Pioneer Trail - Monday 15 July

At 7am it's dim outside but the wind has dropped. Clouds are gathered about the ranges and it's cold; snow flakes are drifting through the village.  

About half eight I leave the kayakers gearing up for a short jaunt up the lake before returning to Wellington. With very little skin showing it's on to the highway and a quick trip down to the Howard Valley turn off (about 16km and well signposted).  The snow thins out and the sun occasionally peeks through.

Howard road is gravel and recently graded but not too bad. After about 5km the start of the Porika track (470m) is easy to find and not so looked after; a sign absolves the Council of the risks you might take. There's ice on the track as it winds up through beech before crossing a stream and skirting farm land.  From here it climbs through beech forest with occasional huts by the way. It's good 4WD track quality and the gritty rock makes traction fine on slicks.

After 4km there's a road on the right, the track veers left and levels off at an area marked for gold fossicking.

Arr, there's gold in ...

Flat at last, note the crowded but serviceable aero bars

The kilometre of flat travel to a clearing and a memorial is welcome before it climbs again and steepens with occasional flakes of snow filtering through the canopy.

"...When the Lord sits in judgement,
I hope there will be a place for me
Somewhere in the Howard Valley..."

Towards the top it gets a bit rough but is ridable for the determined; I push the last 200m to the top (980m, about 7km from Howard Valley Road).

And then the descent (500m down in 3.5km); there are no views at the top so no point stopping. It's steep and a little rocky in places just enough to make it fun but not scary. There's enough granite about that the track is quite grippy despite the grade.

South along Rotoroa to Mt Misery

Part way down a corner opens a view down to and up Lake Rotoroa, at the head the snowy peaks around Mt Misery are emerging from or disappearing into snow cloud. This side has been hit by the southerly judging by the debris on the track. Towards the bottom the track gets a different type of interesting; patches of softer earth have been rutted by 4WDs making steering on road pressure slicks interesting.

Half way down looking west towards the Braeburn track

At the bottom there's a half K cruise to the bridge over the Gowan River. Part way along there's a road to the left with the ubiquitous DoC kiosk for registering to camp (location noted for future reference). The fancy lodge on the right just before the bridge is a little incongruous given some of the other rustic buildings. The bridge itself provides a view up to the tranquil lake, the outlet is deep and green and looks like any number of West Coast lakes. The whole place is peaceful and looks like a great holiday spot.

Straight off the end of the bridge the Braeburn track starts climbing from 460m on a well formed gravel road. The climb doesn't last too too long (650m) before it rolls into a delightful fast downhill. The tyre tracks are well compacted so the only speed limit is the unlikely event of a vehicle.  The Te Wiriki Stream valley is narrow and the road follows the stream through forest. At four points shallow fords present no problems. Soon enough the valley broadens and flattens, sun floods in and the ice starts to disappear.

The junction with Tutaki Road marks about 11km from Rotoroa and 21km to Murch. 4k down the road a right turn into Mangles Valley and its back on seal. Mangles Valley narrows and gets quite cold with ice appearing again. State Highway 6 is welcome despite the traffic and the 5k flick quickly by to be in Murchison shortly before 1pm.

There's a bit of choice for lunch but the tea rooms win out for nostalgic reasons. Hot chicken and bacon soup replenishes liquids, electrolytes and takes the edge of hunger, perfect. A pie finishes the job. The stop protracts somewhat with texts and a call from home followed by a stock up at the supermarket.

It's nice to turn off SH 6 again to travel south up the Matakitaki valley. It is quiet and sealed until just after 6 Mile Creek (where there is an interesting looking hydro scheme walk). The gravel road is wide with the middle lane giving the best riding. Vehicles are sporadic.

The sun warms my back and the wind although head on is not strong. Its mostly farm land but with some extensive beech forest. After a tiring section of fresh gravel the road drops through a rock cutting to a short bridge across the Matakitaki river. The short gorge below is, well ... gorgeous. It's about 15-20m down through sculpted rock. Up stream is sunlit farm land with icy peaks in the distance (Ella Range?). 

East up the Matakitaki

Upstream

Downstream

Silly bugger

After the bridge the road follows the river back up for about 3k crossing side streams and the imminently swimable Glenroy River before narrowing and diving up beside the Warbeck Stream towards Muria Saddle (7k to climb from 300m to 580m). The track is one lane with a grass middle strip at the start. It's pretty travelling and all ridable. The stream crossings are all low key but look like the water sometimes rips through. The top is unmarked but the 3k downhill starts emphatically. It's fast and any thought of finding a tent site is abandoned.

I haven't checked the map but figure that Muria (and the motel) can't be far from Muria saddle. However it is about 18k along SH 65 (the road linking Springs Junction and the Lewis Pass road to the Buller Gorge road about 10km west of Murchison) into deepening dusk before arriving at 6pm in the dark. An Indian chap with a mellifluous voice answers my knock. I don't ask the price ($100) and he shows me to a perfectly adequate unit. Warming, hydrating and eating fills the next couple of hours.

It's been a long day covering 146K over a good amount of gravel and off road through some mighty fine countryside.  It's a pretty happy biker that crawls into a toasty bed.

Go to blog for Tuesday: Muria to Westport