Lees to Kia Ora ???

[corvus]

I have done this track 6 or 7 times up and down ,down and even and get confused with the many examples of the walk I have heard about .
Can any of you who have done this please give an exact and detailed log of this trip please

[gorby]

hello corvus,
last summer a mate and myself did some track clean up from the wadleys end of lees paddocks towards kiaora.We trimmed back a bit of the encroaching shrubbery and small fallen branches,
The route we always take is from the last paddock up the mersey starting at all the windblown gum trees following the blue tapes through the myrtles basically following the river with a small diversion up what is a small creekbed and around thru some shrubby patches including cutgrass.A decent sized creek is also encountered but it is shallow and wide (and slippery)When the track leaves the river it heads uphill and there is some confusion due to the myriad of blazes on the trees but the pad can usually be picked up and it heads at a gradual grade up to kiaora creek which can be crossed by logs and boulders (even in winter)and towards the track up the rock shelf .once this is climbed there are a few up and downs thru some swampy stuff and you pop out on the overland track just a bit south of kiaora hut.

thats a very rough recollection from a poor story teller but if you have been thru yourself then it may make sense.

I have talked to a very scratched and tired walker who had followed the mersey river all the way down from the waterfalls from near Ducane and his description was of severe scrub bashing.

others have described how pretty that area is,so it will be interesting to hear of other peoples trips there.

[norts]

I did this walk early last year, and I agree with Corvus' description. Oops Gorbys Post

[corvus]

gorby many thanks for that info it is a very good description of the route I use and it will be easier to pick up the start again now that you have cleaned it up a bit

[corvus]

I have a work mate who recons he followed the river but his memory of it is hazy ,when I get back to work next week I will get him to check it out with his walking companion who works for Forestry and is an accomplished bush expert (according to my wm) so we may get an answer to the mystery.
I still think that both gorby and corvus (me) are spot on with this track as Paddy Hartnett only used the logical routes and I cannot think how the three creek gullies on the river would be easy to negotiate.

[tastrekker]

As norts said, gorby's description is spot on.

I have walked between Lees and Kia Ora many times via various routes and can give more detail via PM. I'll just include some fairly broad descriptions here.

gorby's route leaves the 'top paddock' from the south-east corner. It is also possible to pick up a cairned route from the south-west corner. I have not followed this all the way but somewhere I have detailed notes of this route. There was an old hut up that way somewhere and a waterfall on Pinestone Creek approx halfway between the Overland Track and the Mersey.

Another way to get to Kia Ora is to follow Gorby's route as far as Kia Ora Creek and then follow the creek upstream to the falls. As the creek kinks around below the hut, it is best to head out of the valley opposite the main falls. This will bring you to a button grass area just below the private Kia Ora hut's helipad. Sneak past the wealthy guests (if in residence) and follow the Overland Track a short distance to the public hut.

I can certainly vouch for the Mersey being difficult to follow in this area. I have followed Kia Ora Creek downstream past gorby's route and the scrub gets very thick and dry as you approach the Mersey. Very slow going!

My favourite trip through this area was in winter with the Mersey in full spiteful flood. We went in to Junction Lake via the Jackson's Creek Track and Lake Myrtle. Clarke Falls were a spectacular sight at the start of the Never Never. We missed McCoy falls as the Mersey had spread over the plains, forcing us up into the open Myrtle forest below Feather Falls and the southern slopes of Cathedral. We rejoined the river near Hartnet Falls and followed it through more open myrtle to Fergusson and D'Alton Falls where it is possible to cross the flooded river where it passes through a deep narrow chasm. From here we went up to the Overland Track and followed it to Kia Ora Hut where the creek was thunderous and well above the bridge. We followed the north bank of Kia Ora down past the falls, picked up gorby's route to where Pinestone Creek posed our most challenging crossing of the walk. It was over waist deep at the "shallow and wide (and slippery)" bit so this had to be done with a safety line to avoid ending up in the Mersey. Much of the Paddocks were under water and Wurragarra was uncrossable so we headed up the Reedy Lake track to where we could follow the Arm River Track out and cross the Wurragarra with the high level bridge which was almost enirely under water (more wading). The exit via Arm River and associated pick-up had already been planned as there was no bridge over the river at Pine Hut Plain back then.

One final thing to mention is that the 1:25000 and 1:100000 maps are quite wrong in relation to where Pinestone Creek meets the Mersey. This can be off-putting for navigation so take care. This is the area where the "scrubby patches and cutting grass" are to be found.