Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day 2: Ces Clark Hut to Barrytown
4-4½ HOURS, 10KM, 1160M DESCENT
The first stretch of this leg crosses the tops, marked by snow poles. Be warned that it may
prove hard to follow if bad weather has rolled in.
The rough path heads northwest through tussock to the main ridge of the Paparoa Range;
it is poled all the way to the bushline on the western side. Thirty minutes from the hut is a
path striking off southwest to rocky
Croesus Knob
(1204m), which gives the track its
name. The views are well worth the short burst of energy required to reach the summit.
Return to the main track and follow the poles to the northwest as they round the headwa-
ters of
Waianiwaniwa (10 Mile) Creek
. Along the way there are views down the valley to
Point Elizabeth, with Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman visible further south on the horizon
on especially clear days. Halfway across the tops you will pass a sign marking the alpine
route to the Moonlight Valley and then come close to the summit of
Mt Ryall
(1220m).
From Ces Clark Hut to this point, near the bushline, takes two hours - including the climb to
Croesus Knob.
The well-marked track then plunges into the bush, which is predominantly subalpine spe-
cies and beech, and drops steeply towards the West Coast. Further down, the gradient eases
as you join an old miners' benched track, and the vegetation changes to nikau palms and
other warm-climate species found along the Paparoa coastline.
About 2½ hours after reaching the bushline you emerge onto SH6, across the highway
from the All Nations Hotel (which has limited services), where you can connect with
passing bus services.
THE COAST TO COAST
Kiwis really are a mad bunch. Take, for instance, the annual
Coast to Coast
(
www.coasttocoast.co.nz
)
, the most coveted one-day multisport race in the country. Held in
mid-February, the race starts in Kumara, 25km south of Greymouth. Intrepid racers
start in the wee hours of the morning with a gentle 3km run, followed by a 55km cycle.
Next it's a 33km mountain run over Goat Pass - you know any pass named after a
goat isn't going to be flat. From there all there is to do is ride your bike another 15km,
paddle your kayak 67km and get back on the bike for the final 70km to Christchurch.
The strong, the brave and the totally knackered will cross the finish line to much
fanfare. The course is 243km long and the top competitors will dust it off in just under
11 hours - with slowpokes taking almost twice that.
