Paparoas.....

Re Bovis I put a photo and some info on this site in 2011. The Moonlight - Croesus loop or from one road end to the other is a good walk. For the loop you use the poled link between the tracks across the tops and cut between the Garden Gully mine track above the hut and the Moonlight track via point 1074m & the ridge on the TR of the Left Hand Branch Moonlight Creek. Lots of the ridges on the eastern side of the Paparoas are ok to walk apart from the patches of windthrow you strike in places.

By the way a feasibility study has been done on two "Great Walks" for the Paparoas. These are memorial walks for those that died in the Pike River and other mining disasters. One would be Pike River-Atarau-Porarari River - Punakaiki and the other from Moonlight or Croesus and down the range to the old Coolgardie track finishing at the old Brunner Mine site. Bits of these would make use of existing tracks but a lot of new track would be involved. This second walk is intented to be a four dayer. If it goes ahead there are likely to be new huts too.

Yeah, I'm excited to see those developed! I will happily volunteer my services. Hey, how did Clark die? All I know is that it was near where the hut is now. And although the Blackball side is by far the most popular, I prefer the challenge of the Barrytown side. Especially starting from there. :) Oh, and if anyone is thinking about heading up the Croessus anytime soon, don't bother. There was a slip on the Barrytown side a few weeks ago, and just this morning after coming down from the hut on the Blackball side, I was caught on the wrong side of a big, very dodgy slip across the track. Had to cross it, but I thought long and hard about doing so. A mistake could have been it. Of course, upon arriving back in Greymouth, I went straight to the DOC office to let them know.

@Kreig Slip info noted thanks. Ces Clark died of natural causes. He had a heart condition I think? In earlier years he had been very fit representing NZ at rugby league and was a good walker and hard out worker. (I'd left the Coast at the beginning of 81 so I wasn't about when it happened)

@glennj -- ah that's right. Looks good! Cheers.

You know in the old days we would just go out and cut some new tracks, build some huts, chuck up a couple of three wires.......viola track system exists. That's how much of the Tararua track system was built. I really hope that new track to Pike river goes ahead, it would be a awesome trip. It could be part of the next chapter in the NZ backcountry: The Memorial Track years. Pike River Track The Cave Creek Walkway The Whitcombe Alpine Route The Brunner and Kehu Circuit (this one in Victoria FP) The Arawhata Bill Wilderness area (around the Hollyford to stop them mining/roading it)etc. There are a world of possibilities....

Sure is! And I'm happy to do my part.