THE OLD GHOST ROAD

LYELL to SEDDONVILLE 2-4 days 85km

© AA Traveller 2022

BEST FOR: The courageous and intrepid. This is one demanding but life-affirming adventure.

With ridgelines barely wider than your wheels, Grade 4 terrain and place names such as Suicide Slips – you’ll want to put your brave pants on!

A world-class trail that requires some world-class mountain biking skills, or at the very minimum, plenty of experience, this former 19th century gold miners’ road between Lyell and Seddonville has been transformed into a demanding 85km ride.

Skimming one of the most remote, untouched areas of Aotearoa, the track often hinges precariously on the mountainside or tumbles down sheer-sided valleys cloaked in vegetation. Your reward for negotiating such a terrain is a series of trail huts in spectacular locations.

Days are undoubtedly taxing, although it is possible to do an ‘in-and-out’ overnight ride from either end of the trail, or embark on a single day ride by including a heli-trip. For those putting in the hard graft, you’ll discover gold-rush relics and debris left by sizeable earthquakes, including two colossal land slips. There’s also the ominous-sounding Boneyard – a field of shattered rocks scattered by seismic forces.

Other highlights include emerging above the bush line to greet astounding views, the lofty face of Rocky Tor – a highpoint of 1456m – and the profoundly beautiful Skyline Ridge. With sheer drops that will leave you delirious, the track eventually (and mercifully) merges into Skyline Steps, where you can dismount to carry your bike. Not much further and you’re on the home run.

TOP TIP

Well-facilitated huts are all set in spectacular locations and many have bike tools, gas cookers, crockery and pots.

TRAIL INFO

TRAIL GRADE:

LYELL CAR PARK TO LYELL SADDLE HUT GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)

LYELL SADDLE HUT TO GHOST LAKE HUT GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)

GHOST LAKE HUT TO STERN VALLEY HUT GRADE 4 (ADVANCED), with some GRADE 5 (EXPERT) sections of the trail

STERN VALLEY HUT TO GOAT CREEK HUT GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)

GOAT CREEK HUT TO SPECIMEN POINT HUT GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)

SPECIMEN POINT HUT TO NORTHERN TRAILHEAD GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)

MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: There is no cellphone coverage other than some patchy spots between Lyell and Ghost Lake.

DRINKING WATER: Water is available at the huts as well as various streams.

BE PREPARED: The Old Ghost Road is a remote wilderness experience and you will need to plan and prepare thoroughly to get the most out of your ride. There are no towns or shops along the trail so you will need to take all necessary provisions, including a first aid kit and an emergency communication device.

TYPE OF BIKE: A ship-shape dual-suspension mountain bike is absolutely essential, as are tools and good mechanical skills. In accordance with Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails trail policy, e-bikes are not recommended on trails graded 4 and above. Responsibility for e-bike use remains with the individual rider.

© Anka Martin

RIDING THE TRAIL

‘In my mind this is a very, very special trail. Due to its remoteness and grade, it’s not for everyone and you need to pick the weather, but the visionaries behind this trail have given New Zealand a world-class tourism asset.’ Former Chair of Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails Inc. Richard Leggat

LYELL CAR PARK TO LYELL SADDLE HUT, 18KM It’s hard to believe it now, but during its 1870–80s heyday Lyell was a thriving gold town lined with shops and pubs. It was then that the building of a road between Lyell and Mōkihinui (near Seddonville) began, with construction starting at both ends. The end of the gold rushes and seemingly impassable terrain spelled the end of the effort, and so the story begins… The trail climbs gently into the thickly forested Lyell Valley via the original dray road, passing relics of the olden days along the way. It crosses two massive earthquake slips, scrambles through rocky fords, and offers increasingly impressive views as it winds up a total of 765m to Lyell Saddle Hut – 875m above sea level.

LYELL SADDLE HUT TO GHOST LAKE HUT, 12KM As the trail continues upwards it passes a broken anvil where the original old road builders gave up the ghost. Little did they know that more than a century later a local crew would pick up the gauntlet and cut the track all the way up to the exposed Lyell Range tops. It’s a bit of a slog through the forest to reach the bush line, but beyond it the world seems to open up to infinity. The trail cuts across the face of Mt Montgomery and a highpoint (1280m), all the while affording truly incredible views. Eyes popped, mind blown, it’s time to descend back through stunted alpine forest to reach Ghost Lake Hut.

GHOST LAKE HUT TO STERN VALLEY HUT, 13KM Many riders may find themselves somewhat psyched out by the descent etched out below the hut. It’s a 4km cluster-ruck of rock gardens, tight turns, slippery bits and an energy-sapping pinch to reach the spectacular Skyline Ridge. Just when you think you’re going to fall off the edge of a cliff, you encounter the Skyline Steps – the engineering marvel down which you carry your bike. The run into Stern Valley is a fun, snaking and gravity-assisted affair.

STERN VALLEY HUT TO GOAT CREEK HUT, 14KM The trail soon enters the Earnest Valley, quite the sight with its soaring peaks, alpine gardens and tarns. Arguably the valley’s most spectacular sight, however, is the Boneyard – a massive field of rocks crushed and scattered by seismic forces. Undeterred, the Old Ghost Road cuts a zigzag track right through the heart of it. Having climbed through the rock garden to Solemn Saddle, the trail now breaks into the headwaters of the Goat Creek catchment, and flows downhill to the Mōkihinui River’s South Branch and Goat Creek Hut.

GOAT CREEK HUT TO SPECIMEN POINT HUT, 11KM This section weaves through towering podocarp forest with a ferncovered floor and birds twittering here and there. At Mōkihinui Forks – where two branches of the Mōkihinui River meet in a turbulent swirl – a hut provides respite from the sand flies should you wish to take a break. From here, though, it’s only 3km to Specimen Point Hut – a terrific spot for an overnight stop with its grandstand views over the Mōkihinui’s surging white waters.

SPECIMEN POINT HUT TO NORTHERN TRAILHEAD, 17KM Following the old-timer’s trail, this last leg hugs the side of an impressive gorge, crossing bridged streams and the unsettlingly named Suicide Slips, and passing the occasional gold mining relic. The trail finishes on the doorstep of the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge, where the café is open during the high season and accommodation is available year-round.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAIL

• The town of Lyell once throbbed with commerce, but it’s hard to imagine such bustle now. With little more than a cemetery left, when gold mining dried up in 1900, Lyell did too.

• Lyell Saddle Hut sits 875m above sea level with formidable views. Specimen Point Hut looks over the Mōkihinui’s surging white waters, and Ghost Lake Hut has its own outdoor shower.

• Pass gold rush relics and dilapidated huts strewn with bits of crockery. Deserted settlements to look out for include Gibbston, Eight Mile and Seatonville.

• You’ll need a head for heights to negotiate the track scratched into the slopes of Rocky Tor.

• Heart in your throat moments include Skyline Ridge, the steeply stacked Skyline Steps, bridged streams and the disturbingly named Suicide Slips.

• The sign for Heavens Door, shortly before Ghost Lake Hut, presents a stretch of seriously narrow track with stupendous drops.

• Ghost Lake is a small, alpine tarn, shrouded in colourful plant life, with a namesake hut.

• Earnest Valley houses the Boneyard. Tectonic forces have shaved huge rock boulders off the mountains and scattering the basin with these stoney off-cuts.

• In Seddonville, access the popular Charming Creek Walkway. A 10.5km ramble with mining relics, the 25m-high Mangatini Falls and an abandoned mine.

Cycling the Old Ghost Road

© Sven Martin

ADD-ON TRAILS

Old Ghost Road Roundabout: 85km/2–3 days A serious adventure for experienced riders, this track joins forces with The Old Ghost Road Trail to form a loop.

Westport: Famed for its coal mining past, check out Coaltown Museum and learn all about life underground. Seasoned surfers enjoy Tauranga Bay and Carters Beach that is just five minutes from town while whitebaitWestport to the Old Ghost Road: 17km/1 hour This one-hour ride bridges the gap between Westport and the Old Ghost Road roundabout, and in turn, The Old Ghost Road Trail. It’s a relatively quiet highway which weaves through some very pleasant bucolic landscapes. The mountain views aren’t half bad, either.

Charming Creek Walkway

© Miles Holden