The Inland Pack Track

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The Inland Pack Track Sue Walsh The peace and quiet was broken some concern as our route would take We were ready for a break, but Dave by the sound of an approach- us up Dilemma Creek gorge but this had shot off ahead. Our stomachs got ingo car. Wej picked upour packs, proved unfounded. We linked up for thel better of us though, and we had to and walked along the bridge to the the first couple of crossings then found stop.. About 10 minutes down the track turnoff. The river glistened in the sun, our own way up the gorge. The scen- we came upon Dave patiently waiting and the heat was a continuous bom- ery was fantastic-huge towering cliffs for us. We were starting to come out bardment from the sky, reflecting off that completely dwarfed us and weird of the bush and could see open fields the dirt road. Cicadas sang in the grass and wonderful rock formations that off to one side-it looked like a good and it was a perfect day for lying in seemed out of this world. We slowly place to camp. It was nice to get to a the sun and swimming. campsite early enough to get some sun andl be able to dry out We stopped at the sign that inwet gear. We slothed for the redicated the start of the Inland mainder of the afternoon before Pack Track and sorted out the having dinner. food and gear over a lazy lunch. After the customary photos at I was woken with a start in the the start of the track we headed morning by a COW mooinginmy off to the junction to the Fox ear, but giggles from the guys River Caves. The guys wanted to and Andrew's feet gave him see the caves, but I was feeling away-it was pay back time particularly lazy sol crossed the from the Heaphy. Cave Creek river and meandered along the was just down the road and the track. guys wanted to visit it. They were rather subdued when they We'd read somewhere that gotl back and we quietly set off. stinging nettle was prevalent within the forest park, but was As a sign of impending civilisacleared from the edges of the tion we were starting to pass Inland Pack Track. It soon bemore people-as Andrew found came obvious that the track out when he was hiding behind along the Fox River wasn't part a tree. I saw Brian in front pause off the Inland track, as there was and look behind, but didn't stinging nettle all over the place! think anything of it and continued on until I reached the tree Our destination for the first night and Andrew leapt out. I think I was The Ballroom overhang. Afhit the sky. It gave them all a ter crossing the Fox River we The Fox River Sue Walsh good laugh though. headed up a side-creek but missed the track and did a It was roasting hot by now and couple more river crossings before fi- made our way up the gorge, stopping we were looking forward to getting to nally coming to a standstill. We con- for photos whenever we could. After the Pororari River. We had lunch by sulted the map, pinpointed where we leaving the gorge we followed a side- the side of the river watching tourists were, and saw where we had to go. stream until we reached the start of carefully taking their shoes off to cross, Unfortunately, we weren't in a good thet track. Wel had a briefl lunch stopin drying their feet, climbing up thel bank position to cross the creek and even- the rain before carrying on. and promptly getting covered in mud. tually turned back to a camping spot We eventually meandered down the next to the Fox River. The bush was beautiful-like some- track to Punakaiki-it was a slight thing joutofa a magic forest-apart from shock to the system. But it was New Dinner came around quickly and we the mud! Some of the mud was amaz- Year's Eve and we were going to celsettled into our pits to watch a weka ing; one of the uphill bits was a mud ebrate; shame we fell asleep before try and pull food bags away from our bath from bottom to top. We weren't midnight. gear. Andrew and I had the two out- able to deviate from the track at all side edges of thet fly, while Brian, Dave due to sink holes. As a result you could The Inland Pack Track is an amazing and Greg werein the middle- -the joys peer down into sink holes that were place and I really recommend it. of having a bivy bag! only centimetres away from the edge Thanks Greg for suggesting it, and of the track and not always see the thanks to Brian, Andrew, Dave and It rained during the night and was still bottom. You certainly didn't want to Greg for being excellent tramping overcast in the morning. There was accidentally walk into one. companions. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING 1996