Carrick Town & Nevis Road
Track Overview
Approx 7 km to Carrick Town return and approx 12 km one way to Nevis Road (Duffer's Saddle)
Check out that view!
The track is a steady climb with a few steeper and schist rocky areas but all round pretty good gravel and broken schist 4x4 track. Moderate track and very exposed, so some horse fitness needed and good clothing is essential, you will be climbing about 500m. You will know you've reached Carricktown as you approach a lovely little town sign saying "Carricktown" which has stunning views of lake Dunstan from around 900m!
Continue another 2 km past the ruins and check out the Young Australian Water Wheel, which is a very cool re built relic of the mining times. There is a large, easy accessed, flowing water race here for your horse, but races are privately owned so please treat with respect.
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Continue on this route for another 4 km and you will reach the Nevis Road. This will bring you up near to approx 1173m (Duffer's Saddle). From here you can join up with other routes, click here and Old Woman Hut, check out the Nevis road towards Garston or continue down the Nevis road back towards Bannockburn, this nearly loop is approx 22km. (You would need to transfer floats to the start of Nevis road) or ride another 5 kms back along the road. Nevis road has cattle stops but they all have gates and expect to meet motorbikes, 4x4s, hikers, bikers and anything else. If you choose to go the other way (up Nevis road) bear in mind it gets very steep and can be corrugated. Not recommended for floats.
Nevis road is a public back road that goes from Bannockburn to Garston following the Nevis river. So much conservation area to explore but mind the Private farmland.
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Please be aware. Stay on formed tracks, there are hidden mine shafts.
This track is popular with 4x4s and motorbikes.
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Quartzville Carpark to Nevis Road
Directions and Float Parking
Car Park is located at the end of Quartzville Road, Bannockburn. Please drive via Gully road and not Schoolhouse road. It is approx a 5 min drive from the Bannockburn Hotel. The Road is tar seal and gravel in places and is easy to find.
The carpark is medium sized and can be turned around in. Possibly be able to fit 4 floats or more if carpark empty. I recommend turning around before you park.
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Track Entrance from Car Park
Route via Gully Rd (click for maps)
Accommodation
N/A from Quartzville to Nevis Road.
Check out the "where to stay" tab to find accommodation, with your horse, in the area.
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Cairnmuir Hill
Track Overview
Approx 9km each way to the hut or 12km each way to the Summit.
This is an awesome track, one of my favourites! This is well marked track that takes you up to a very cool restored historic musterer's hut or continue past to the summit of the Carinmuir Hill. Horses are not allowed to go any further. Starting from the DOC gate at the start of Pigeon Rock Road, you follow the track at a steady climb, its not long before you are already looking at some great views of Cromwell. You will come to a junction that is signposted and you go through the gate to the right (its a bit rough) and head up the hill. Not recommended in winter because of being exposed with ice and snow.
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Please note not far past here the track looks to go straight up a very steep climb, it doesn't! It turns a sharp right when you get to it.
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This track is a mix of rocky, gravel and dirt/grass farm track, there are a few steeper bits which are fine if your horse has some fitness. I highly recommend shoes or boots.
This is exposed and mountainous terrain, be prepared for all weather and take plenty of water. There is no water on the track until you reach the hut so I recommend the climb on cooler days or earlier in the morning.
The hut is at around 872m and the summit 1114m! You are starting from just over 200 so you'll need a fit horse but you can turn around at any point. You will still get views :)
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Please be respectful and leave gates as you find them.
This track passes through a Private Working Farm and is closed between 10 September and 15 November for lambing
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PLEASE STAY OFF THE BIKE TRACK AND OUT OF THEIR CARPARK AT END OF GRAVEL ROAD THEY WILL HAVE A HERNIA!
(unless you need to turn around)
Gate to Musterer's Hut
Directions and Float Parking
Enter 119 Cornish Point road into Google Maps to take you to the track entrance.
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This has pretty much no parking. The carpark that Doc describes on their site is tiny!, enough for a couple of cars and an old tractor is taking up some space. Marked in yellow on bottom left photo.
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Where I park is... continue past the entrance (pigeon rock road) and onto the gravel road there is a large area about 500m down to pull over on the left. If you hug the cliff side and do a u turn you can turn and park maybe 3 or 4 floats. If you are extra long this may not work. There generally aren't any cars parked there as the bikers have their own park at the end of the road. On a holiday or long weekend this road is packed and cars are parked all over the place. Or click here for directions to location.
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There are some areas roadside before the track that may work (but not ideal) but please don't block the vineyard or orchard gateways or chuck any poo over the fence.
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Track entrance
Yellow - gravel road start
Red X - no park
Blue arrow - park area
Accommodation
No camping permitted.
Check out the "Where to Stay" tab for places to stay, with your horse, in the area.
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Kawarau Trail
Track Overview
Approx 6km each way.
Starting from the Bannockburn bridge you cruise along a windy and undulating path heading upstream following the yellow marker posts, getting a scenic tour of the gold mining tailings.
A pretty easy going track for the most part, there are some steep climbs and one kinda dodgy gully I will explain in detail below. This is an intermediate grade cycle track, so cyclists wont be able to gain much speed except a very open obvious area, which has alternatives anyway! So you can pick your route.
Towards the end of the track its quite close to the highway but your in bush with a fence. It opens into some river access areas off the highway (which have no fences) so be mindful here. Once you get to the beehive and sign in photo below right, stop and turn around. (The track ends just after, meeting the highway.)
Along the way are some neat riverside spots with obvious access great for picnics and maybe a few spots for a swim! or a lovely picnic table with a view.
This track would be AMAZING in the Autumn with the trees etc.
You will meet bikers but mostly walkers and dogs.
Recommended for small groups only
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I wouldn't recommend this track in the winter it is very sheltered and I
imagine would be very icy plus the dodgy gully would be dangerous.
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KICK YOUR POO OFF THE TRACK!
This track is not maintained by DOC so please respect it so we are
not kicked off.
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This gully is a whole lot steeper than it looks in the photo, you will know it when you get to it. This picture is taken on the return trip.
The uphill in this picture is dirt and very steep. We had to carefully walk our horses down. If there is a bit of moisture on the ground it could be slippery but you may be ok if you keep left on the thyme and gravel coming down.
I think after some good rain this could be VERY SLIPPERY take the utmost care or turn around. You MAY (unsure) be able to sneak along the fence to the other track in the middle.
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Directions and Float Parking
There is a smaller carpark right next the entrance located at the left lower arrow on the photo below. You could fit a couple of floats in there if there aren't many cars. Alternatively use the large public carpark at the upper arrow at the end of Pearson Road. Watch out for the cyclists they are EXTREMELY protective of their track so please STAY OFF THE DUNSTAN TRAIL and definitely don't try go under the bridge.
If you use the large carpark follow the purple line along side of the power poles and scoot down the hill and cross the road by the bridge. There is a pretty good line of sight.
FYI cyclists asked us if we were going to ride on their trail.
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Purple route between road and track
Accommodation
Check out the "Where to Stay" tab for places to stay, with your horse, in the area.