West Coast Wilderness Trail

Activity Date:
Updated:
People: Finn, Jen, Penzy

Sat Mar 20, 2021 [Show, Download GPX]
West Coast Wilderness Trail		54.21km
5:01:06		10.80km/hr
549m ⬆️, 722m ⬇️

For the past three years my partner Jen and I have participated in Biketober Christchurch in which a local organisation hosts a series of bike-related events throughout the city during the month of October. The month culimnates with a bike-orienteering-style event where you visit as many “passport” locations throughout the city on a single day.

The Christchurch 2021 Biketober Passport webapp
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) The Christchurch 2021 Biketober Passport webapp

There are prizes up for grabs and one of our friends (Penzy) accompanied us in 2020 and she won bike hire and transport for a section of The West Coast Wilderness Trail.

The map from the offical website
(📷: West Coast Wilderness Trail) The map from the offical website

We stayed the night in Greymouth and drove down to Hokitika in the morning. We headed into the see the company that was providing the bikes and transport - Cycle Journeys. The company dropped us off where the trail intersects the Old Christchurch Road. From there the trail follows a nice 4WD trail for a few kilometers before turning into more of a 2-abreast width walking/cycling track. Keep an eye out for a small sign indicating an old dam which you can walk 20min down to the river to see. Pretty cool!

The way to the wooden, broken down historic dam.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) The way to the wooden, broken down historic dam.
Some of the early trail in the forest - simply beautiful.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Some of the early trail in the forest - simply beautiful.

The trail continues on, climbing gently to Kawhaka Pass which not far off your highpoint for the day. Here there are a couple of information signs on The Southern Alps and the geology below which leads to such dramatic and cool landscapes. This was great - I got to nerd out a little bit and go back to talk to my Year 12 Earth and Space Science class about it!

Climbing towards Kawhaka Pass on some a very well-formed track.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Climbing towards Kawhaka Pass on some a very well-formed track.
Me with the Alpine Fault Sign. Yes I made my class read it.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Me with the Alpine Fault Sign. Yes I made my class read it.

The trail then descends into Cowboy’s Paradise - a place of dubious reputation. You certainly get quite a, uh, vibe when you enter town. Not somewhere I’d choose to stay the night but we indulged in some hot chips before continuing on. There are some great switchbacks as the track descends down to Milltown Road (gravel). It follows Milltown for a number of kilometers and even has a small climb around the side of Pyramid Hill. From there is joins Hans Bay Road around the north end of Lake Kaniere. We took a small break from riding and walked down the little track that looks down from the head of the lake - well worth it!

Love a good bridge.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Love a good bridge.
Jen enjoying the switchbacks and the view of the Arahura River.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Jen enjoying the switchbacks and the view of the Arahura River.
Mmm view. Nothing but e-bikes as far as the eye can see.
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Mmm view. Nothing but e-bikes as far as the eye can see.

From there the road section is brief before the track departs the road in favour of the Kaniere Water Race Walkway (cycleway?) which is a really excellent track which gently undulates alongside the water race. I felt a really interesting what if feeling when looking into the deep dark sections of race as they enter the ground under a hill. Spooky. Enjoy this section as it is the last major bit of trail riding for the trip!

Smile!
(📷: Finn Le Sueur) Smile!

From the end of the race the trail joins the main road back to Hokitika, departing from the road to coast along the Hokitika-Kaniere Tramway before reaching town.

This was an excellent weekend away and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps in the future we can come back and do the whole thing!