Walk Details
NZ Walking Routes > Great Walks > Kahurangi National Park - Heaphy Track
Kahurangi National Park - Heaphy Track
- Location
The Heaphy Track, located in Kahurangi National Park at the north-west corner of the South Island, is the longest of the DOC Great Walks.
Click on the below sources for further details.
- Description
The Heaphy is steeped in history, from the first Maori who hunted moa and greenstone through the area, to the explorations from Europeans Charles Heaphy and Thomas Brunner in 1846 and subsequent travellers. The Heaphy has seen many great explorers around its many twist and turns.
The Heaphy Track came under close attention around the early 1970s when a proposed road along the track, to link the west coast town of Karamea and the Golden Bay town of Collingwood, created a heated national debate. Summer seasons around this time saw record numbers of people walking the track, and the huts filled and overflowing in some cases, as many people were eager to experience the stunning walk before the Road was put through.
Thankfully the conservationists won out and today there is no talk of roads, the booking system means no traveller is without a bed in the huts, and the modern day explorers have dehydrated meals in the place of roasted weka! For those with a desire they can even join a commercial trip, where their guide not only tells them the many stories of what they are walking through, but also prepares delicious fresh meals each day.
The Heaphy has a rich variety of birds, from the Great Spotted Kiwi, (which can be heard calling in the evenings at most of the huts), to the reclusive Blue Duck, Rock Wren, and Native Falcon to name just a few. If you are lucky you may even find a giant Powelliphanta (Land Snail). These ancient snails are not only beautiful creatures (often their shells look as if they are varnished and in some cases the shells can measure up to 9cm across!) they are also endemic to New Zealand found no where else in the world.
The Heaphy is the most diverse track in New Zealand, with the flora ranging from Beech forest, to sub alpine downs, to giant Podocarp forest and finally the stunning coastal section. If you are a fanatical hiker or only wish to do one walk in New Zealand, either way this should be at the top of your list.
- Distance
- 82.0 km
- Level
- Medium
- Amenities
-
- Benches
- Birds
- Camping
- Fishing
- Historical
- Huts
- Plant Life
- Toilets
- Tramping
- Source
- www.SouthernWilderness.com www.doc.govt.nz
- Discussion
- Start a discussion on this walk