Track description

This description covers the walk beginning at the Lewis Pass picnic area and ending at the Boyle shelter. The walking times are average for a reasonably fit and experienced adult tramper.

Note: True right and left banks of a river are determined when facing downstream.

December 2011 alert: A large section of the walkway between and Boyle Flats Hut has been washed-out after heavy rain. This section is closed until further notice

Swingbridge, Cannibal Gorge

Day one

Time: 3 hr 30 min (7 km) Lewis Pass entrance - Cannibal Gorge Hut
5 hr (10 km) Ada Pass Hut

The track leaves the picnic area on the Tarn Nature Walk across a natural open bog. It then enters the bush, descending in a steep zig-zag into Cannibal Gorge on the Maruia River.

A swing bridge crosses Cannibal Gorge to the true right bank. From here it is about 6 km to the Cannibal Gorge Hut. Past the hut the track follows an easy grade alongside the Maruia River, through beech forest and open alpine fields (prone to avalanches) to the Ada Pass Hut (3 km - 30 minutes).

Day two

Time: 4 hr 30 min (10.5 km) Ada Pass Hut - Christopher Hut (through St James Conservation Area)

From the hut, the track leads through bush over Ada Pass into the Ada valley. Beech forest gradually gives way to open areas of tussock with tongues of mountain beech.
Orange triangles at the clearing edge indicate the start of the track through bush areas, following the true right bank of the Ada River.

At the junction of the Ada and Christopher rivers, the track passes a historic hut. The Christopher Hut is 10 - 15 minutes walk from this point, close to the edge of the bush, about 350 metres from the Ada River.

Day three

Time: 5 hr (15 km) Christopher Hut - Anne River Hut

From Christopher Hut the route goes down the valley along the true right bank of the Ada River to where the open flats converge with the river and toe of the hill, about 1.5 km above the Ada homestead. The track eventually joins a vehicle track for some distance to the Henry / Waiau valley convergence. From here it passes through matagouri thickets and some open rolling and swampy ground and rejoins the vehicle track (up till now the track is on the true left bank of the Henry River).

After crossing a suspension bridge over the Henry River the track follows close to the true right bank, rejoining the vehicle track through to the footbridge near the Anne River Hut.

Day four

Time: 7 hr (15 km) Anne River Hut to the Boyle Flats Hut. Passes through St James Conservation Area and part of Lake Sumner Forest Park.

The track follows the true left bank of the Anne River (on the same side as the hut) for about 2 km, then a footbridge gives access to the true right. The track continues up and over the Anne Saddle into the Boyle Valley. Orange pole markers indicate the route over the Boyle Flats. The true left bank is followed to a suspension bridge over the Boyle River, 100 metres from the Boyle Flat Hut.

Day five

Time: 5 hr (14.5 km) Boyle Flat Hut to Boyle Settlement

After re-crossing the footbridge to join the walkway route on the true left bank, follow markers to the start of the track through the gorge.

A suspension bridge crosses the Boyle River, then the track follows the true right bank to another suspension bridge. A vehicle track is joined and followed down the valley to the shelter and car park at State Highway 7 (Lewis Pass Road), by the Boyle Settlement.

back to top