Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Harper Pass
Duration
5 days
Distance
77km (48 miles)
Track Standard
Tramping track and route
Difficulty
Moderate
Start
Aickens car park
End
Windy Point
Nearest Towns
Arthur's Pass (
Click here
), Hanmer Springs (
Click here
)
Transport
Bus, shuttle bus
Summary
A historic route followed by both early Maori and miners during the gold rushes,
this track extends from Arthur's Pass National Park into Lake Sumner Forest Park, passing
through beech forest and along wide river flats.
Maori often travelled this way over to the West Coast in search of
pounamu
, an experience
that would eventually see them lead the first Europeans through this area, in 1857. Two
guides, Wereta Tainui and Terapuhi, took Leonard Harper across the pass that now bears his
name. By 1862, some three years after the first bridle paths were surveyed, the route was
serving as the main gateway to the West Coast goldfields, with stores and liquor shops along
the way. When the gold rush ended, however, the track fell into disrepair, until its reinven-
tion as a tramping trail.
Today it is one of NZ's classic tramps, connecting Arthur's Pass to Lewis Pass. The track
crosses the Main Divide over Harper Pass, a low saddle of only 963m. The segment in Ar-
thur's Pass National Park is a valley route along the Taramakau River, but in Lake Sumner
Forest Park the track is well cut and marked.
Trampers need to be cautious with the Taramakau. It is a large and unruly river in a high-
rainfall area, making it prone to sudden flooding. The track can be walked in either direc-
tion, but a west to east crossing is recommended as you can be surer of good conditions as
you cross the Otira, Otehake and Taramakau rivers - all of which are prone to flooding dur-
ing rain. On the eastern side, the track is well defined along the Hurunui and Hope Rivers,
and bridged at all major crossings.
