This is a walk in two parts, the second of which is completely optional. The first part is the Hollyford Track, which takes you to Martins Bay, and the second is the Pyke Route, which loops round from Martins Bay back to Lake Alabaster. Don't try the Pyke Route unless you know what you're doing, as it can be very dangerous, especially in nasty weather.
The Hollyford Track runs from south to north along the Hollyford River and Lake McKerrow, finally reaching the sea at Martins Bay after 58km of well-signed tracks. The walking is not too difficult, though it can be very slippery when wet, and there are plenty of well-appointed huts along the way; on its own, the Hollyford Track is a spectacular walk. Add in the Pyke Route, though, and you have a very special experience, because the Pyke Route wanders through some stunning and very remote scenery. The route leaves Martins Bay and follows the coast east to Big Bay, before heading inland along the Pyke Valley to Lake Wilmot, the Barrier River and finally the Olivine River. It then loops back to the eastern end of Lake Alabaster, which you can walk alongside to get back to the Alabaster Hut on the Hollyford Track. Here's the itinerary I took:
| Track/Route | Day | Walk | km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollyford Track | 1 | Road End to Lake Alabaster | 19.5 |
| 2 | Lake Alabaster to Demon Trail | 14.7 | |
| 3 | Demon Trail to Hokuri | 9.6 | |
| 4 | Hokuri to Martins Bay | 13.5 | |
| Pyke Route | Martins Bay to Big Bay | 15* | |
| 5 | Big Bay to Olivine | 20* | |
| 6 | Rest Day in Olivine | - | |
| 7 | Olivine to Lake Alabaster | 25* | |
| Hollyford Track | 8 | Lake Alabaster to Road End | 19.5 |
| Total distance | 138 | ||
Please note that distances marked with an asterisk are estimates. At the time I measured the whole Hollyford-Pyke Route at about 138km, with the Pyke Route accounting for 60km, but I don't currently have the maps to hand to check the figures for the individual days on the Pyke Route. It's also worth noting that on the Pyke Route, distances are pretty irrelevant; the 20km stretch from Big Bay to Olivine took me 14.5 hours, and the 10km from Olivine took seven hours, which is a huge amount of time compared to any of the Hollyford Track sections.
