.

Start in the early afternoon at Smoke-ho car park, then cycle up to Ces Clark Hut for the first night. This is a two to three hour ride, so it’s very convenient for people travelling that day and starting the track in the afternoon. Auckland in the morning, Ces Clark Hut that night!

On the way to Ces Clark Hut, you can explore the gold mining remains at Garden Gully. If you reach the hut with plenty of daylight left, there’s a walking side-trip up onto Croesus Knob, located approximately 2 km above the hut. There are spectacular views from the top, looking out to Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Tasman Sea. Allow two hours return.

The next day is a five hour 30 minute – seven hour 30 minute ride to Pororari Hut, crossing the tops and the Pike escarpment. Descending from the escarpment to Pororari Hut, you pass through ancient podocarp forest. Relax on the hut deck at the end of the day, with a hot drink and a view towards Lone Hand, a striking rock formation on the north side of the Pororari River.

Normally mountain bikers will be hurrying through the final section of the track, between Pororari Hut and Punakaiki, at the end of a long day. With this alternative route, riders can take their time to appreciate the Pororari River – one of the treasures of the West Coast – and even stop for a swim. The journey from Pororari Hut to the Waikori Road car park takes between 2 hr 30 min and 3 hr 30 min.

Please note: this option is only recommended for cyclists – it is an eight to ten hours (28.8 km) walk from Ces Clark Hut to Pororari Hut.