Leslie-Karamea Track

Time: 4 hr 30 min Distance: 13.2 km From the car park, it's a short 30-minute walk over Flora Saddle to Flora Hut . Continuing for another 1 hour 15 minutes brings you to Upper Gridiron Hut and Shelter . From there, follow the track to Upper Junction. At Upper Junction (about 2 hours from Flora Hut), take the left fork and begin a steady climb. After 30 minutes, you’ll pass Growler Shelter, where the forest gradually thins before opening onto the expansive tussock lands of Salisbury’s Open. Salisbury Lodge is another 20 minutes across the open tussock. Just beyond the lodge, a sign marks the official start of the Leslie-Karamea Track.

Time: 6 hr Distance: 18 km From the Leslie-Karamea Track sign, a line of poles leads to the bush edge at the top of Leslie Hill before descending towards the Leslie River. After about an hour of downhill travel, you'll reach Splugeons Rock Shelter. Beyond the shelter, the track drops steeply to the Leslie River, where a swing bridge provides a crossing. From there, the route follows the true left bank downstream to Karamea Bend Hut .

Time: 3 hr 30 min Distance: 9.7 km The track continues upstream along the true right bank of the Karamea River, crossing Slippery Creek and passing through a clearing. It then traverses the Little Backwash and Big Backwash before reaching the Crow River swing bridge. Just beyond the bridge is Crow Hut . When the Karamea River is low, an alternative route follows the riverbed from Karamea Bend almost to Crow Hut.

Time: 2 hr Distance: 5.9 km The track follows the true right bank of the Karamea River for about an hour before crossing a bridge to the left bank. From there, it alternates between scrambling around the riverside and following forested terraces alongside the river, eventually reaching Venus Hut .

Time: 2 hr Distance: 5.7 km The track continues along river terraces, occasionally merging with the riverside and riverbed. About 30 minutes beyond Venus Hut, it crosses Mercury Creek via a swingbridge. Near Atlas Creek, the track narrows as it hugs cliffs above the river. Thor Hut is located just across Thor Creek, on the edge of a slip caused by the 1929 Murchison Earthquake.

Time: 3 hr 30 min Distance: 9.5 km Beyond Thor Hut, the track climbs and sidles across multiple slips caused by past earthquakes, requiring caution. One significant slip from Apollo Creek dammed the Karamea River, forming Moonstone Lake, where remnants of drowned trees still stand. At the lake's head, the track stays on the true left of the Karamea River until reaching Kendall Creek, which can be hazardous in flood. The route then rounds a granite spur, crosses a grassy flat, and reaches the old Trevor Carter Hut site (removed in 2003). A swingbridge leads to the true right of the river, where Trevor Carter Hut is a short 15-minute walk downstream. When river levels are low, an alternative track to the hut is signposted before Kendall Creek.

There are several options to get from the Leslie-Karamea Track to the Wangapeka Track (which is how you exit to a road-end) depending on the weather, river levels and fitness. Option 1: Trevor Carter Hut to Helicopter Flat Hut Time: 1 hr 30 min Follow Lost Valley Creek up to a saddle and then drop back down to the Karamea River, crossing it to Helicopter Flat Hut . Option 2: Trevor Carter Hut to Tabernacle Lookout Time: 1 hr Follows the true right of the Karamea River, crossing below Saxon Falls and climbing to the Wangapeka Track at Tabernacle Lookout. Option 3: Trevor Carter Hut to Taipo swingbridge Time: 45 min It is possible to join the Wangapeka Track at the Taipo swingbridge by following the true left bank of the Karamea River after crossing the swingbridge 15 min from Trevor Carter Hut. In flood conditions this may be the only option.

The Wangapeka Track is a 59km track that runs between Wangapeka River Road in the east and Wangapeka Road in the west. The Leslie-Karamea Track intersects with it at about its halfway point so you'll need to plan which way to go depending on where you are being picked up. Exit to the east - ending at Wangapeka River Road Time: 2 days Distance: approximately 27 km depending on which route you take from Trevor Carter Hut to intersect with the Wangapeka Track Follow the Karamea River upstream, past Helicopter Flat Hut and Stone Hut (noting that this section can be impassable after heavy rain), noting that the track deviates from the Karamea River just before the Wangapeka Saddle. Continue past Cecil Kings Hut and Kings Creek Hut , following the Wangapeka River all the way to the road end. Exit to the west - ending at Wangapeka Road Time: 2 days Distance: approximately 30 km depending on which route you take from Trevor Carter Hut to intersect with the Wangapeka Track Head down the Karamea River to Tabernacle Lookout and around a ridge to the Taipo swingbridge. The track goes up the true left of the Taipo River to just above Taipo Hut , where it crosses the river and climbs steeply (past an emergency shelter - Stag Flat Shelter ) to Little Wanganui Saddle (1110 m). Over the saddle the track drops into the Little Wanganui, following it to the road end past Belltown Manunui Hut .

Flora car park Roads from Nelson and Motueka meet the Motueka River at Ngātīmoti where a bridge crosses to West Bank Road. The unsealed Graham Valley Road climbs steeply to Flora car park where there is a toilet and information shelter. Wangapeka Track (eastern end) From Tapawera follow the signposts west to the Wangapeka Valley. The Dart River may not be passable by vehicles after heavy rain. If you’re planning to cross the Dart Ford by vehicle, identify suitable conditions first. Due to ongoing gravel migration filling the ford, the river is flowing over the ford even at low water levels. The ford may be impassable after heavy rain. Check river flow for Wangapeka at Walter Peak on the Tasman District Council website before you set off. As a guide, if the flow indicated on the graph exceeds 40 cumecs then it is not advisable to cross. However, the river may still be unsafe to cross because: the flow shown on the website can be inaccurate, or the Dart River may be flowing higher than the Wangapeka indicates, or the culverts under the ford may be choked with gravel. So you must re-assess the flow conditions once you arrive in terms of your vehicle and driving skill level. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast for your return trip too. There is an information kios at Prices Creek, just before the track entrance. Wangapeka Track (western end) From the West Coast road, turn off at Little Wanganui and drive inland on Wangapeka Road to the car park where the track begins. Public transport A bus service runs from Nelson to Tapawera. From Nelson, Motueka, and Tapawera, on-demand services run to the entrances of the track. Similar services run from the Karamea end, and an air service can take you back to your starting point.

We encourage you to continue gaining the skills and knowledge required for a safe trip. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has lots of free resources and information you can use. These can be accessed via www.mountainsafety.org.nz . We recommend trying these online learning tools: Trip Planning Tramping / field Skills Basic Navigation River Safety Additionally, check out the range of helpful videos available from the NZ Mountain Safety Council YouTube channel

No dogs.