Best walks in the Bay: Parapara Peak

you going o be warm nough this winter?

Walk: Parapara Peak

Distance: 18.5km / 7-10hr return walk

Difficulty: Hard

Terrain: Steep, technical, single track, traversing a riverbed then forest, and finally exposed slate along an alpine ridgeline.

Access / Parking: The track begins (and ends) at the end of Ward-Holmes Road (12km from Tākaka township). There is ample parking.

Tips and Tricks: The track is marked in either direction with orange triangle markers interspersed with discs. Some are missing due to treefall and slips, so an additional method for orientation will be useful The GB Weekly used the NZ Topo50 app). Do not attempt the track after heavy rain or in inclement conditions. Carry plenty of water, as there is no reliable water source after the first 2km.

Parapara Peak is considered by some as a rite of passage tramp for enthusiasts. Preparing for the tramp, The GB Weekly questioned locals as to “what it was like” – and the answer invariably came back, “amazing…and very hard”.

The track was originally used by stockmen (circa 1900) to drive their sheep into the alpine basins, such as Boulder Lake, for grazing. In the 1960s, the lower portions of the track were bulldozed to support US mining company Kennecott prospecting for copper sulphide mineralisation in Copperstain Creek.

Starting from the carpark, the track immediately crosses

Pariwhakaoho River, where it is advisable to remove your boots to avoid a day with wet feet. The tramp traverses private farmland, then enters the Kahurangi National Park with a scrambled path zigzagging Copperstain Creek gully.

Exiting the gully to the right the track winds upward through forest comprising northern and southern rātā, hard and silver beech, stratified with kāmahi, Quintinia, neinei and mingimingi. The uphill halfway mark is signposted with an ancient Department of Conservation (DOC) “Para para peak” sign. The track is extremely rugged as you progress upwards from here, sometimes requiring hand-over-hand climbing, navigating a steep rooty incline. It seems inconceivable that a sheep could climb this terrain.

At 1,100 metres, forest gives way to low subalpine growth. Underfoot, the terrain becomes rocky and less stable, following a path to the ridge top and the highest point on the track (1,240 metres), allowing stunning 360-degree views. From here, there is a short walk south to a locked DOC shelter, where there is a water source.

From the highest point, the track bends north-west and travels a further 1km to the Parapara Peak trig marker, offering breathtaking views across the Bay, with the North Island visible in the distance.

The return trip is the same in reverse and raises its own challenges, with careful footwork required in the more technical steep sections; the carpark will be a welcome sight. Last thoughts from The GB Weekly, “amazing – and very hard.”

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