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Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 30 min one way
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Tākaka area
- Dog access
- Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Walk to some excellent swimming holes on a track that follows an old tramline.
This DOC directory entry covers Paines Ford Tramline Track in Tasman, within Tākaka area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 30 min one way
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track follows the line of a tramline that operated between the early 1880s and 1905, and was used to take timber from the Tākaka Valley down to Waitapu wharf. It provides access to some excellent swimming holes in the Tākaka River as well as to rock climbing areas.
There is a large picnic area with a toilet beside the highway bridge.
Climbing
With its impressive line of limestone bluffs emerging from a remnant patch of forest, Paines Ford is one of New Zealand's best rock-climbing areas. Climbers come from far and wide to enjoy the challenge of the sheer rock faces - these are definitely not for beginners!
Getting there
Entrance to the Paines Ford Scenic Reserve is at 1886 Tākaka Valley Highway SH60, 3 km south of Tākaka.
Know before you go
Tākaka River is dangerous when in flood
No fires
No camping
History and culture
Paines Ford Scenic Reserve takes its name from the original ford across the flood-prone Tākaka River on the main road into Tākaka. A modern bridge now replaces the ford.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
