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Lyell Track
Update January 2012: With National Cycleway funding the track has now been pushed 17.5kms to the Lyell Saddle at 875 metres where a hut has been built.At present the hut is only available for the track builders. More details here.
We'd been promising to do a ride down at the Lyell, in the Buller Gorge, for some time so when a fine day cropped up early in July we piled into Dennis' wagon and took off for Murch with the thermometer hovering around zero. We contemplated the fog and cold over a flat white in Murch, but managed to extricate ourselves from the cafe and head out into the frost. Enthusiasm returned as we neared Lyell and the sun broke through and skies cleared.
With bikes assembled we crunched through the frosty grass in the reserve to the start of the track. In the bush temperatures weren't too bad and some short bursting climbs soon had us warmed up. The track sidles high on the true left of the Lyell Stream before dropping down and crossing the river on a substantial bridge. From here the track climbs with several sets of steps necessitating a few carries before joining the well graded true right bank track. From now on the track is pretty cruisy and a similar grade to the Dun Walkway and just about as wide. The historic site of Gibbstown is passed along with some relics of the gold mining era. DoC has several informative signs recounting the history of the area.
The Lyell track is the start of the proposed Ghost Road link through to Mokihinui and there has already been a digger working to restore the old grade. We rode just past the Eight Mile Creek where the rejuvenated track ends and it becomes a scramble over slips and windfalls.
The Ghost Road has received thumbs up from the Cycleway Project, so expect more track to be built in the future.
The ride out from the Eight Mile is mostly downhill and this time we kept to the true right bank track right out to the road. Total time in and out was 2.5 hours. The ride is well worthwhile for its historic value and would mostly rate as grade 2, so anyone can do it. See map below the photos.
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