Discover Atarau: Pike29, kiwi breeding and gold-mining history

In the area around Atarau, the Pike29 Memorial Track brings together alpine trails and the memory of the Pike River mine disaster. The Moonlight Pack Track passes through beech forest and mining history; the Atarau Sanctuary is dedicated to kiwi breeding. For planning your trip, the different routes, access roads and estimated times are particularly relevant.

Pike29 Memorial Track: memorial site and alpine trails

The 11.6 km Pike29 Memorial Track connects the Paparoa Track with the site of the former Pike River Mine and tells the story of the mine and the lessons learned from the disaster. As a memorial site, it commemorates the men who lost their lives there. The explosion occurred on 19 November 2010; 29 workers died. The track is shared by walkers and mountain bikers.

The track climbs steeply about 800 metres into the high country. Along the way, the landscape is shaped by low alpine shrubs and low, weather-beaten alpine forest. From the ridge along the track, views extend into Pike Valley, north to the Pike River Mine ventilation shaft and south across forested valleys.

One specific distance applies to the route from the Pike29 Memorial Carpark to the viewpoint at the ventilation shaft: the one-way route is 8.4 km. It takes 3.5 to 4 hours on foot and 2 to 3 hours by mountain bike. A different, shorter time estimate applies to the return trip from the carpark to the Twin Bridges: this takes 10 to 15 minutes on foot. This distinction helps you account for the different sections of track and ways of travelling when planning your time.

Also note the access conditions at the Pike29 Memorial Track: the carpark and turning area at the end of the road are small, so buses and long motorhomes are not recommended. Access to the Pike River Mine portal is currently closed to the public while infrastructure for safe public access is being built. This closure applies to the portal, not the Memorial Track. Check the Department of Conservation’s latest updates on track conditions before you travel.

Moonlight Pack Track and historic traces

The Moonlight Pack Track offers an easy day walk through native beech forest on the West Coast, with glimpses into the area’s gold-mining history. Historic traces along the track include the signposted site of Meechams Historic Hut, the sites of the Meechams, Passenis and Meikles huts, and walls of stacked stones from former gold workings. The forest and mining history give the walk two distinct points of interest.

Access to the Moonlight Pack Track branches off Atarau Road onto Moonlight Valley Road, nine kilometres north of the turnoff to Blackball. The gravel road is narrow; take this into account when planning your drive and check the latest DOC updates before you travel. Moonlight Road or the adjacent Moonlight Ecological Area can be used to access Moonlight Creek on foot; the creek can also be reached from Atarau Road. Access to the Roaring Meg area is more difficult and requires walking through adjacent conservation land.

Atarau Sanctuary and kiwi breeding

The Paparoa Wildlife Trust established the Atarau Sanctuary in January 2010 as a 12-hectare kiwi breeding facility. A predator-proof fence with a circumference of 1.6 kilometres protects the site. The Trust’s programme has released almost 40 young roroa back into the wild; this figure refers to the programme and not to a specific release site.

Every February, the Trust holds an open day at the kiwi breeding facility. Annual community open days also provide opportunities for connection and education. If you plan to visit on one of these dates, check the Trust’s latest announcements in advance.

Discover more destinations: Moana, Runanga, Rapahoe.

Return to the main travel overview: Grey District.