The Paparoa Track
A three-day journey through native forest and limestone canyons in New Zealand’s West Coast. This Great Walk crosses the Paparoa Range. It takes you through alpine tops, limestone karst landscapes and thriving rainforests, and provides breath-taking views. From the Paparoa Track, the Pike29 Memorial Track leads to the site of the former Pike River Mine.
Explore hiking the track
Everything you need to plan one of New Zealand’s Great Walks is right here, from the practical details that help you organise your journey through to the transport, accommodation and local knowledge that make getting there simple, so you can focus on experiencing this incredible track from start to finish.
Explore biking the track
Plan your journey to the historic Pike29 Memorial Track, a powerful and memorable route that follows in the footsteps of the 29 men who lost their lives in the Pike River Mine disaster, offering a moving experience through rugged West Coast landscape and rich local history.
About the walk
The Paparoa Track is New Zealand’s 10th Great Walk. Purpose built, shared-use for walkers and mountain bikers, the track crosses the alpine tops of the Paparoa Range. Through subtropical rainforest, limestone karst landscapes and overlooking the Tasman Sea and Southern Alps, the Paparoa Track is like no other. The Paparoa Track, along with the Pike 29 Memorial Track is built to remember 29 miners who lost their lives in the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster.
The Paparoa Track opens up walking and cycling access through the remote and spectacular natural wilderness of the Paparoa National Park. Challenging in poor weather conditions, the track is well marked and signposted, but some sections may be steep and rough and the track could be muddy.
The Paparoa Track starts 30 minutes from Greymouth, in Blackball, an old mining town on the east of the Paparoa Range. It finishes in the world-famous home of the Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki. Explore hiking or biking the track in the options above.
Distance and duration
The 55km track from Blackball to Punakaiki takes 3 days (2 nights) to walk OR 2 days (1 night) to mountain bike.
Huts
Two new huts have been purpose-built for the new track. From the Moonlight Tops Hut there’s spectacular views across the headwaters of the Punakaiki to the Pike Stream escarpment and north to the Paparoa National Park. Next up the Pororari Hut sits amongst ancient podocarp forests. Both huts can be booked on the DOC website.
The Paparoa Track is very busy during the summer season, we recommend booking huts and other services you need as far in advance as you can.
Season
The Paparoa Track is open all year for hikers and bikers.
Logistics
Let the team at the Punakaiki Beach Camp take care of organising your Great Walk experience. Once you book your hut tickets, next jump on to our simple booking system for accommodation at Punakaiki, transport to the start of the track at Blackball, car parking, and any gear transfers you need. You will get an instant confirmation for all services booked with us, no emails back and forth, quick and easy!
Explore the Paparoa Track
Check out our map below showing the different routes and huts.
Check out the walk
Click to enlarge photos below.
Pancake Rocks
Paparoa Track 
Stacks of Pancake Rocks 
Beautiful Beaches 
Paddle Boarding 
Epic Views 
Wild West Coast 
Common questions about visiting and exploring Punakaiki
If you’ve seen it during the day fossicking around camp or along the sidewalk it is more than likely another native flightless bird called the Weka. The Weka has a shorter beak and isn’t as shy as the Kiwi which is nocturnal meaning it comes out at night. The Weka are very curious and happy to come and steal anything lying stray around your campsite. Kiwi, which have very long beaks, are endangered and sightings are rare but some lucky hikers on the Paparoa Track have seen them outside their huts after dark.
Yes, the Pancake Rocks is easily walkable for all but one of our accommodation options which are around 1km from the track start or less. The exception is Treescapes, a lovely house tucked away in the bush, which is a short drive of a few minutes.
The blowholes are most spectacular at high tide. Check out a tide guide such as surf-forecast.com to pick your best time.
- Pororari River Track
- The Truman Track
- The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes
- Te Korowai o Punangairi walkway & lookout
- Punakaiki to Pororari River Loop
Check out the Paparoa Experience at the Punangairi Visitor Centre
Yes, Punakaiki has many tracks which are easy to walk to from your accommodation and the tracks, Visitor Centre, cafes, pub/restaurant are all walkable from a shared pedestrian and cycle path.
The pancake rocks are layers upon layers of marine sediment from the seabed formed over millions of years and then forced up by earthquakes to the level we see them today.
