Old Ghost Road
Shaz reports…
Despite one write-up describing the Old Ghost Road (OGR) as a poor cousin to the Heaphy Track, I rate the newer OGR track as one of the best, if not the best, tramping track I’ve done so far. Yes, that includes the Heaphy Track, walked one way and then back again, as a cash-strapped tramper’s solution to the 463km car transfer or shuttle issue from start to finish.
So apart from the fact that the OGR, at 85km, is 7km longer than the Heaphy Track and the road distance between track ends considerably shorter and therefore cheaper to travel, what does a tramp on the OGR involve?
Starting in Lyell, the OGR follows an old mining track with a gradual but steady incline. Where that petered out the trail was purpose-built for mountain biking and maintains a gentle gradient throughout. Having puffed my way up the local foothills with a pack for training, it was a pleasant and relatively easy 18km forest-lined walk to reach Lyell Saddle Hut.
There are old mining relics and items of interest along this section. I don’t recommend exploring the tracks to Gibbstown and similar as anything of interest is a long way off route. The fallen-down hut at Eight Mile Creek is a quick scramble off the track and worth a quick look-see or rest stop.
At The Big Slips (and other sections later on too) track workers blasted and dug a route through. Marvelling at the engineering to build the track is one of the highlights of the trip.
Up early and ready for day two… yes, to a perfect blue bird day!Day two is short is distance but nothing short of spectacular in the scenery department. The 12km-day starts with a zig-zag through forest heading up Bald Hill. For the uber-fit or the rush-ahead-and-book-your-bunk type, the gentle gradient and zig zags might be a tad frustrating, but it is easy tramping and you are rewarded with amazing views once you emerge from the treeline.
Top Camp Shelter is a great place to stop for lunch in bad weather. It was a glorious day on our trip, so we delayed lunch for better views. The second half of the walk has a lot of near ridgeline walking – did I mention the views? Heaven’s Door is a highlight stop, but this whole day a stunning section to hike.
A definite case of a picture being worth a thousand words…There’s a short forest-like section before you reach Ghost Lake Hut which also boasts postcard panoramas.
From Ghost Lake Hut you can see day three’s route zig-zagging down the side. It disappears into the forest and emerges much lower and zigs and zags some more up to the Skyline Ridge. It looks intimidating, but we were on the ridge quickly enough.
Seeing the track stretch ahead like that did make me wonder what I’d signed up for, but it was easier than it looked.From there it’s 300 handmade wooden stairs down and a gentle downhill through the forest to reach Stern Valley Hut at the Stern River.
Day four is the big day – 25km, but there a lot to see. You start in the Earnest Valley passing Lake Grim and Lake Cheerful and then wind up a large slip called The Boneyard. Keep your eyes peeled for fossils – we saw quite a few.
One of many fossils seen in The Boneyard.You top out at Solemn Saddle then wind down through forest and into river valleys, across swing bridges, and following river courses, passing two smaller huts en route to each Mokihinui Forks Hut with views over the Mokihinui River.
I had expected the last day to be an anti-climax, but it wasn’t. The forest and river views continued to surprise for most of the final 17km. For most of the last kilometre (there are kilometre markers on the trail) I was wondering if I’d slipped into The Neverending Story… until we finally arrived the Rough and Tumble Lodge at the track end.
Overall the scenery far surpasses that of the Heaphy Track. While the OGR lacks the beach leg and doesn’t quite match the Goblin forest at Gouland Downs on the Heaphy, it has mining relics, fossils, a resurgence, magnificent forests and rivers and 360 panoramas. Another plus is huts with gas, pots, pans, bowls, mugs, and kettles, which means less weight to carry.
The worst part about walking the track – apart from hungry sandflies and curious wekas (who also bite) – was returning to civilization and suffering a case of post-tramp blues.
Top Tip:
We booked a sleepout and I would highly recommend this. When we walked the trail there was a tramping club of about six members. They were hell-bent on being first up and first on the trail (although I usually beat them to being first up) and first at the next hut to secure the best bunks and kitchen tables. It was a pleasure not to feel the need to play that game, and to take our time to enjoy the scenery knowing we had quiet bunks already secured.
