There are so many walks and tramps in New Zealand on my record that I haven’t had an opportunity to take a look at. And regardless of how a lot I get out and sort out them, the record solely grows longer. Funny how that occurs.
But there may be one observe I’ve been eager to do without end, the Heaphy Track. New Zealand has ten Great Walks, together with the Heaphy, and I’ve mainly achieved all of them, some even a couple of instances. Great Walks have higher infrastructure than our regular backcountry tramps – in addition they include greater worth tags and e book out quick. Bigger, fancier huts with wardens. Some even have flushing bathrooms (!!!). Wide and better-maintained trails, and for a few of them, you may select guided choices.
While kiwis delight themselves on being powerful and low cost on the subject of tramping (no arguing), there’s something nice about simpler tracks. I’ve achieved my justifiable share of slogging via frigid rivers, climbing tree roots and scrambling up dodgy rocks, and even strolling in knee-deep mud (f*ck that). I’m fairly positive the motto right here is, “Why build a nice switchback trail when you can just climb straight up the mountain?”
But I’m gonna be trustworthy: I like an opportunity NOT to make use of my arms when tramping, hanging on for expensive life, and praying to no matter god is on the market that torture ends quickly. I actually don’t care about being hardcore.
While you gained’t see many kiwis on the favored Great Walks, it was all locals after I did the Heaphy Track in May this yr. From May 1st, our autumn, the observe opens to mountain bikers. At an 84-kilometer tramp, it’s the longest Great Walk (minus canoeing the Whanganui River), and I’ll argue it’s one of the best.
So why did I put it off for therefore lengthy? Because the beginning and end of the observe are a seven-hour drive aside. I couldn’t work out the logistics, particularly as I favor to tramp alone. The begin on the West Coast is a ten-hour drive from Wānaka, too. It’s fairly a dedication, and it might be almost $500 to relocate my automobile, on prime of gas: it presently prices me $175 to replenish my little automobile right here. NOPE.
But then I discussed to a pal that I used to be eager to sort out the Heaphy this yr, and so they informed me about Golden Bay Air as one of the best logistics possibility. Looks left to proper, how did I not learn about this? You can fly in between the beginning and end, and so they do plenty of shuttles. They have streamlined the method of organizing the tramp, and it’s inexpensive. It’ll prevent 450 kilometers of driving. Count. Me. In.
How I organized my logistics with Golden Bay Air:
- I drove from Wanaka to Westport in a day and stayed in a motel that evening
- The subsequent morning, I drove north, and I dropped a bag of unpolluted garments and toiletries on the tiny airport in Karamea
- Then I drove quarter-hour to the beginning of the observe on the West Coast aspect
- I parked my automobile on the Kōhaihai campsite, which is the place the observe begins
- Over the subsequent 4 days, I walked the Heaphy Track
- I stayed in these huts so as:
- Day 1 – Heaphy Hut
- Day 2 – James Mackay Hut
- Day 3 – Perry Saddle Hut
- I met the Golden Bay Air automobile shuttle pick-up on the finish of the observe at Brown Hut to move to Takaka airport
- I grabbed my rent automobile and my different bag from the Takaka airport
- I stayed in Takaka for 3 nights to discover Golden Bay
- I returned to the Takaka airport to return the rent automobile and catch my brief flight again to the Karamea airport
- Then, the shuttle introduced us again to the beginning of the observe at Kōhaihai, the place I left my automobile
- Then drove again to Wanaka
**This seems to be like so much, however mainly, whenever you e book with Golden Bay Air, they cowl all of those providers, so the method is streamlined, and the timings all line up, so that you don’t have to attend round. And for these of you studying from abroad, the Karamea and Takaka airports are tiny, the dimensions of a room; they’re extra like an airstrip, not for bigger business jets. There’s no queuing or something.
I made a decision to stroll the Heaphy Track from the Karamea/West Coast aspect north to Takaka. Most folks do it the opposite means, however it doesn’t matter. I don’t assume it’s more durable in both course. Karamea is simply nearer to me to drive to than Takaka.
My GPS informed me that the observe was 84 kilometers lengthy, and it was principally evenly break up over the 4 days, normally 16-25 kilometers per day. For me, it actually wasn’t that onerous. I believed the times could be for much longer than I believed – every day took me round 4 to 5 hours. The better part, although, is the observe feels flat. If you take a look at DOC’s elevation profile, it seems to be daunting. You’re climbing to 1,000 meters however over 20 kilometers. It’s so gradual you don’t discover the incline a lot.
I seen my again was slightly extra sore than regular as a result of I had a heavier pack, bringing my digital camera and extra meals than on shorter tramps. So don’t be delay by the 20-kilometer days—they had been straightforward, the observe appears flat, there aren’t any steps besides onto bridges (bear in mind folks bike it), and it’s properly maintained. You may also make it longer by staying at a few of the smaller huts.
You can drink the water alongside the observe too – it’s stained brown from tannins from leaf matter. It’s completely wonderful to drink and tastes higher than my faucet water.
I made a decision to sort out the Heaphy Track within the autumn. It doesn’t have the avalanche hazard that the extra mountainous Great Walks have, making it a observe you possibly can sort out all yr lengthy. Though I think about it may very well be disagreeable and chilly in winter, I reckon you’d in all probability have the observe all to your self!
Also, I’m conscious that many individuals assume it’s bizarre that I like tramping alone and that I discover the concept of being the one one on the observe AMAZING. I’m an introvert. I typically hate folks. I can’t assist it.
I’ll use this chance to emphasise simply how essential it’s to put together accordingly and carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), which you’ll lease if you happen to don’t personal one. This is what you set off when you have a life-threatening damage or are at risk of great damage or lack of life. Trust me, Search and Rescue would quite come and discover you along with your GPS location from the PLB than have to begin trying to find our bodies.
There can be the chance of flooding, which suggests you might need to remain longer on the observe. There are many huts and several other emergency shelters. Bring additional meals. I at all times convey additional meals.
The biodiversity struck me as one of the best a part of the Heaphy Track. It’s unbelievable, and I’d even say it’s a few of the greatest I’ve seen tramping. The landscapes are unbelievable and assorted. The West Coast is inexperienced and humid, the path meandering alongside the rugged shoreline shrouded in nikau palms. Then you head via some unbelievable forest earlier than climbing up into pink tussock nation. It was colourful. It was lovely.
I noticed kiwi, tūī, bellbirds, a fernbird (!!), whio, weka, kererū, robins, riflemen and so many extra. You can inform there was a lot predator management within the space to guard it; the birdlife was superb. It’s additionally the place yow will discover the most important carnivorous snails—Powelliphanta snails. What the heck? I vaguely knew this, however name me intrigued. I looked for them so onerous, however I solely discovered three shells. One of the DOC rangers informed me it’s onerous to seek out them alive.
And the queen of birds to see alongside the Heaphy Track: the takahē. And I didn’t see one; cue tears. It wasn’t like I didn’t strive guys. Takahē can poo as much as 9 meters per day. You guess your ass I adopted these poo trails all via the bush across the observe for ages. But nada. Other folks did see them, which makes me glad. While I used to be there, some had been hanging round Saxon Hut at sundown.
I’ve been privileged to have seen takahē many instances in ecosanctuaries and at their breeding facility, however by no means within the wild. I assume that simply means I’ve to return.
Takahē are a badass, massive, hefty blue chicken that was as soon as declared extinct for 50 years. Not many creatures can boast about getting back from the lifeless.
Geoffrey Orbell, a doctor, discovered a wild inhabitants of takahē within the Murchison Mountains by Te Anau in 1948. Nowadays, with plenty of onerous work in conservation, there are about 500 takahē in New Zealand. Many are in predator-free ecosanctuaries and islands (record right here). There nonetheless is a inhabitants within the Murchisons, however it’s not likely accessible to the general public. I’ve been attempting to weasel my means up there for years unsuccessfully, pun meant. I do know it ruins a joke to clarify it, however weasels are mustelids, like stoats, that are one of many worst launched predators in New Zealand. In truth, in 2007, stoats managed to kill half the takahē there. Furry monsters.
But what made Kahurangi National Park notably particular was the discharge of the second wild inhabitants of takahē in 2018. This large milestone brings us one step nearer to restoring our land, birds, and different creatures to what it as soon as was like.
Many because of Golden Bay Air for organizing all the logistics to make this potential. As at all times, I’m conserving it actual—all opinions are my very own, as if you happen to might anticipate much less from me.