Paparoa track Great Walk NZ (Smoke-ho car park to Waikori road car park)

The Paparoa Track is one of the official Great Walks in New Zealand.

The Paparoa Track is not a circular track. It starts in one point and ends in another one separated by a car drive of 70 Km. You can walk it in either direction, start at Smoke-ho car park and finish at Pororari river car park or the other way around but the most common option is to start at Smoke-ho car park since it's at an elevation of 320 meters while Pororari river car park is at sea level.
The Paparoa Track is also the only Great Walk I know that you can either walk or bike, although talking to people on the track they told me you have to walk and push your bike quite often.

Since the track is not circular and there is a long distance by car from the starting point to the end point you need to organize how to get from one point to the other. You can get some relatives or friends to help you but another quite common and convenient option is to contact the Paparoa Track organization and organize that for you.

I stayed at Punakaiki Beach Camp, which is located only a couple of hundred metres from Pororari river car park, and they are the same as the Paparoa Track organization. So you stay there and the next morning they will pick you up from the reception and drive you the 70 kilometres to Smoke-ho car park. I paid 80 NZD for the transport service. Another cool thing is that they let you leave your car at the Punakaiki Beach Camp for the time you spend walking the Paparoa Track.

To get to Smoke-ho car park first you need to get to Blackball and as you leave the town there is a right turn where you get onto a gravel road. This gravel road is in good condition but it's quite steep. You don't need to have a 4WD car to drive on this road but I was happy to be in the van from the organization and not having to drive myself. They drove a big van dragging even a trailer with bikes.

The total distance for the Paparoa Track is 49.2 kilometres with a total of +2739 metres and -3047 metres of elevation gain and loss if you start from Smoke-ho car park.

There are 3 huts on the track, Ces Clark, Moonligh Tops and Pororari so you can decide to walk the track either in 4 days, 3 days, 2 days or even one day if you are really fit and adventurous.

Probably the most common option is to do it in 3 days, skipping the first hut, Ces Clark, and sleeping the first night at Moonligh Tops hut and the second night at Pororari hut.


The distances and time it took me on the different sections are:
(keep in mind that I'm a fast walker)

• From Smoke-ho car park to Ces Clark hut
  Distance: 9.66 Km (10.3 Km according to DOC)
  Elevation gain/loss: +893 metres and -277 metres
  My time: 2h and 18 minutes (4 to 5 hours according to DOC)
  


• From De Ces Clark hut to Moonligh Tops hut
  Distance 8.77 Km (9.7 Km according to DOC)
  Elevation gain/loss: +560 metres and -477 metres
  My time: 1h and 47 minutes (3 hours according to DOC)
  


• From Moonligh Tops hut to Pororari hut
  Distance 16.2 Km (19.1 Km according to DOC)
  Elevation gain/loss: +823 metres and -1336 metres
  My time: 3h and 56 minutes (5 to 7 hours according to DOC)
  There is an emergency shelter about halfway or about 9 kilometres from Moonligh Tops hut
  


• From Pororari hut to Pororari river car park (exit for hikers)
  Distance 14.8 Km (16 Km according to DOC)
  Elevation gain/loss: +477 metres and -992 metres
  My time: 2h and 58 minutes (4 to 5 hours according to DOC)
  

This track is never difficult although you will find a lot of going up and down. It is very well indicated and the huts are good. They even have gas and pots to warm water. Toilets have toilet paper but they are not flushing toilets.
I walked the track in two days, sleeping at Ces Clark hut, because that was the only hut I could book. The first day was quite short and the second one was too long, almost 40 kilometres.
If I do it again I will try to book at Moonligh Tops hut and this way have one day of 18.43 Km and another one of 31 Km. Or maybe I will even do it in 3 days as recommended, sleeping at Moonligh Tops hut and Pororari hut having more manageable days of 18.43 Km, 16.2 Km and 14.8 Km.

The official site says this track can be done all year round but I'll be quite careful if walking in Winter, specially in the alpine section between Ces Clark hut and somewhere after the emergency shelter. The weather can turn quite ugly in no time. If in summer don't forget sun protection since there are no trees in this alpine section.