Which track for a 1st tramp away from the crowds?
1–10 of 17
Page: 12
Hi there,
As a new member this is my 1st message here although I've been lurking for a while now :)
I'm coming to NZ in about 3 weeks and will stay for a fair while (over a year). I've done a lot of bushwalking in Australia for the last few years but have never tried multiday tramps. I've been meaning to for a while though and NZ looks like it's the perfect place to start.
So my question is - which tracks would you recommend for a beginner who is not keen on crowds? I know NZ has heaps of gorgeous tracks, but those that are well known (Great Walks) sound very crowded to me. Although I may choose a Great Walk for my very first tramp (mainly for my girlfriend's peace of mind and to make sure all my gear is up to scratch), I'm really keen to get away from the crowds afterwards. The quiet and solitude are some of the things I love best about being out bush.
I will be in the South Island for the 1st few months, so most interested in SI tracks and will worry about NI tracks later. I'd probably aim for walks that are 3-5 days long. I've got a good tent so camping is OK.
Thanks for your time!
I'd check out the Inland Pack Track, which offers a beautiful & secluded 3-day loop. Start by walking out of Punakaiki, up the Pororari River. Hit the Inland Pack Track & follow it north to camp near Bullock Creek. Continue north for night-2 at the Ballroom on the Fox River. Then hike out to the road & hitch back to Punakaiki.
See this website (not mine): http://www.gang-gang.net/nomad/NZ/NZ31.htm
Should add you could do it in two days, but why rush? It's gorgeous enough to encourage moseying...
Should also stress (an edit button would be nice - wink) that you can't do this tramp in the rain, or after notable rain. The crossings & the gorge would be way too dangerous.
If you need 1/2-day to kill while you wait for good weather, the Pancake Rocks & the short but spectacular Truman Track are very nice.
Great! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll make sure to check out the Inland Pack Track if it hasn't been raining too much. I've had a chance to get a glimpse of NZ before (short break, no big walks) and I remember Paparoa NP looked like a magnificent place to explore.
Other suggestions anyone? :)
Another possibility I've been wondering about is Nelsons Lakes NP. I was thinking along these lines:
Day 1 - Mt Robert car park to Angelus Hut through Pinchgut Track
Day 2 - Angelus Hut to Coldwater Hut through Cascade Track
Day 3 - walk out on the Lakeside Track
Do you think this would be OK for beginners?
Do those tracks get crowded in summer?
Are there good campspots if I don't wish to use the huts themselves?
Thanks for reading!
Robert car park to angelus hut 6-7 hrs exposed tops. be well prepared even in summer. Most of the rescues in nelson lakes take place on this track poled route most of the way.angelus hut very busy hut almost great walk busy.steep prolonged decent down cascade track.there is camping at angules hut and at cold water hut.
Thanks for the info tonya. I had no idea Angelus Hut would be so busy, I remembered Nelsons Lakes as fairly quiet once you left the lake shore (did the short Mt Robert loop on my previous visit). It's great to be able to talk to people who know! Cheers.
Also in summer the Angelus Hut and campsites have to be pre-booked unfortunately.
Hmmm.. I wonder how they work those rules out. It's a National Park and not a great walk track so, if you can't book a camp site, I wonder what is stopping you from just camping beside a campsite, or over by Hinepouri Tarn or something. Also if you arrive at the hut late in the day and there is no room or campsites available, what are you supposed to do... levitate into the air or something.
1–10 of 17
Page: 12
Search the forums
| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
|---|---|
| Started by | Toothbrush |
| On | 11 September 2011 |
| Replies | 16 |
| Permanent link | |
Participation in the forums signifies acceptance of forum rules.
In order to manage spam, new members are limited to 1 post every 10 minutes.
Formatting your posts
The forums support MarkDown syntax. Following is a quick reference.
| Type this... | To get this... | |
|---|---|---|
| Italic | *Italic text* | *Italic text* |
| Bold | **Bold text** | **Bold text** |
| Quoted text | > Quoted text | > Quoted text |
| Emojis | :smile: :+1: :astonished: :heart: | :smile: :+1: :astonished: :heart: |
| Lists |
- item 1 - item 2 - item 3 |
- item 1 - item 2 - item 3 |
| Links | https://tramper.nz | https://tramper.nz |
| Images |  URL/of/image |
 |
| Mentions | @username | @username |