New Zealand’s Old Ghost Road walking track has just turned 10, a milestone that highlights how this once forgotten miners route has become one of the country’s most remarkable long distance trails.
Stretching for about 80km through the remote north west of the South Island, the track threads together wild river valleys, podocarp and beech forest, dramatic alpine ridgelines and the atmospheric remnants of gold rush history.
The journey begins in dense rainforest where the sound of birdsong and flowing water accompanies each step. As the track climbs, it emerges onto open tops that offer sweeping views across the Lyell and Mokihinui valleys.
These elevated sections are often cited as the emotional high point of the walk, delivering that unmistakable sense of being far from civilisation. The descent leads back into shadowed gorges and mossy forest where the remains of ghost towns, old equipment and miner graves whisper of hardship and hope from another era.
People should consider walking the Old Ghost Road not simply because it is beautiful, although it undeniably is, but because it offers a rare blend of nature, heritage and adventure.
It is less crowded than many of New Zealand’s great walks yet provides an equally rich, often more varied experience. The well spaced huts create a social rhythm without breaking the feeling of solitude, and the track’s backstory is a testament to community dedication, built largely through local passion and volunteer effort.