Old Ghost Road
New Zealand Cycle Trail
,
In the North West corner of the South Island of New Zealand a ghost is awakening. A long-forgotten gold miners' road is being revived as a tramping and mountain biking track. Connecting the old dray road in the Lyell (Upper Buller Gorge) to the mighty Mokihinui River, then joining the Charming Creek Walkway and the Denniston Plateau, the 160km Old Ghost Road traverses virgin native forest, tussock tops, spectacular coastal escarpments and forgotten valleys.
Working with the New Zealand Cycle Trail project, the volunteer-driven Mokihinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust is partnering with West Coast entities to make the Old Ghost Road a reality. It’s almost as if the engineers from the 1870’s knew we were coming. Gradients on the circuit rarely exceed four degrees. The spirits of the old miners and track builders are inescapable. No less than seven ghost towns populate the route - the Old Ghost is a 160 kilometre-long outdoor museum.
As a full circuit, the Old Ghost Road is a work in progress. Portions, such as the Charming Creek Walkway, are already favorites with walkers and mountain bikers. At Denniston, superb walking and cycling track networks abound.
Photos
Post your comment
Comments
No one has commented on this page yet.
RSS feed for comments on this page | RSS feed for all comments