Plan and prepare HEAPHY TRACK Duration: 4–6 days Great Walks season: Distance: 78.4 km (one way) All year ELEVATION PROFILE & TRACK GUIDE HEAPHY Perry Saddle Hut 28 bunks 10 campers Gouland Aorere Shelter Downs Hut 1000 m TRACK 10 campers 8 bunks 10 campers If it’s varied and rugged 750 m landscapes with mountain views Brown Hut you’re looking for, you’ll be spoilt 500 m 16 bunks for choice on the Heaphy Track. 20 campers 250 m Retrace the steps of early Māori seeking pounamu (greenstone) 0 m and 19th century gold prospectors. 17.5 km / 5 hrs 7 km / 2 hrs 5.4 km / 1.5 hrs You’ll pass through expansive tussock downs, lush forests and nīkau palms before reaching the roaring seas of the West Coast. Tackle the track in 4 or 5 days, or take your time and soak up the views over 6 days. There is a popular 2-day, overnight return trip on the western side from Kōhaihai to Heaphy Hut. You can also mountain bike the track Day 1: Brown Hut to Perry during the mountain biking Saddle Hut season and it is a 2–3 day ride. 5 hours, 17.5 km The Heaphy Track in Kahurangi As you wind your way through bush National Park can be walked in either you’ll climb gradually, following a route direction. The track is well marked and once surveyed for a road. It’s 4 hours signposted, but some sections may be to Aorere Shelter, which affords views steep and rough and the track could of Aorere valley and, on clear days, Mount Taranaki/Egmont. A short track be muddy. This brochure describes about 30 minutes before Perry Saddle a 4-day hike for independent, non- Hut leads to a stunning viewpoint at guided walkers travelling from Brown Flanagans Corner, the highest point on Hut to Kōhaihai. the track at 915 metres. COVER: Swing bridge over Wekakura Creek, DOC/90 Seconds. ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Monster Valley; stokedforsaturday.com; stokedforsaturday.com; Baptiste Maryns. MAIN PHOTO: Heaphy Hut, Baptiste Maryns Duration: 4 – 6 days Distance: 78.4 km (one way) Great Walks season: All year hut campsite shelter car park Saxon Hut James Mackay Hut 16 bunks 28 bunks 10 campers 4 campers Kohaihai 50 standard Heaphy Hut Katipo Creek campsites Lewis Hut 32 bunks Shelter Scotts Beach No booking 20 bunks 40 campers 10 campers 20 campers required 5.4 km / 1.5 hrs 11.8 km / 3 hrs 12.5 km / 3.5 hrs 8 km / 2.5 hrs 16.2 km / 5 hrs Day 2: Perry Saddle Hut to Day 3: James Mackay Hut to James Mackay Hut Heaphy Hut Day 4: Heaphy Hut to Kōhaihai River mouth 6 hours 30 minutes, 24.2 km 6 hours, 20.5 km 5 hours, 16.2 km Start your day walking through Beech forest gives way to nīkau palms On your final day the track south to Kōhaihai follows the tussock clearings and patches of as you descend to the Heaphy River rugged coastline of the West Coast, and passes through beech. Where the valley widens, the and Lewis Hut, where you’ll encounter forests of rātā and karaka trees, vines and groves of expansive tussocklands of Gouland the infamous West Coast sandflies. The nīkau palms. Soon Scotts Beach appears. The clearing Downs are revealed. Takahē, which 148.8 m long Heaphy River bridge is here is a good spot to rest before climbing over Kōhaihai are rare, flightless native birds, have the largest suspended deck bridge built Bluff. The track follows the bank of the Kōhaihai River been released here – you may be by the Department of Conservation. for 400 metres to the car park. At Crayfish Point there lucky enough to see one. The track then takes you through a is a track high above the beach well away from the sea. You’ll pass the famed pole where forest of kahikatea, rimu and rātā – be Take care crossing Crayfish Stream, particularly after or walkers before you have tied their aware that in heavy rain, especially at during rainfall, as it can flood quickly. old boots on your way to Gouland high tide, sections of the track may be There is a risk of wave surge at high tide between Downs Hut. The track continues prone to flooding. Towards the river Heaphy Hut and Kohaihai. Be prepared to wait for up past moss-covered beech forest and mouth, nīkau palms become more to 2 hours until the tide retreats. Check tide tables in through the tussock to Saxon Hut. It common, and the roar of the ocean on Heaphy Hut or Kohaihai Shelter. continues on to James Mackay Hut, the wild West Coast grows louder. which offers views of the Tasman Sea and Heaphy River mouth 750 metres below. HIGHLIGHTS Photo: Rob Suisted (naturespic.co.nz) Photo:Stefan and Kathrin Marks 1 Fantastic flora! See huge podocarps and giant northern rātā in the lowland forest, a huge variety of alpine and subalpine species on the Gouland Downs, and karaka, ngaio and nīkau palms in the coastal forest. 2 Try to spy the nocturnal carnivorous land snail Powelliphanta around Heaphy Hut on a damp night. These native snails are the largest carnivorous snails in the world, some growing as big as a man’s fist. Living mainly in the forest, they eat earthworms, sucking them up through their mouths like spaghetti! 3 Watch and listen for the great spotted kiwi/ roroa. You might not see one, but you may hear the birds calling to each other at night from the Perry Saddle, Gouland Downs and Saxon huts. Male great spotted kiwi make a shrill, repeated, drawn-out whistle of ‘kiwi’. The females make a low ‘churr’ sound. Photo: Rod Morris Photo: Peter Black 4 West of Gouland Downs Hut, walk through the ‘enchanted forest’, moss-covered beech forest set in a limestone outcrop of arches and old caves. 5 Keep an eye out for the endangered takahē in the tussock grasslands of Gouland Downs. In autumn 2018 DOC's Takahe Recovery Programme, with iwi and partners, released 30 birds with the aim of establishing a second wild takahē population. Photo: Jake Osborne (DOC) To Collingwood B S Brown Hut Rocks Point i Mackay a g x o Downs n R i C R v e l a i v r r Big Bay e k r R i v e 920m r Saxon Hut Steep Point r e James Mackay Hut v 748m i Gouland Downs Hut R s k Aorere Shelter i e e w r Gouland 1519m e C E L f y Downs l u f Perry Saddle Hut G B N A 897m Wekakura Point R T U A B M A N O R A k R N G e E e A r U C T Lewis Hut Mt. Inaccessible I Whakapoāi Point 1495m n E a W g I G H r e a a N e p n h A a v y l i R F G R R u i n v D e n e r e N e r r A o r R L A i v e U r O Heaphy Bluff Mt. Ross 1309m G H 1442m e a p h y R i v e r Heaphy Hut Kahurangi Kahurangi Mt. Barr National Park Amohia Peak Marine Reserve 1231m 1542m Aorere Peak D O M E Gunner E T T R A N G I s l a n d Downs L a k e T A S M A N Mid Point Katipo Creek Shelter Great Walk hut M O U N T A I N S Great Walk camp site Mt. Domett Crayfish Point L a k e Mt. Cobb 1050m E l m e r Standard campsite Potential for r e wave surge at v i Shelter L a k e high tide between R H e n d e r s o n i Heaphy Hut and a Toilets are available at h E i G Kohaihai. a N all huts and campsites Scotts Beach h A ō R K Y Great Walk E L D Kōhaihai Bluff N I Kohaihai R 0 1 Km G ¯ 566m To Karamea PLACES TO STAY DOC operates 7 huts and 9 campsites along the Heaphy Track, which must be booked in advance all year round. Campers are not permitted to use hut facilities. Kohaihai is a Standard campsite and does not need to be booked in advance. See www.doc.govt.nz/campsites for details. Great Walks huts Great Walks campsites $34 per adult per night; $14 per adult per night; 17 years and under free 17 years and under free (booking required). (booking required). Huts have bunks, mattresses, a The campsites offer basic facilities water supply, toilets, hand-washing including toilets, a sink and a water facilities and heating with fuel. They supply. Some also have picnic tables may also have a lighting source, and and cooking shelters. basic cooking facilities with fuel. Photo: Baptiste Maryns A DOC ranger may be present. 0 25 50 km WHAT DO I DO NEXT? GETTING THERE Start off at greatwalks. You can start the Heaphy Track from the following co.nz/heaphy for more locations: information. Consider Brown Hut, Golden Bay: from HEAPHY TRACK transport options before Collingwood take the road up Takaka ABEL booking huts/campsites Aorere valley to Brown Hut (28 km). TASMAN COAST Kōhaihai, West Coast: from Karamea, TRACK Consult tide timetables head north to the car park and campsite at Kōhaihai River (15 km).