Salisbury Lodge

Leslie-Karamea Track description

Time: 3 hr 30 min

13.2 km From the car park at the road end (36 km from Motueka), the track leads over Flora Saddle, past Flora Hut and up to Salisbury Lodge on the Tablelands. Just beyond the lodge is the sign where the Leslie-Karamea track itself begins. km From the Leslie-Karamea Track sign, a line of poles runs to the bush edge at the top of Leslie Hill and begins descending to the Leslie River. After about one hour downhill, Splugeons Rock Shelter is reached. Beyond the shelter the track drops steeply to the Leslie River, crossing via a swingbridge. It then follows the true left bank down to Karamea Bend Hut. 9.7 km The track heads up the Karamea River on the true right bank, crossing Slippery Creek and a clearing, the Little Backwash and the Big Backwash. Just over the Crow River swingbridge is Crow Hut. When the Karamea River is low, it is possible to follow the riverbed from Karamea Bend almost to the Crow. 5.9 km The track continues on the true right bank for about one hour to a bridge across the Karamea River. Across on the left bank the track sometimes scrambles around the riverside but mostly stays on forested terraces alongside the river to Venus Hut. 5.7 km This section follows the river terraces, sometimes merging with the riverside and riverbed. Mercury Creek, about 30 minutes above Venus Hut, is a major side stream spanned by a swingbridge. Near Atlas Creek the track hugs the cliffs above the river and is fairly narrow. Thor Hut is just across Thor Creek, on the edge of a slip caused by the 1929 Murchison Earthquake. 9.5 km Upriver from Thor Hut the track climbs and makes a long sidle, crossing several earthquake-triggered slips where care is needed. One of these slips, which came down Apollo Creek from Mt Kendall (1762m), dammed the Karamea River forming Moonstone Lake. The lake backs up for almost three kilometres and some of the trees drowned during its formation still stand as naked trunks. At the head of the lake continue on the true left of the Karamea River to Kendall Creek, which divides into several streams near its mouth and is dangerous when in flood. The track rounds a granite spur and crosses a grassy flat to the old Trevor Carter Hut site (hut removed in 2003). Cross the swingbridge onto the true right of the Karamea River and walk downstream for 15 minutes to Trevor Carter Hut. When the Karamea River is running low, an alternative track is signposted to Trevor Carter Hut on the main track before reaching Kendall Creek.

Other entry points

Time: 8 hr

From the head of the Cobb Reservoir a track climbs up to Cobb Ridge and then heads on to Lake Peel, Balloon Hut (serviced, 14 bunk) and Salisbury Lodge (serviced, 22 bunk). A tramping track follows the Baton River upstream for three hours to Flanagans Hut (standard, 8 bunk), from where a marked route climbs to Baton Saddle (1370 m). On the Leslie side a tramping track descends to Wilkinson Creek and follows it to the Leslie River, down to the Karamea Bend Hut (standard, 22 bunk).

It is a short 30 minute walk from the car park over the saddle to Flora Hut. Approximately 45 minutes’ walk from Flora Hut is a pool where it is said that Bishop Suter of Nelson bathed while on a visit to the Tableland diggings in 1871. After a further 30 minutes, you will find the Gridiron Hut and Shelter — together they accommodate seven people. Continue from the Upper Gridiron Hut to the Upper Junction. Take the left fork at Upper Junction (about 2 hours down from Flora Hut) and begin a steady climb. The track passes Growler Shelter after about 30 minutes and the forest becomes ever sparser until you emerge suddenly on the tussock lands known as Salisbury’s Open. A short side track leads to the Dry Rock Shelter that will accommodate four people. Salisbury Lodge is 20 minutes further on, across the open tussock.

Side trip: The Potholes

Time: 1 hr 30 min return

km From Salisbury Lodge walk back to the Gordons Pyramid signpost. Enter the forest and turn right at the Potholes sign. Poles lead through a chain of sinkholes, passing Sphinx Creek (which disappears into a cave), and bring you out in Sphinx Gully, not far below the lodge.