Hiking and Biking Trails in the Karamea District!
Come to Karamea, West Coast, New Zealand and steal some magical memories your grandchildren might listen to for about 20 seconds in between FaceBook chat!
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The Heaphy Track. New Zealand’s “Ultimate Trek” through spectacular Wild West Coast flora. Bike and Hike
- The Heaphy Track is New Zealand’s Ultimate Trek through rugged West Coast terrain, spectacular flora, clear mountain streams, and unique wildlife. Afterwards treat yourself to the “Heaphy Conquerors Feast” atRongo… A snack?? Mais Non! A meal? Hah! Dinner?? Nyet tovarisha!! A FEAST!!!
“Heaphy Conqueror’s Feast” only at: http://www.rongobackpackers.com
Distance: 82 kms
Duration: 3- 5 days hiking, 2-3 days biking.
Facilities: Department of Conservation huts at 7 locations along the track, including three shelters. Telephones at Brown Hut northern entrance and Kohaihai Shelter southern entrance! Emergency Radio telephone at Lewis hut! DOC staff huts at Perry Saddle, James McKay Hut and Heaphy Hut!
Hut Fees: $30.60 Adults and children/youths 5-17 FREE!!
Camp Site Fees: $12 Adults and children/youths 5-17 FREE!!
Route/Directions: Purchase a map from the Department of Conservation Information Centre. Heaphy Track brochures also available.
Requirements: Full tramping kit including woolly hat, wind and water proof jacket with hood, torch, matches and sensible scrogging food!
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• Mt. Stormy: Climb the Sleeping Warrior! Stand atop the peak and breathe in the cool fresh air! Phenomenal vistas of the coast line and bush! Hike
Atop Mount Stormy
Atop Mount Stormy
- Mount Stormy Hike
Mount Stormy is a mountain climb that provides panoramic vistas of the Tasman Sea, West Coast shoreline and amazing native bush. The exhilaration of completing this challenge and reaching the top will be the achievement of a life time. Are you tough enough to scramble the RAZORBACK !! SuperMoo even stopped here to dance a jig!!
Start Location : Mt . Stormy car park 10 kms from Rongo on Arapito Road.
Duration : 3-4 hour climb.
Direction/ Route : Follow the signposts and track markers.
Requirements : Take a day pack, food, water bottle, wind and water proof jacket, woolly hat and good quality hiking boots.
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• Opapara Arch. Largest in the Southern Hemisphere! Prehistoric caves with curious limestone stalactites and stalacmites dating from the Oligocene-Miocene Age! If you dare, enter the Box Canyon and Crazy Paving Caves. Dark and scary! Check your life insurance! Bike and Hike
Oparara Arch: http://www.oparara.co.nz (photo by Sean Coleman)
- Opapara Arch Hike and Bike
The largest arch in the southern hemisphere! A prehistoric grotto of gigantasauros proportions. The site of the last recorded Taniwha attack! Human remains testify to the savagery and rapacious appetite of this voracious predator!! Please keep an eye on children!!
Prehistoric Crazy Paving and Box Canyon Caves within minutes of the Opapara Basin Car Park.
Distance : 22kms from Karamea
Duration : Bike 2 hours, walk 3 hours.
Facilities : Opapara Basin carpark. Shelter and picnic tables, toilets and Department of Conservations information signage on history and prehistory of the Opapara Basin.
Route/Directions : Department of Conservation signposts to Opapara Arch and caves.
Requirements : Ultra Lite Track Sprint Shoes, Emergency Pack of 15 x blood transfusions, ability to survive with just your Adam’s Apple intact, Prepaid consult with Doctor Frankensteinway, sense of humour in the face of THE MACABRE!!! Don’t forget your camera, video camera and three forms of inedible identification!
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• Karamea Gorge Track – Greys Hut. Complete solitude. No Facebook!
Wander into the dark mysterious primordial bush and leave civilisation on another planet! Hike
Karamea Gorge
- Karamea Gorge – Greys Hut Hike
Complete solitude! No Face Book allowed!!! Get lost from all civilisation and experience real freedom!
Distance : Entrance to Karamea Gorge Track 10 km up Umere Road. A route track only. High level of fitness required. Entrance to track on right just across Virgin Creek. Phenomenal trout fishing for the fly enthusiast all along the Karamea River!
Time : 6 hours to Greys Hut
Facilities : Greys Hut Free!! Bunks and fireplace. No gas bottle!
Sit by the fire on a moonlit night and listen to the haunting calls of the mysterious morepork on a dark still clear night. M..O..R..e..p..o..r..k!!! Obviously not part of a kosher diet!!
Requirements : Full tramping kit, wind and water proof jacket, enough high energy food to last three days, matches, torch, candles and a good book to read!!
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Karamea Fishing Trail
Kahawai so huge, you need a Sikorsky helicopter just for your bait bag!
Trout so succulent that Karamea’s graveyard is full of the vanquished from pistol duels fought over prime Karamea fishing spots! Snapper so ginormous that Tiger Sharks flee in terror! Eels so slimy and deceitful that any self respecting politician would feel extremely proud to call Amigo! Even the disciples would have caught enough to feed the hungry!!
Karamea Fishing Trail – Bike and Hike
Kahawai, Snapper, Brown Trout, Sea Run Trout, Eels, Red Cod, Whitebait. Even the odd coelacanth!!
HUGE!
MONSTROUS!
EASY TO CATCH!! Even God who can’t use a 1 iron, could catch a lion sized mackerel to keep Her Celestial Indoors happy!!
A FISHERMAN’S HEAVEN ON EARTH!! Flagstaff Beach, Karamea River Mouth, Mossy Burn, Wangapeka River, Opapara River, Little Wanganui River and Beach, Extra Virgin Creek! Explore the myriad of small creeks for those crafty lurking kura, eels and trout.
Distance : Who knows!
Duration : Who cares?!
Requirements : Fishing Gear, Ravenous appetite and enough frail elderly grandmothers to give you at least a months paid leave. Rongo has grannies for hire. Please do not feed!
The Rongolian Star 