Wakamarina MTB

The Wakamarina Track has been unfinished business for a few years now.  The fates conspired to prevent every previous trip - usually in the form of road closures for forestry.  From track descriptions it sounds like large chunks of it are a bit beyond my meagre MTB abilities, but it is an intriguing route with a bit of history and a sense of covering some interesting country usually reserved for trampers.     

Where:  Wakamarina Track - Richmond Range
When:   29 December 2020 
What:    MTB day trip
Who:     Solo

Shortly after turning into North Bank Road there's a large DOC sign board on the left listing the status of the various road ends along North Bank Road.  I have found it to be accurate at times, and continue to check it as well as the website.  It insists that this time the way is clear so we head up Onamalutu Road which turns into Kiwi Road and winds into the hills.

We have the wee MX5 so ground clearance isn't the best, but it manages the 500m climb on a roughish gravel road to the large 'car park' at the top of Kiwi Road.  Kiwi Road continues over the ridge and is marked as dropping to Bartlett Road with access back to North Bank Road but I haven't confirmed that this is a goer.    

Top of Kiwi Road

 

Back towards Blenheim 

After the usual farffing about I get to that point in time where there is nothing to be done but start pedaling up the 4WD track.  You could drive up this bit but it doesn't take you much further so you may as well start from the big turn around area.  It's 12:20 so there should be more than enough afternoon to see this thing through.

Writing two years after the trip means the details are a bit sketchy, but the first part is a steady climb on a good track over 400m to the top of the Richmond Range at about 1030m.  I'm not very fit at the moment so elect to push on some sections rather than trying to grunt through.  

The track runs through beech forest with rocky outcrops - it's pretty and a privilege to be able to ride in country like this.   

Fosters Clearing is a good stop for lunch at 1.30.  Fosters Hut is a 100m climb along the ridge to the east and the clearing itself is a comfortable wee grass patch with a water barrel.  This is something I've discovered is a thing in these ranges - and have since stumbled on three other small water reservoirs on exposed ridges without tarns or other sources.    

West along the ridge is an unmarked route to Mt Baldy and other exciting destinations.  Noted for future tramping trips.

A South Island Robin keeps me company as I study the map for the next section.  I'm thinking of this as a trip of four halves: a mostly ridable grind up to the clearing, a bit of a miserable scramble and push section down then steeply up to pt 1066, an insane down hill that I will likely need to push parts of, then a flatter ride out to the road end. 

I think I may have protected myself by forgetting parts of the next section but recall wrestling the bike up steep, crumbling banks, around windfall and a lot of on again/ off again.  

Around 2.50 I'm at pt 1066 and ready to do battle with the downhill.  By this I mean, drop the seat, tighten the sphincters and get ready to jump off at the slightest sign of trouble.

It's a challenging ride and I push a fair bit.  Good riders would do it pretty quickly and ride far more than I could so it takes almost an hour to drop the 800 odd metres to Devils Creek Hut (3.50pm). 

The hut is a typical number nestled in a clearing - in the bush nearby is a much earlier structure that would struggle to meet current building standards.

There's a couple of good size creeks along the next section for water and it takes a little over half an hour to get to the reasonably sizable Doom Creek.  

Doom Creek is deep, green and by all accounts good for a skinny dip.  I'm on the clock though so eschew such things and decide not to do the loop track to some old mine workings.   

Doom Creek

Consequently, I don't keep the support team waiting long, arriving on the dot of 4.45.  Under an hour from Devil Creek Hut and about 4hr 25 from setting out.  

Postscript

A challenging ride and workout in beautiful country.  The ride up to Fosters clearing or into Devils Creek Hut from the other end are reasonable destinations in their own right. 

 

Access to the track is problematic.  At the time of writing there has been storm damage to Kiwi Road and it is listed as closed.  Given there has been a lot of logging in the area it is possible that the company has little reason to repair the road in a hurry so I'm not holding my breath.  I would recommend a car with good clearance and preferably 4WD - particularly if there has been any rain.

Good bike skills are needed - I would have enjoyed it far more if I was a bit more competent.  Also fitness - a bit of grunt is needed for some of the up hills and there are completely unrideable sections requiring bike wrestling - a small group would be an advantage for handling bikes in places.  A few years back I had attempted to get to the track with full touring rig on my old Giant MTB but the road was closed (as I discovered after 15 wasted km pedaling) - I suspect it would have been a bit miserable wrangling a loaded bike through some sections.  

You need to carry a bit of water (I wouldn't rely on the barrel at Fosters).  Although there were streams in the second section from Fosters and fourth section from Devils Creek Hut. 

Weather is also a significant consideration - the tops can clag in with much lower temperatures than the plains. And, if it rains, some ridable sections will quickly become rooty hell slides just itching to wipe out an unsuspecting front wheel and rider.

Finally, if you don't have a patient support crew it's quite a long ride out to SH 6 at Canvastown.  

 

Length of the South - Day Eight

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Route

Blenheim to Harvey Bay via Havelock and Nydia Track

Day 8 Map

Distance: 121    Cumulative: 1,260

A leisurely 0800 start, and rather than chug back to an arbitrary point on the Wairau Valley Road, I head straight from Blenheim for the Wakamarina track. This is likely to be the toughest day and I’m a bit spooked by the prospect of the grunt over the range with full kit. It’s overcast but the ubiquitous Blenheim wind hasn’t started yet. The range is shrouded in cloud, so hopefully cool up top and good for climbing.

People are getting about their business and traffic is relatively busy but the road shoulders are ok. Renwick is a little early for a food stop, even though the pies from the bakery have been pretty good in the past; an iced coffee is however always in order.

After crossing the Wairau death bridge (no concessions made for cyclists) the trip up Onamalutu Road is pleasant and I make a mental note to visit the Reserve one day, however I’m a bit uneasy about the level of forestry activity – chainsaws echo through the valley, trucks are coming and going and there’s lots of signs about access, radio call signs and such.

It is not until the end of the road that I see ‘Closed’ on a DoC Wakamarina Track sign – I continue a short way to check and sure enough Kiwi Road has fierce signs making it very clear that cyclists aren't welcome. There’s a fair amount of teeth grinding, and imprecations about the iniquities of DoC officers that don’t bother putting signs at the start of the road, as steps are retraced. To be fair, I discover that there was a sign on the side of North Bank Road (left going up valley) not long after the main road intersection that gives the status of various routes – I hadn't seen it and there was no indication on the Wakamarina sign at the North Bank / Onamalutu Rd intersection.

Oh well, plan B is to ignore the wasted 30km and head straight up SH 6 for a leisurely lunch with Sally at the Slip Inn in Havelock, and a few essential supplies from the shop. It also provides an opportunity to make some phone calls and arrange transport to and access on D’Urville Island.

A relatively new bridge across the Pelorus River has dramatically shortened the commute from Havelock to the Nydia track (or MTB trust website) to about 20km. The gravel road winds along the coast through bush with virtually no traffic. It’s a hot day again. Just before the turn off to the track about 1500 hrs (pretty easy to identify by the DoC signs) two trampers are heading back along the road. I suspect they’ll have a long walk without a lift. After that, I see no-one through the entire track.

Reports are that the Nydia Track is better from north to south and one of the best advanced rides around. I’m sweating hard within five minutes of leaving the southern road end, as the track commences the first 200m climb. This would be mostly rideable but not for me today. The track is good, and would be a ball in the opposite direction.

The track drops again and traverses some flat pine forest (all rideable) before diving upwards for the Kaiuma Saddle. I’m off and pushing again. Even without gear I would find much of this section tricky riding in either direction with a lot of rocky creek cuttings and outcrops to scramble around, in and out of. It becomes a bit of a bike wrangling mission with cussing attendant on the odd pedal/knee connection. It would be shades worst in the wet as the rocks are treacherously slippery to cleated shoes.

It’s about 1640 hrs when I wheel the bike into the saddle and take a break before an entertaining downhill into Nydia Bay. There’s a short stretch across farmland with a couple of stream crossings, before hitting the coastline with the choice of a DoC lodge to the right or private lodge, DoC campsite and continuation of the track to the left. It’s 1715 hrs so plenty of time to grunt over the next saddle, and onwards it is.

Nydia Bay. Nydia saddle on horizon. Track follows edge of bay on left.

Nydia Bay. Nydia saddle on horizon.

The track winds for about 5km along the bay through bush and past various cribs (to use the southern vernacular). All rideable and very pleasant. Then there is a grunt up the next saddle, but by 1920 hrs the long push is over and the Nydia Saddle provides views back across the bay to the Kaiuma Saddle in the distance. There are more kereru in the surrounding bush than I have ever seen in one place before.

There’s a fair amount of bike wrangling required
climbing Nydia Saddle.

Looking back across Nydia Bay to Kaiuma Saddle
(had to darken photo in order to pick up background details)

Another great fun downhill (again mostly rideable), then a long sidle around the coast, where I get a bit sick of beech tree roots across the track. It’s a bit after 2000 hrs when I hear voices and come to the road end and meet a family coming into Duncan Bay from a day’s fishing - a little over 5 hours on the track with some lovely riding. The bush throughout is gorgeous and with a little more time there would be plenty of scope to admire views across isolated bays, swim, and kick back at a campsite or lodge.

Less than 4km later I’m picking out a camping spot at the Harvey Bay DoC campsite . Nice enough with a loo, tap, stream and good choice of sites. There’s a mixed bag of tents and camper buses, but plenty of space for a biker looking for a tree to sleep under. The caretaker is in residence and takes my $6, I wash at the stream and roll out my bivvy bag. The occupants of a nearby tent keep yacking into the night but Dimp keeps the mozzies at bay, the evening is mild, and I’m content. Wekas and Moreporks call in the dark.

Home for the night. Everything got hung on a tree out of reach of kleptomaniac Wekas.

Options

There’s plenty of options depending on where you want to end up; the Wakamarina is unfinished business for me, the road to Havelock was just plan B; from Blenheim you could go around Port Underwood or through to Linkwater via the Waikakaho Walkway (check the Kennett’s book though – I’m not sure about doing it with gear on board). Queen Charlotte Track would be a good option for getting out into the Sounds although not as far north as French Pass.

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