Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When gold was found at Blackball Creek in 1864, miners formed a rough track up the
creek, through what was known as 'some of the roughest country ever travelled by man' in
the hopes of striking it rich. Over 18 years from 1881 to 1899, this early track was slowly
replaced by a pack track which was eventually extended all the way across the Paparoas to
the coast road.
This track is a pleasing blend of scenery and history, and is a great introduction to the
windswept tops of the Paparoas. The views from the tramp's high points - Croesus Knob
(1204m) and Mt Ryall (1220m) - are superb, with bald tussock tops stretching north and
south. The track is also littered with gold-mining sites.
The tramp can be completed in one long day, but it is far more enjoyable with a stopover
at a hut above the bushline.
Further exploration of this area can be had by joining the Croesus with the
Moonlight
Track
, which intersect on the tops beyond Ces Clark Hut. This additional five- to six-hour,
15km tramp follows a tussocky ridgeline providing ever-changing views, east to the main
divide, west to the Tasman Sea and north and south along the Paparoas. As it descends
steeply and follows Moonlight Creek it passes a variety of historic artefacts, including tail-
ings from gold claims, parts of the Moonlight quartz stamping battery dating to 1868, and
the remains of a number of miners' huts. The track ends at Moonlight Valley Rd, leading to
the village of Atarau.
