From Lyell the trail climbs an old dray road through the beech forest of Lyell Valley, passing a few ruins and relics of abandoned mining settlements. There are some blind corners and bikers do move faster than walkers, so be wary, whichever you are. The track crosses several streams then a striking bluff, with rock-nets and barrier protection. Enjoy the views!

The trail continues onto the Lyell Range, and the grade eases as you approach Lyell Saddle Hut, which sits on the open saddle with a charming, forest-framed view to the west. Step outside at dusk; kiwi will likely be calling.

Huts along the OGR are well equipped, with gas cookers, plates, pans and cutlery plus wood stoves, insect-proof netting around verandas and composting toilets. Some have outdoor showers in little roofless sheds (you boil your own water on the stove); others offer directions to nearby swimming holes. All hut sites have private ‘sleepouts’ and tent sites. Most have at least one marauding weka.

From Lyell Saddle the trail continues up a gentle, zig-zag climb for a bit over an hour (walking pace) then emerges from the trees. From here it’s all flow, as the bikers say, roaming the ridgelines and the subalpine tops, looking out to the sculpted granite spectacles aptly named Rocky Tor, Heaven’s Door and The Tombstone. For bikers, the riding here is exhilarating, challenging or both. Top Camp Shelter is well placed for water and inclement weather.

Ghost Lake Hut is a stunner. Perched on a bluff, it has great views, an optional climb up a nearby spur to the ridge above, and quite likely kea. Wander down to little Ghost Lake where you can look back at the hut, teetering on its bluffy edge.

Beyond Ghost Lake Hut lies a gritty mountain section that challenged the track builders. The trail zig zags into a deep gully, technical for bikers, then climbs onto a short but delightfully scenic ridge that always calls me to sit, gaze across distant ridgelines and contemplate the meaning of life. Initially, the only way off this ridge was down a steep staircase. Kudos to all the bikers who carried their bikes. But there’s no end to the engineering ingenuity on the OGR and the trail now sweeps down and around on a rideable grade off the ridge and continues descending into Stern Valley and back into beech forest, where karuwai and korimako will surely greet you.

Stern Valley Hut sits on a river flat – there are good swimming spots back up the trail a bit. This hut was where I met the marathoners, running the entire 85km trail overnight, though their feat was well matched by the biker who passed through: he’d ridden the Paparoa Track earlier in the day. Another time, a bunch of teenage bikers burst into the hut, all hyped up and one of them covered in blood after a fall. My nurse mates flew into action, and by the time the slower dads straggled in, the wounds were clean and covered. The OGR: what a great thing for fathers and teenage kids to share.

For walkers, the 25km day from Stern Valley to Specimen Point Hut is the big one, but it’s not too steep or arduous. Start early and you might catch the morning’s moody mist drifting over the wetland lakes, Grimm and Cheerful. Then comes The Boneyard, an easy, if a little spooky, climb across a shattered wall and threading through limestone boulders, some the size of houses, dispatched by the 1929 Murchison earthquake. Back in the bush, Solemn Saddle leads gently over to Goat Creek and the trail descends to meet the Mōkihinui South Branch. The flats around DOC’s Goat Creek Hut, built for deer-cullers in 1957, make a pleasant lunch spot, though you need to cross the creek to reach the little hut.

From here the trail is gentle, crossing the Mōkihinui on a long swingbridge and continuing through impressive forest, mostly kahikatea and other podocarps. DOC’s 10-bunk Mōkihinui Forks Hut (you need your own gas and cooking gear here) is about an hour’s easy walk upriver of Specimen Point Hut, which has a grand river view and a few million resident sandflies, so keep the hut doors shut.

From Specimen Point, the OGR picks up the old Mōkihinui gold-mining trail. The river closes in and your way descends through the gorge and across the ‘Suicide Slips’ brought down during and since that 1929 earthquake, now safeguarded with bolted cantilevers and bridges. The river thunders and surges below and when it rains, it really, really rains. Side streams swell, and on one memorable day, entire sections of the track became waterfalls. Cold shower time!

Everything calms down as the valley opens out and the trail ends, 4km from Seddonville and adjacent to the Rough and Tumble Lodge. Owned and operated by the MLBT, the lodge is comfortably rustic with hotel-style rooms, an insect-proofed veranda overlooking the Mōkihinui, nourishing wholesome meals and the best outdoor bush shower ever. The lodge epitomises the vibe of the OGR, and is a great place to celebrate the end of your journey.