Heaphy West to East

Great variety makes things interesting: Coastal rain forest, river valley, subalpine rain forest, subalpine bogs and tussock, limestone caves, wekas, kiwi & morepork at night, enough edible plantain on the way (mostly along the coast) to sustain yourself if you get stuck. Ongaonga (native stinging nettle) along the coast - be aware!

Transport and parking:

For shuttles check out http://theheaphybus.co.nz.
Be aware: by car from end to end is a 450k drive! You need to arrange transport ahead of time. There are landline phones at the car parks at both ends of the track.

Distance from Karamea:

16 km

Driving time from Karamea:

19 minutes

Dog friendly:

Unknown

Landowner permission required:

No

Navigation Rating:

Easy.

Navigation Tips:

Follow the signposts and stay on the main track. Several detours along the way, but main track unmistakeable since it is the only levelled one. Reaching Brown Hut in the dark: Just carry on straight ahead to the car park. If you went more than 300 metres then retrace your steps back to the hut, look at the sign post pointing to Perry Saddle, turn 180 degrees and follow your nose for 300 metres. The car park is quite dark at night since it is in dense bush

Cellphone Coverage:

Very patchy.

Suggested Gear List:

Waterproof leggings, Thermal leggings, Long-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Survival bag, Cellphone, Map, Headtorch and spare batteries.

Availability of Water:

Streams are everywhere, water is drinkable, no Giardia in the park (yet). Otherwise, every hut has a rainwater tank or filtered water. Huts are 6 to 16 km apart

Seasonality Issues:

Parts of the track (mainly along Heaphy River and in the boggy uplands) can be flooded after heavy rain; track from Heaphy to Lewis Hut along the Heaphy river can be impassable when flooded, check in Heaphy Hut (heading east) or Lewis Hut (heading west)