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.