Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Getting to/from the Tramp
The walk begins and ends at Ngaroma, 7.5km off SH1, 150km north of Christchurch and
45km south of Kaikoura. InterCity and Atomic bus services will drop you off at the Conway
River Bridge where you can be collected by arrangement.
The Tramp
Day 1: Ngaroma to Medina
4-5 HOURS, 12KM
The first night is spent in the Loft at
Ngaroma Farm
, which has great views of the Kaikoura
Range. It's an easy stroll down to the Pacific Ocean or you can wander around the farm and
soak up the bucolic atmosphere.
The tramp begins the next morning. If you hustle, this section could easily take less than
four hours, but why hurry? Linger on the beach, scan the ocean for marine life, look for
shells in the cliffs and soak in the views.
To set off on the track, head to the beach following a gravel road east from the farmhouse
and then cross a bridge and continue south. A track sign will divert you off the road to the
greyish, gravelly beach. The darker the sand the better the footing, but overall this is
something of a trudge. The scenery is amazing, however, and soon you're skirting the base
of towering tan bluffs on one side, with the roar of the Pacific on the other. The endless
crashing of waves onto the beach sets a tranquil tone for the rest of the morning.
About 1.8km from Ngaroma you reach the first stumps of the
Buried Forest
- matai,
rimu and kanuka that were living trees 8000 years ago, but were eventually covered by sedi-
ment and preserved. Now sea erosion has revealed these ancient trees in several locations
along a 1km stretch of the beach to
Ploughman's Creek
, a wide gap in the bluffs where you
can see a road bridge. Seal Gap and Doug's Gap follow, and one hour from Ngaroma
(3.6km) you reach
Big Bush Beach
. Here the sand extends up into a huge gap to form a big
beach.
The cliffs turn whitish and layers of shells are easily seen. You pass Dawn's Creek at
4.8km, and 1.2km later (two hours from Ngaroma) reach a track turning inland to Circle
Shelter. This lunchtime shelter has loads of character, including a large and very comfort-
able couch, a 'loo with a view', and a fire pit where you can boil a billy for a cup of tea.
