Heaphy Track

The Heaphy Track is a popular tramping track in the South Island of New Zealand. The track length is 82km; it can be covered in three to seven days, usually four or five.

It is classified as a "Great Walk" by the Department of Conservation. The track, located in the Kahurangi National Park, is named after Charles Heaphy.

Contents

1 History 2 Landscape along the path 3 Practical information 4 External link

History

Maori tribes are known to have settled along the lower course of the Heaphy River as early as in the 16th century. Proofs have been found that the area crossed by today's Heaphy Track had been explored in these ancient times by Maoris seeking greenstone (pounamu) in the Gouland Downs sector.

The first visit of the area by persons whose names were recorded took place in 1846, when Charles Heaphy, Thomas Brunner and their Maori guide Kehu explored the coastal sector of the track.

The first recorded crossing of the whole range approximately along today's path took place in 1859, by a European gold miner named Aldrige; another visit is recorded in 1860, by James MacKay and John Clark.

In the following years of goldrush, the area was extensively visited for gold, and the track was definitely laid out by various prospectors and surveyors, among which JB Saxon in 1888.

But there was no gold to be found in the sector. After thirty years prospection got to its end and the track was virtually forgotten after 1900, getting overgrown and seldom used by the casual hunter.

The creation of the North-west Nelson Forest Park in 1965, that was to become Kahurangi National Park in 1996, led to the rediscovery and improvement of the track, which is now trekked by thousands of tourists every year.

Landscape along the path

The Heaphy track is renowned for the variety of landscapes crossed : every 20km section is significantly different from the previous one.

Walking the path east to west, the hiker will begin his journey through a forest where beeches (Nothofagus) are dominant. Some zigzags will bring you to the highest point of the track, at 915 m, with good views to the surrounding mountains.

From there on, tussocks are to replace forests, and you are soon to enter the Gouland Downs, a large featureless area drained by many rivers, with swingbridges helping to cross them when they are in spate.

Now woody patches regain over tussock moors ; near Gouland Downs Hut, beeches covered by thick moss are reminiscent of the wettest forests of southern New Zealand.

After several kilometers of alternating tussock downs and bush, MacKay Hut is reached, with broad views reaching to the Tasman Sea. There begins a long descent through the bush. This time podocarps are dominant, among which impressive large rimu trees.

At the end of this descent, the Heaphy River valley is reached at Lewis Hut. You will follow the river course for 8km of peaceful flat walk, crossing the Heaphy River and several affluents on long swingbridges, and discovering the nikau palm forest which is probably the most striking feature of the Heaphy Track.

At last you reach the seashore at Heaphy Hut, at the mouth of the Heaphy River. The last section is an exhilarating coastal walk, alterning sandy immaculate beaches beaten by the waves and forest sections, where nikau palms dominate.

Practical information

The path is very well tracked and drained; though adverse weather conditions can occasionally make your walk harder, this remains a quite easy hike, with no strong denivelate nor orientation difficulties.

There are absolutely no opportunities to find food along the route, you'll have to bring all you need from departure. Cooking facilities are provided at every hut.

Overnighting is allowed only at the seven huts and at six campsites (three of them are on the last coastal section). Hut or camping passes can be bought in advance at most tourist offices in the area.

Beware, sandflies can be nasty, especially at Lewis Hut and at places along the coastal section.

Buses from Nelson through Collingwood bring hikers to and from the eastern end of the walk ; a daily service links the western end to Karamea, with a connection to Westport there. There is also a non-daily service between Nelson and both ends of the path. Note that there is no road access to any point of the track save its ends.

External link

The Heaphy Track on Department of Conservation website (http://doc.govt.nz/Explore/002~Tracks-and-Walks/Great-Walks/Heaphy-Track.asp)