Paparoa Track: huts, shuttles and the Pike29 Memorial Track

The Paparoa Track is a 55 km Great Walk across the Paparoa Range on the South Island's West Coast, from Smoke-ho car park near Blackball to Punakaiki. It is shared by walkers and mountain bikers: walking takes 3 days, riding 2, and e-bikes are banned (DOC). In short: book the huts before you go, because all three must be booked and there are no campsites. Walk or ride south to north. Arrange a shuttle or car relocation, because the two ends are on different roads. The track is open all year, with lower hut fees from May to September and harder winter conditions from May to October (DOC track guide). The Pike29 Memorial Track, opened in 2024, is a second way on or off the range.

The route, end to end#

DOC recommends travelling south to north, starting at Smoke-ho car park at the end of Blackball Road, 8 km north of Blackball, and finishing at Punakaiki (DOC track guide). The track runs in four sections (DOC):

The first section is the old Croesus Track, built between 1881 and 1899 to reach gold mines in upper Blackball Creek. It is much rougher than the rest, with original stonework, and climbs from podocarp and beech forest into subalpine scrub. Just before Ces Clark Hut you pass Croesus Top Hut, a historic miners' hut you cannot sleep in, though it can be used as an emergency shelter (DOC; DOC track guide). On a clear day the views from Ces Clark run to Lake Brunner, the Main Divide and Aoraki/Mount Cook.

From Ces Clark the track follows the open ridge of the main range, through tussock and alpine scrub, to Moonlight Tops Hut. About 30 minutes past Ces Clark, a rough walkers-only route climbs Croesus Knob (1204 m), 1 hr 10 min return (DOC track guide). The long day from Moonlight Tops passes the Pike29 junction, follows the top of the escarpment above Pike Stream, and then descends through old podocarp forest to Pororari Hut. There is an emergency shelter at the northern end of the escarpment (DOC).

The last day drops into the Pororari River gorge, with limestone cliffs, beech forest and nīkau palms. Near the end the two user groups split. Walkers normally go down the Pororari River Track to the Pororari River car park, on SH 6 1.2 km north of Pancake Rocks. Riders must take the 1867 Inland Pack Track over a low saddle to the Waikori Road car park, 2.4 km south of Pancake Rocks (DOC; DOC track guide). Just before the split is the Cave Creek memorial junction, which remembers 13 students and a DOC officer who died when a viewing platform collapsed on 28 April 1995.

How many nights#

DOC suggests three ways to split the track on foot, and one night for riders (DOC). Daily totals below are added up from DOC's section times.

Ces Clark and Pororari together do not work: they are 28.8 km and about 10 hours apart. The first day of the standard walk is the longest, 7-8 hours, and includes the rough climb to Ces Clark; the three-night plan gives that climb a day of its own, which DOC suggests for anyone wanting shorter days (DOC). The out-and-back option is the Pororari Hut Track. A second night at the hut leaves time for a 6 hr return walk to the escarpment shelter (DOC Pororari Hut Track).

Riders should not underestimate the track. It is graded Advanced (Grade 4), with long steep climbs, narrow sections exposed on the outside edge, poor traction and obstacles. The ride up to Ces Clark is particularly tough, and most riders will push their bikes in places (DOC). In DOC's review of the first two years, bikers were 22-26% of users, and about 1,000 a year rode the whole track in a day or made day trips from Blackball. That is possible for strong riders, but DOC's own advice is to plan a night on the track (DOC, 2023).

Hut bookings and fees#

There are three Great Walk huts: Ces Clark (16 bunks), Moonlight Tops (20) and Pororari (20). All three must be booked in advance. Without a valid booking you may be charged a penalty or turned away if the hut is full. Bookings for the 2026/27 season are open, and DOC states no fee for day walks or rides or for entering the national park (DOC).

Fees are in NZD per person per night. The New Zealand rate needs proof of eligibility. Children are 5-17 at the NZ rate and 0-17 at the international rate; New Zealand infants up to 4 stay free (DOC).

Outside October-April there is a single adult rate for everyone, and children pay $25 ($30 at Moonlight Tops in May, June and September). For an adult, the standard two nights cost $139 at the NZ rate or $209 at the international rate between October and April, falling to $100 in July and August. All three huts cost $189 NZ or $285 international in the main season. A rider staying one night at Moonlight Tops pays $78 or $117 (Moonlight Tops Hut).

Backcountry Hut Passes and tickets are not accepted at Moonlight Tops or Pororari. A pass can cover Ces Clark, but you still book online and then claim a refund by emailing [email protected] with the booking reference and a scan of the pass (DOC).

What the huts have#

Each hut has heating, gas cooktops, sinks with cold running water, mattresses and long-drop toilets with toilet paper. There are no showers, and you bring your own sleeping bag, pots and utensils (Pororari Hut; Ces Clark Hut). The tap water is untreated, and DOC says to boil it before use. Lighting is listed at Moonlight Tops and Pororari but not at Ces Clark (DOC), so carry a torch.

The heating does not reach the bunkrooms: DOC's gear list says the bunkrooms are unheated and can be cold, and recommends a 3-4 season sleeping bag and warm clothes to sleep in (DOC). The sleeping bag temperature guide explains how to read the comfort and limit ratings. No food is sold and huts keep no emergency food, so carry spare meals in case weather holds you up. In summer a hut ranger is based at Moonlight Tops and Pororari to check bookings and give track and weather information (Moonlight Tops Hut; Pororari Hut). If kea visit, do not feed them (Pororari Hut).

Getting to the start and back from the finish#

The two ends are on different roads: Smoke-ho inland beyond Blackball, the finish on SH 6 at Punakaiki. DOC names no operators and links to West Coast Tourism's list instead. It advises leaving your car at your accommodation, because Smoke-ho car park is small and for day use only, and camping there is not allowed (DOC). The regional list includes Go Tracks, Paparoa Track Shuttles (run by Punakaiki Beach Camp), Cycle Journeys with its sister company Paparoa Shuttles, Buller Adventures and Coast Outdoors, plus guided walks and helicopter bike lifts (West Coast Tourism). Fares listed by two of them on 27 October 2026 (the shuttle pages carry no date, so treat them as a guide):

Punakaiki Beach Camp also lists afternoon runs that need at least three passengers (Punakaiki Beach Camp), and secure parking at its Punakaiki camp at $10 a day (Punakaiki Beach Camp, parking). Go Tracks runs only when booked, at least 48 hours ahead, and each run has a minimum "operational fare" ($240 to Smoke-ho from Greymouth). A solo traveller may pay that minimum, with money back if other passengers book (Go Tracks). Its car relocation between Smoke-ho and Punakaiki costs $250 from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, plus $50 if booked within 48 hours, and secure parking at its Greymouth depot is $11 a day (Go Tracks relocation). With a rental car, check with the hire company first: Go Tracks warns that some require every nominated driver's licence to be seen at pick-up, which can rule out relocation by a third party.

Car security is a real issue. DOC reports cars broken into and disabled at the Smoke-ho, Waikori Road and Pororari River car parks. Leave no valuables in a parked car, and ask the Punakaiki visitor centre about safer places to park (DOC). Punakaiki has no petrol station, so fill up in Greymouth or Westport (DOC, Paparoa National Park).

The Pike29 Memorial Track#

On 19 November 2010, 29 men died in an underground explosion at the Pike River Mine. The Paparoa Track itself, opened in 2019, was created as their memorial, in partnership between the men's families, DOC and Ngāti Waewae, a hapū of Ngāi Tahu and the kaitiaki (guardians) of the park (DOC; DOC, 2023). The Pike29 Memorial Track opened on 16 February 2024. This 11.6 km shared track climbs from the former mine site in the Pike valley to the Paparoa Track, and tells the story of the disaster on the way (DOC, 2024).

It is steep. DOC gives the climb as about 800 m on its web page and 880 m in the track guide and the opening release. Going up takes 5-6 hr on foot or 3 hr 30 min-4 hr by bike. Coming down takes 3 hr 30 min-4 hr 30 min on foot or 1-2 hr by bike. Bike grade is Advanced (Grade 4), and the same rules apply as on the Paparoa Track (DOC Pike29; DOC track guide). The two tracks combine in several ways:

• A side trip from the main track. The track guide puts the vent shaft viewpoint 2 km down the Pike29 track from the junction, 1 hr 30 min return on foot, with views over the mine ventilation shaft and an interpretation panel (DOC track guide). DOC's Pike29 web page gives the viewpoint as 8.4 km from the car park, which would put it about 3 km from the junction, so allow a little longer (DOC Pike29).
• A one-day or overnight ride from Smoke-ho to the Pike29 car park. This is 37 km, 6 hr 30 min-9 hr 30 min, and it avoids the long descent to Punakaiki. From Moonlight Tops Hut it is 17 km, 3-4 hr, to the Pike29 car park (DOC track guide).
• A different start or finish. DOC presents Pike29 as an alternative entry or exit for the Paparoa Track, for example climbing from the Pike valley to join the main track before Pororari Hut (DOC, 2024).
• A short walk. The Twin Bridges walk is 10-15 min return from the car park (DOC Pike29).

The car park is at the end of Pike River Road. From Greymouth, take Taylorville Road, then Taylorville-Blackball Road, which becomes Atarau Road. Turn onto Logburn Road about 15 km northeast of Blackball and follow it to the end. The gravel road is narrow and winding, the bridges have weight limits (6 t single axle, 14 t tandem), and the turnaround is too small for buses and long campervans (DOC Pike29). The mine portal is closed to the public while DOC builds the infrastructure for safe access (DOC, mine site). For one-way trips, Punakaiki Beach Camp lists car relocation from Smoke-ho to the Pike29 car park at $285 and from Pike29 to Punakaiki at $360, and says it does not leave cars at the car park overnight (Punakaiki Beach Camp).

Weather and the hazards that change plans#

Rainfall in the park averages about 6,000 mm a year. Heavy rain, snow, ice, fog and strong wind can come in any month, especially on the exposed tops. If the weather turns severe, DOC's advice is to stay in a hut or turn back. In winter, check for snow and ice before you start, and allow extra time (DOC). The track guide describes May to October as the more challenging winter season (DOC track guide). DOC also closes the exposed section between Ces Clark and Pororari huts when forecast winds are too strong, sometimes for only a few hours: in late October 2026 it announced three such closures in four days, telling walkers to be in a hut or off that section before each one began. Check the alerts at the top of the DOC track page before you set off.

The Pororari valley is the section most likely to stop you. In very heavy rain parts of it can become impassable, landslides are possible, and extreme wind can bring trees down. When this happens, DOC says not to travel between Pororari Hut and the Punakaiki car parks, but to shelter in the hut and wait (DOC). Build a spare day into the plan for that reason, and carry the extra food that implies. Elsewhere, landslides and rockfalls can happen without warning during and after heavy rain, and heavy rain can leave ruts and scours that make riding harder. The valley also has ongaonga, the native tree nettle, whose sting is painful. There is no phone coverage on most of the track, and DOC's gear list includes a distress beacon.

Rules worth knowing before you go#

• E-bikes are prohibited under the Paparoa National Park Management Plan (DOC).
• Bikes may only be ridden from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, to protect nocturnal wildlife. Walkers and riders share the whole track, so be considerate of each other (DOC track guide).
• No camping or hunting within 500 m of the track, no fires except in hut fireplaces, no dogs and no drones (DOC track guide).
• Store food in a rodent-proof bag or container, and carry out all rubbish (DOC).

Distances, times, fees, rules and hazards were checked against DOC pages and the April 2024 DOC track guide, and shuttle fares against operator pages, on 27 October 2026. This is a source check, not a site visit. Operator fares change, so confirm them when you book.