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Route Guide: Croesus Track
Added This pretty and easy walk through historic gold country climbs gently over the eroded Paparoa Ranges between Blackball and Barrytown on the West Coast.
The distance between the track ends is a problem. If you have two vehicles, you could place one at either end of the track. Walking as two parties from opposite directions would then be the simplest solution (don't forget to exchange keys!). The party on the Barrytown side would have a slightly harder walk. Walking in to Ces Clarke Hut from the Blackball Road and returning the same way would be a most worthwhile alternative. There are a number of side trips and a detour section to provide some variety. There is public transport to the Barrytown track end.
Access
From Blackball a road runs northwest out of town. Take the right branch at an intersection after 1km. Travel is slow along this rough, stony, single lane road. A car park is situated at the end of the road, and the Croesus Track begins as a wedge cut out of the hillside.
Blackball Road Car Park-Ces Clarke Memorial Hut: 3 hr, easy
The track enters bush and becomes the smooth, wide, benched track typical of old tramways, soon crossing Smoke-ho Creek on a swingbridge. It is about 30 minutes travel from the car park to the first hotel site (1868), a clearing suitable for camping. Clarke Creek and Blackball Creek are nearby, and another 30 minutes travel leads to a junction. The trail to the left visits Mulcares Creek mill and battery site. The second hotel site (1898) is located immediately after this junction. Camping here amongst the toe toes is also possible.
After less than an hour's walk, you will come upon a junction in the forest. It is worthwhile to drop your packs and follow the side track a couple of minutes to Garden Gully Hut, which is cute but barely habitable.
There is, however, excellent flat, grassy camping in this picturesque clearing. From here the side track continues across a swingbridge for 15 minutes to a junction. It is 20 minutes to the mine site (above) or 5 minutes to the quartz battery site (below). The Garden Gully Battery (1905) is in good condition and well worth a visit.
A final hour's travel through rata and mountain neinei takes you to the new Ces Clarke Hut. Ten minutes before the hut, the track breaks out onto a shrubbery near the sub-alpine border. A fire some time ago cleared the rata forest, leaving only dead, gnarled, white trunks standing. The hut is small but attractive, with large windows providing a view back along the valley toward Blackball and over the Grey River. Top Hut is the shack just before the new hut.
Ces Clarke Memorial Hut-Barrytown: 4 hr, easy + tops travel
The track climbs from the hut over the Paparoa tops. These frequently become shrouded in mist later in the day, so an early start may be wise. Soon after departing the hut, Lake Margaret is revealed nestled on the valley floor. The track winds through alpine vegetation past a side track to Croesus Knob and past Mount Ryall, providing good views north and south. The long descent to the coast from Mount Ryall soon plunges the track into a low, gnarled, mossy beech forest, 1½ hours from the hut. The spur followed by the track climbs briefly at around 800m, but is otherwise a continuous descent. The track becomes vague after a further 1½ hours, suddenly resolving itself into a benched track, an old mining tramway. The tramway wanders for an hour gently down to the road through coastal forest, with supplejack, tree ferns and nikau palms prominent. The track bursts from the bush directly onto the highway. Remember to look both ways as you cross to the Barrytown Tavern situated directly opposite.
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Popular tags
Croesus Track
"BEWARE OF CAR VANDALISM IN THE TRACK CAR PARK! We left our car at the start of the track and returned to find that the air had been let out of a tyre, the locks picked and busted, the fuel tank broken open, the paintwork scratched and the bonnet partly wrenched open. A memorable trip for all the wrong reasons." — Sarah 8 March 20048 March 2004
"This is an easy enough walk to do. There is only one hut on the main ridge on the track, so watch old topo maps which may say there is more. Great views. Certainly nothing too stressful." — Randy Camp 5 March 20045 March 2004
"Just to finish and correct my comment below: the comment should read "...take a couple of hours and climb Croesus Knob. " Then the end of the comment should read" ...and the view." Good tramping." — alpine 20 January 200420 January 2004
"The alpine view from the Cec Clarke Hut, on a fine winter day with snow on the Southern Alps, is one of the best alpine views in the world. To enhance that view further, take a couple of horus and climb Croesus Knob.
Between 1967 and 1976 we regularly tramped the Croesus Track from Blackball to the tops where Cec Clarke Hut now stands. We used the old 'Top Hut' that used to stand beside Cec Clarke Hut, and may still be there. We hunted, trapped, prospected and explored that region of the Paparoas. I walked up that track from Blackball and back 27 times over the years. When it rains there, it RAINS. Enjoy the area, and"
— alpine 20 January 200420 January 2004
"An easy walk if going up from the Blackball end. Was very wet the day I did it, therefore the views were a bit few and far in between but I can certainly imagine it would be great on a nice day. The DOC map in the hut did have three huts marked on it, so be careful here, these other two do not exist, told DOC this, hopefully they have updated the map." — Randy Camp 12 December 200212 December 2002
"This is a very nice tramp and highly recommended. I found it a very easy tramp and Cecil Clark hut is set in a very pleasant location with exceptional panaramas. The down hill section on the barrytown side goes through lush bush and is mostly well benched. the only drawback is that you either need two parties, one starting from each end and swapping car keys in the middle or you have to arrange other transport back to blackball." — nzfella 21 December 200121 December 2001
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