More than a track
“WE ARE ALREADY GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE PAPAROA TRACK. THE BUSINESS IS GOING TO COME.”
Even before it opened, the Paparoa Track had star billing as New Zealand’s only purpose-built, dual-use Great Walk: for walking and mountain biking. It’s set in a special landscape; traversing a mountain range of outstanding karst geology, river canyons and dense rainforests, much of it never before penetrated by track.
The 55km trail crosses Paparoa National Park from Blackball to Punakaiki. It was officially opened on November 30 last year and is due to fully open in March following realignment due to a major slip on the middle section. Until then, access is only permitted in and out to Pororari or Moonlight Tops Hut. The adjoining 10km Pike 29 Memorial Track will open following completion of the Pike River Mine re-entry project.
The new Great Walk was conceived to boost New Zealand’s tourism infrastructure, help the West
