Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to pay half the hut fee and make use of the hut facilities during the day only. Backcountry
hut tickets or passes can be bought online or from any DOC visitor centre.
8
Getting to/from the Tramp
Rolling River car park is 31km from the tiny settlement of Tapawera; to get there follow the
signposts west to the Wangapeka Valley. About 1km before the trailhead you will find
Prices Clearing, where there's an information kiosk and telephone.
The end of the track is a car park on Wangapeka Rd, signposted 18km south of Karamea
on SH67. It's 5km from the turn-off to the car park; there's a telephone 500m down
Wangapeka Rd from the end of the track.
Trek Express (
Click here
)
runs on demand (minimum four people) from Nelson to
Rolling River ($50); and Wangapeka Rd to Nelson ($115), but if you're flexible the com-
pany can often hook you on to another booked trip.
Karamea Express (
Click here
)
offers on-demand pick-ups from Wangapeka Rd to Kara-
mea for $20 per person for two people, $15 for three or more. On-demand shuttle services
are also offered by Karamea Connections (
Click here
).
And in the true spirit of Kiwi hospitality, the friendly people at
Little Wanganui Tavern
(
03-782 6752)
will pick you up and deposit you at Little Wanganui on SH67.
The Tramp
Day 1: Rolling River to Kings Creek Hut
3½ HOURS, 11.4KM
From the car park, the track crosses a swing bridge over
Rolling River
just upstream from
its confluence with Wangapeka River. The track then begins on the southern bank of
Wangapeka River
. The water is almost always in sight as the well-defined track winds
through river flats of grass and scrub.
Within 3km the track crosses a bridge over Wright Creek and then continues crossing
grassy flats. After three hours you cross a swing bridge to the northern bank of the
Wangapeka River, passing a signposted junction. The right fork is a side track north to Kiwi
Saddle Hut (six bunks), 3½ hours away.
Take the left fork along the main track, which heads southwest and skirts the edge of the
river gorge. Within 30 minutes of the junction you reach Kings Creek Hut (20 bunks).
