A West Coast Great Walk Family Mission
Rain, Mud & One Very Overworked GoPro
A proper West Coast FAMILY ADVENTURE. Film Linked below!
Normally when I head into the hills I take the “real” cameras. Multiple lenses, audio, the works. This time… the forecast had other ideas.
With days of rain predicted and huts booked months in advance, the big cameras stayed home and the entire trip ended up being filmed on a single GoPro Hero 10. Honestly - probably the correct decision. I don’t think anything else would’ve survived that much moisture.
We started at the Smoke-ho carpark just out of Blackball, climbing steadily through thick West Coast rainforest straight away. Unlike a lot of valley walks, the Paparoa Track gets down to business early - within the first hour you’re already gaining height and realising this isn’t a “gentle family stroll”. That said, the kids handled it better than the adults.
The track is beautifully formed the entire way. Proper Great Walk standard - wide, benched, and easy to follow - but it still feels like proper backcountry. Ferns, mossy trees, dripping canopy, and that constant West Coast soundtrack of water everywhere.
Ces Clark Hut
Night one was Ces Clark Hut, tucked back into the bush and a really nice introduction to the trip. After a long climb it felt like you’d properly arrived in the backcountry. Packs dumped, boots off, and that familiar hut routine kicked in - cups of soup on the boil and wet gear hung absolutely everywhere.
It’s a quieter hut than the others on the track and actually worked perfectly as a first night, breaking the climb into manageable chunks and keeping the morale high.
Moonlight Tops Hut
Breaking out above the bushline onto the tops is one of those moments you remember for a long time. After hours inside dense forest, the landscape suddenly opens into tussock ridges and limestone formations, with views right out to the Tasman Sea on a clear patch between showers.
Moonlight Tops Hut is one of the best positioned huts I’ve stayed in. Huge windows, big deck, and sunsets that would’ve been incredible… if the clouds had cooperated for more than seven minutes at a time.
Hut life with kids is half the reason we do these trips. Card games, shared snacks, damp socks drying everywhere, and instant friendships with complete strangers by about minute ten.
Across the Tops to Pororari Hut
Day two crosses the alpine tops - easily the most exposed section of the trip and where the weather really reminds you that you’re on the West Coast. We had sideways rain, wind, brief sun, then rain again about five minutes later.
The limestone country up there is unreal. Sinkholes, rock stacks, and ridgelines that look nothing like the rest of the South Island. It feels a bit like tramping on another planet.
From there the track drops steadily back into thick forest and follows the Pororari River down to Pororari Hut, tucked into the bush beside the water. By this point packs were heavier with wet gear and snacks were being rationed… morale stayed surprisingly high though.
The Walk Out
The final day follows the Pororari River through nikau palms and dense rainforest - easily one of the most unique environments you’ll walk through in New Zealand. It honestly feels closer to a tropical hike than a South Island tramp.
Everyone was tired by the end, but in a good way. The kind where the kids are muddy, hungry, and already talking about the next trip before you’ve even reached the carpark.
Final thoughts
The Paparoa Track is a Great Walk, but it still feels like a real adventure - especially in typical West Coast conditions. Challenging enough to feel earned, but achievable for families willing to take their time.
No big summit. No dramatic finish line. Just shared effort, a few laughs in the rain, and a whole lot of memories.
And a reminder that sometimes the best camera is simply the one that survives the weather.
If you’re thinking about taking kids into the backcountry, this track is a brilliant first multi-day mission.
(And yes… the GoPro held up better than the adults.)