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Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Wed 28 Feb, 2018 3:44 pm
by Aztec
Hi Guys,
Anyone done the walk down the valley past Wadleys hut to the OLT/Kia Ora recently?

Track conditions? Any trees down etc?

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Thu 01 Mar, 2018 5:15 pm
by Montaine
Last November it was easy enough to follow the tape and occasional pad here and there, if you know generally which direction you should be heading at any point.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 25 Jun, 2018 4:00 pm
by Boromir
I might see you on the track - I'll be doing Lees Paddock/Wadleys Hut to Du Cane in September...
I too am hoping the track is easy... it must be the least photographed or recorded section of track! I can't find any information or photos from Wadleys Hut through to the OLT juction...

Ciao B

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 25 Jun, 2018 4:02 pm
by Boromir
Montaine wrote: follow the tape and occasional pad here and there


I'm always nervous with following pads...
I'll follow the only dyslexic wombat and wind up somewhere I shouldn't!

Ciao B

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 25 Jun, 2018 4:42 pm
by north-north-west
Three weeks ago. Quite a few fallen trees in the forest, and the bit after the Pinestone Creek crossing is very hard to follow until close to Kia Ora Creek crossing (poorly marked, faint and intermittent pad, lot of downed timber). Tape is good in places, but unreliable and irregular. Cairns good in places but ditto.

Do you have track notes? I was using an older edition of Chapman, and some of the info is either omitted or just plain wrong. But I got through.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 25 Jun, 2018 4:44 pm
by north-north-west
ps: Is the road to the trackhead open now? I had to walk in via West Rowallan.

edit: OK, you can't find info: there is a shortish note in the Chapman/Siseman Cradle-StClair-Walls book. In my edition anyway. Near the back of the book in the 'Other routes'' section.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Tue 26 Jun, 2018 9:57 am
by Aztec
Yeah... it's been open since November I think...
I did the walk from the Lees Paddock Carpark to Lees Paddock Hut (then up via Lake Ayr to Pelion Hut) over New Years - no real hassles... (other than the bush bash/climb up the Venetian Blinds track which was a struggle)

As for the walk from Wadleys Hut to the OLT/Kia Ora Junction - yeah, there's not a lot of info... I'm pretty good with map & compass (and GPS)
There will be two of us, so we'll have 4 sets of Mk1 eyeballs to keep an eye out for tape and pads...

The online maps all seem to show the same track...

It's not a big issue if the track is vague - I've done that before :)

KiaOraHut.JPG


I'm just trying to get as much info as I can... better to be over prepared :)

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Wed 27 Jun, 2018 5:10 pm
by pazzar
Aztec wrote:Yeah... it's been open since November I think...


Check with the Parks office. They are fixing up some damage at the southern end of the road. You may have to walk a few extra kms (ie Lake Myrtle carpark).



Upper Mersey Forest Road – temporary closure
Updated 19 June 2018

The Parks and Wildlife Service are performing road works on the Upper Mersey Forest Road. These works represent the last of the outstanding works on Mersey Forest Road from the June 2016 flood event.
Mersey Forest Road will be closed on Wednesday 20 June 2018. There will be no access to the Lees Paddocks, Pine Hut Plain, Lake Bill or Cloister/Jacksons Creek tracks during this time.

The Parks and Wildlife Service apologises for any inconvenience.

If you have any enquiries please contact the Great Western Tiers Field Centre on 6701 2104.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Thu 28 Jun, 2018 12:00 am
by Aztec
Oh closed for one day - whew, thought it was going to be closed for months...
I'm not heading there until September... I should be ok :)

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Sat 30 Jun, 2018 8:47 am
by north-north-west
In September the crossing of Kia Ora Creek might be nasty. If there's a lot of snowmelt you could well be in over your hips. Water level wasn't very high when I went through but Kia Ora was still over the knees at the deepest point.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Sat 30 Jun, 2018 11:57 am
by Aztec
north-north-west wrote:In September the crossing of Kia Ora Creek might be nasty. If there's a lot of snowmelt you could well be in over your hips. Water level wasn't very high when I went through but Kia Ora was still over the knees at the deepest point.


Oooh fun! :)
Yeah, I love river crossings... thigh deep in ice cold water... lol
I better bring a spare towel :)

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Sat 30 Jun, 2018 11:58 am
by Aztec
north-north-west wrote:Water level wasn't very high when I went through but Kia Ora was still over the knees at the deepest point.


I'm trying to find a GPX or details map of the Wadleys to Kia Ora section... there's not much around... you found it easy enough to find your way?

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Sat 30 Jun, 2018 12:46 pm
by Warin
This help?
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/17598 ... 8/146.1110

Named as Paddy Hartnett Track.

Arr ... see you already have it. That should be good enough to guide you through. As always .. follow what is on the ground .. not on a map or in a GPS.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Sat 30 Jun, 2018 8:18 pm
by north-north-west
Aztec wrote:
north-north-west wrote:Water level wasn't very high when I went through but Kia Ora was still over the knees at the deepest point.


I'm trying to find a GPX or details map of the Wadleys to Kia Ora section... there's not much around... you found it easy enough to find your way?


As I said, once over Pinestone Creek it gets tricky, until you're almost at the Kia Ora crossing. Very vague pad which fades out totally in many places, frequently when timber has fallen over it, and neither the cairns nor tape are consistent. You just have to be very careful and patient with picking up the route in that bit. Prior to that it's impossible to get totally lost as you just follow the river and then climb up along Pinestone.
Otherwise, it's a doddle. Reg Wadley's is a beautiful spot and the forest is superb all the way through.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Wed 22 Aug, 2018 2:46 pm
by Aztec
Yeah the photos I've seen down the valley look great (I've only been as far as Lees Paddock hut - then went up to Lake Ayr and across to Pelion Hut)

Anyone have any photos of the creeks? Are they "wurragurra creek" sized? bigger? smaller?

Cheers,
Richard

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 8:58 am
by north-north-west
The track goes up beside Pinestone and crosses where there's minimal flow. Kia Ora is at least Wurragurra sized at the crossing, and very awkward due to boulders.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 9:36 am
by Aztec
Cheers dude...
I'm taking my "you're getting wet" kit... assuming I'll be thigh deep crossing both Pinestone and Kia Ora :)
It may not happen, but knowing my luck, if I don't take that kit, i'll need it :)

I'm gonna take some track marking tape too... see how lost I get slogging uphill to the OLT Junction :)

Cheers,
Richard

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 10:27 am
by ILUVSWTAS
Aztec wrote:I'm gonna take some track marking tape too...

Cheers,
Richard



Dont do that!

But if you ignore that advice and insist on littering the bush with tape you shouldn't SAY you are going to do it on a public forum!!!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Either use a gps or dont go to places you aren't comfortable navigating.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 10:40 am
by Aztec
I'll take black tape then ;)
That way only I will know to keep an eye out for it...
And I'll do it at night...

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 10:57 am
by ILUVSWTAS
Or just dont do it. Especially in a National park.... :roll:

You can get biodegradable tape though if you insist on littering.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 12:38 pm
by north-north-west
Aztec wrote:I'm gonna take some track marking tape too... see how lost I get slogging uphill to the OLT Junction :)

From Kia Ora Creek to the OT the pad is easy to follow (except the last few metres through chest deep bauera). It's Pinestone to Kia Ora that's troublesome.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 3:13 pm
by Aztec
It's this "troublesome" word that worries me! :D

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 5:55 pm
by north-north-west
Just take your time, look around very carefully, and don't lose sight of the last cairn/tape until you see the next.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Mon 27 Aug, 2018 11:04 pm
by Aztec
north-north-west wrote:Just take your time, look around very carefully, and don't lose sight of the last cairn/tape until you see the next.


Yep :)

The climb up from Lees Paddock Hut to Reedy Lake was like that - very vague, some tape occasionally if you were lucky...

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Tue 04 Sep, 2018 4:47 pm
by Stoick
does anyone have a gpx file of the Hartnett Track they can email me ? or know how to convert the XML file to gpx format for the one that's in the Openstreet map link further up this thread ? tried to export and convert it but it didn't work. Thanks

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Tue 04 Sep, 2018 6:06 pm
by north-north-west
There is a website called gpsvisualizer.com (make sure you spell it like that). It will convert between a wide range of formats. Free and easy to use.

Re: Lees Paddock to Kia Ora

PostPosted: Tue 15 Oct, 2019 7:07 am
by stoffy
Has one done this walk recently, keen to give it a crack :D