Lees Paddock to Kia Ora Hut

[dazfromtaz]

Hi guys, has anyone walked from beginning of Lees Paddock track to Kia Ora Hut? How well is it marked and how long would it take?

[corvus]

Distance around 15km, time is hard to advise however if you allow at least a couple of hours to Lees Hut then four to five hours to get to Kia Ora that will give you an idea.
The pad(when exiting the paddocks) through the Myrtle Forest can be difficult to pick up at the start but obvious once you find it ,I would be wary of starting later in the day as it is quit gloomy in the forest up to Kia Ora even in Summer.
corvus

[dplanet]

I walked Arm River Track early this year due to a driving mistake. From memory, the start of Lees was located near the eastern end of Lake Ayr and just off the Arm River Track. There was a log book near that unmarked track junction.

[corvus]

dp, you are thinking of a wrong part this is a completely different track
corvus

[dplanet]

dp, you are thinking of a wrong part this is a completely different track
corvus

Correction. The start is near the end of Mersey Forest Road.

[dplanet]

fyi

[whiskeylover]

Hi D,
Corvus was trying to point out to you the track being asked about goes up the Mersey past Reg Wadleys Hut and up past Kia Ora creek, coming out on the Overland Track about a kilometre past Kia Ora. The one you are describing is the track we used to call the "Venetian Blind track", that goes past Reedy Lake.