And more changes.....

The Cardrona-Cromwell Pack Track was originally used by gold miners to access the Cardrona Valley in the 1860s. It has been used as an access across the Pisa Range for over 150 years. More lately by walkers and the odd keen mountain biker.

After such a long history the assumption would be this public access is somehow protected? There are literally hundreds of brochures, maps, and websites eschewing the merits of the track. But alas get LINZ involved and things turn quickly to custard. First it was the Roxburgh Gorge Cycleway and now the Roaring Meg and Cardrona-Cromwell Pack Track.

Lease holders approaching tenure review have adopted an adversarial approach to land negotiation by blocking access in order to leverage their demands. One reason for the Great Southern Brevet using the Roxburgh Gorge Track this time round is to highlight the plight of access. Landowners rights are to be respected however the removal of access as a bargaining chip punishes the public.

Holding the public to ransom?

From DOC: 

1 current alert for the Pisa Conservation Area tramping tracks:

Cardrona-Cromwell and Roaring Meg Pack Track partial closures

The landowner has closed the following sections of track:

• Cardrona–Cromwell Pack Track: from Deep Creek Hut to the Lowburn car park (Swann Road)
• Roaring Meg Pack Track from Pisa Conservation Boundary to Roaring Meg Power Station

There is no exit via these tracks.
Reviewed: 23 December 2015

Hopping down off the soap box for a moment this means some more changes to the course have to be made. And no it doesn't mean you miss out on the pleasure of the grind up the Pisa Range! On the bright side the views are still there to enjoy.