A long dream: Paparoa

Seven Wellington bureaucrats and a lawyer enter the Punakaiki Tavern. No, it isn’t the start of a bad joke, just of a jolly good adventure on the Paparoa Track.

I was mildly stressed as we sat down in the tavern. Well mildly might be putting it lightly. We had left it to the night before the trip to organise how we were getting to the start of the track at the Smoke-Ho carpark, just out of Blackball. My stressed turned out to be ill-founded however, as Moira and Scott had our dilemma sorted with a quick conversation with Craig at the campground. On their return we relieved any leftover stress over a pint before turning in for the night, eager for whatever adventure the rising sun might bring with it.

Day one: Smoke-Ho Carpark to Moonlight Tops Hut

Sure enough Craig was ready and waiting for us at 8am, smiling ear to ear as our contingent of 8 filled up his van that would have only had two mountain bikers in it otherwise. As we bounced down State Highway 6 Craig gave us a wonderful commentary on the areas we travelled through. Favourite moments included being told about the petrel-heads of the coast (the annual festival to celebrate the return of the Westland Petrel/Tāiko) and a coal mine that had been burning for 30…