Planning a tramp on the Heaphy Track

 Is this the most difficult Great Walk to organise???

One of the Great Walks I will be undertaking this season is the Heaphy Track. I have already walked the Heaphy back in the early 1990's but never from start to finish in one trip so I thought I would have a go at getting a booking and have at it... 

Brown Hut...first hut on the Heaphy Track...

The Heaphy Track is located in the NW corner of the South Island in Kahurangi National Park. It is 87 kilometers long and takes 4-5 days if walking or 2-3 days if you are riding a MTB. You can walk the track in either direction but I am walking north to south. The northern terminus is at Brown Hut inland from Collingwood and the track finishes on the West Coast at Kohaihai 15 kilometers outside of Karamea. 

The bridge over the Kohaihai River on the West Coast

Along the way you will experience classic New Zealand scenery...waterfalls, rivers, dense semi tropical bush, massive tussock plateaus, a Nikau Palm forest, long stony beach walks and the wild Tasman Sea. You are likely to see a bounty of native birds including Takahe, Kiwi, Kaka and Kahurangi NP is home to Giant Weta and Giant Land Snails.

The Heaphy Track starts inland from Collingwood

The Heaphy Track is arguably the most difficult Great Walk to organise so lets have a look at how you go about planning a tramp on this iconic track.

How to book the Heaphy Great Walk track...

There are a number of steps you need to go through to organise a jaunt along the Heaphy Track...

Research the trip:

The first step is to research the be-jesus out of the trip you are planning. You need to find out about: the difficulty of the track, hut/campsite availability, tide charts for the walk from Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai,  transport options, track safety hazards, accommodation requirements before/after the trip etc. etc.

Elevation profile of the Heaphy Track

You need to know all of the relevant information BEFORE you book your hut/campsite tickets so that you are walking the track on the right day, right month & in the right conditions. You can never do too much research.....and always remember the 6 P's: Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.


Also keep the MSC Outdoor Safety Code  in mind while planning:

Plan your trip
Tell someone your plans
Be aware of the weather
Know your limits
Take sufficient supplies

I will generally start my research with the DOC brochure about the particular Great Walk and also peruse the DOC website. Then I check other online sites, route guides and books about that particular track. I will also talk to other people about the track as you often get great information from fellow trampers that you will never find in a guidebook. One of my work colleagues walked the Heaphy last year so had some real pearls to share..

The DOC Heaphy Track Brochure....

Most of my information will come from the Internet but I do have an extensive collection of tramping books, magazines and other information. I have several good guides specifically about walking the Great Walk tracks. It also helps that I am a librarian who works in a library full of books on outdoor recreation....massive job perks yeah!!! 

Great Walks of New Zealand by Craig Potton...just one of my extensive library of tramping books

You can also check out the Mountain Safety Council (MSC) guide to planning a multi-day tramp. Once you have enough information you can decide if this is the trip for you...

Is this the tramp for you?

You actually have to ask yourself this question...is the Heaphy Track the right tramp for me?

While the Heaphy Track is a Great Walk it is also considered a intermediate track...it has long climbs, long walking days, river crossings, exposed sections, tidal zones and safety hazards. It is also the longest of the Great Walks by nearly 20 kilometers and there are zero bail out options once you get to the Gouland Downs...you would need to walk to one of the ends to leave this track!

At high tide the track from Kohaihai to Heaphy Hut can be submerged...

You have to seriously ask yourself if you and your tramping companions will have the skills, mental and physical stamina needed to finish this track. If you have any doubt as to the tracks suitability perhaps you should look elsewhere. The nearby Abel Tasman is a much easier tramp with lovely scenery, easy access and water-taxis to take you back to Marahau or Kaiteriteri if things go wrong. 

Abel Tasman NP: golden sandy beaches, warm weather and easier tracks...

If you still want to go visit the Heaphy Track move onto the next step...booking your hut/campsite spots...

Booking the Heaphy Track on the Great Walk system:

The next step is to book the hut/campsites you will use each night while on track. All huts/campsites on the Heaphy Track must be pre-booked right through the year. MTB riders are allowed to use the track from May through November and must book huts if they are going to use them. 

You will meet MTB riders from May to November...

During the summer there will be DOC Rangers at the huts and they will charge you double the price if you do not have a booking.

Those penalty rates are two times the normal rate...

You can camp outside of the official campsites in Kahurangi National Park BUT you must be at least 500 meters away from any track. This might have you camping in super dense bush, on the side of a hill, in a highly exposed location or in a fragile environment. To all intents and purposes this means you cannot freedom camp and it would be environmentally questionable to do so. 

But if you must...

...not a lot of low visibility spots to camp on the Heaphy Track...

Be aware there is a differential pricing regime for the Great Walks for domestic and international visitors. It was a trial scheme for 2018/2019/2020 but as we all know once a new fee or tax is introduced it is never going away!

The fee regime for the 2021/2022 season has differential pricing but the difference between the two groups is less than in previous years. The adult international rate is 1.5 times the rate for New Zealanders and international children pay 50% of the international adult rate. 

The DOC information about the differential price regime for Great Walks

If you are a Kiwi expect to pay from $32-$37 per hut night & $16 per campsite, children under 18 are free but still require a booking. International visitors get a reaming on most Great Walks not so much on the Heaphy...you can expect to pay from $28 for a child under 18 years and $56 per night for an adult. You might think this is expensive but you would be paying $110 per night on the Milford Track... 

DOC Great Walk hut pricing for the 2021/2022 season...

You can see how much each of the Great Walks cost for accommodation on their Great Walk pricing page...

DOC Great Walk campsite pricing for 2021/2022 season

To book the huts etc. you go to the DOC hut booking website set up a DOC account and search for your track of choice. You will need to set up an account with DOC if you do not have one, as the hut bookings are linked to it. Go to the new customer page, fill in the details and submit. Your account needs to be open for the hut booking to work.

DOC account set up page

Next select the Great Walk you wish to walk and fill in all the relevant information about number of nights (days on the track), number of people, start date, accommodation date and direction if required. The Heaphy Track can be walked over four or five days so take this into account when making your booking. 

Check your details, pay for your hut/campsite stay and woo-hoo...you are booked to walk that track.

DOC hut booking system, with a setting for the Great Walks

It is not as easy as I might make it sound...most of the prime summer spots (January-February) went in the first 10 minutes once booking opened, the system was overloaded so it crashed and chaos ensued. I had to change my dates three times before I managed to secure hut bookings that worked for me... In a few words...it was bloody awful.!

Have a good stiff drink before attempting it...you are going to need it!

Transport to-from the track ends:

Booking the huts and campsites on this track are not that difficult (in the greater scheme of things...the DOC Great Walk booking system is a pig to use...). The difficulty lies in transport to and from the track ends..they are over 700 km's apart!!! 

It requires a lot of time, effort, money and a seriously steaming brain to work out a tenable transport plan. I am an experienced trip planner but even I almost gave up at one stage.

Here are a couple of options...

Option 1: Drive yourself...

You can just drive to one of the track ends and start walking...but what do you do when you get to the other end of the track?

The bridge over the Brown River..start of the Heaphy Track

For larger groups you could split up and start at both ends of the track and arrange to exchange keys at a point along the track. That way you would have a car waiting for you at the end of your tramp. Of course this requires multiple groups walking the track in opposite directions over the same couple of days.

 If you do this I would plan to exchange keys at Saxon Hut as it is roughly half way from both track ends...James McKay would also suffice. If you plan to exchange keys bring two sets with you incase one set goes missing. 

Saxon Hut...a good place to exchange keys...

 Another possibility is a car transfer between the two track ends..there are several businesses who will pick your car up and drive it to the other end of the track for you. It is awesomely expensive at around $400 + petrol but it is the most straight forward plan as you just drive to one track end and drive away from the other. 

The start of the Heaphy Track near Brown Hut

This is probably your best option if you have squillions of dollars and don't mind your car sitting at a very remote track end for 4-5 days. You will also need to make sure someone is available to transfer your car before you start the tramp. Note there is a ford just before Brown Hut which is sometimes too deep to ford...bear this in mind if using this option.

Option 2: Get someone to drive you...

That is a good idea and if you have someone in your life who is willing to spend time driving you too or from the end of the track then you are very lucky. Brown Hut is accessed from Collingwood in Golden Bay and Kohaihai is accessed from Karamea. Both are at the extreme end of remote road trips...

The car park at the Brown Hut end of the Heaphy Track

Unfortunately not many of us are that lucky...hey I would probably do it for a friend or family member but I'm a bit of a nut. If this is an option for you it would be better to get your loved ones to collect you from one of the track ends and work out some other way to get to the start of your tramp...

Option 3: Take a bus/shuttle to the track...

This sounds like a winning ide but in reality it is really difficult to use public transport to access the Heaphy Track. Let me explain...

The Heaphy Track has an entrance at Brown Hut near Collingwood and another at Kohaihai just north of Karamea on the West Coast. The track itself is not a circuit...there are over 700 kilometers separating the two track ends. This means you need one ride to Brown Hut and another from Kohaihai. It is far easier to get to Brown Hut but it is really difficult to get from Karamea to anywhere with useful transport links. 

It is over 700 km's between the two track ends...

The nearest moderate sized town on the West Coast is Westport which has public transport links to other regional and main centers. Unfortunately it is nearly 200 km's away from Karamea..! There used to be buses that travelled to Karamea daily BUT the dearth of tourists on the West Coast has killed off most of the transport services that existed prior to 2020. 

The Kohaihai Campsite is at the West Coast end of the track...

There is scheduled transport to the Brown Hut end of the track on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the Heaphy Bus or as part of  an organised trip with Trek Express.  Both of these are run by the same company and will pick up trampers from any of the scheduled stops along the route. Golden Bay Coachlines also run buses to both ends of the track although they are not a daily service either. Seats are generally limited so you need to book a seat on the shuttle at the same times as booking the huts/campsites. 

Golden Bay Coachlines run shuttles to both ends of the Heaphy Track

Currently there are scheduled bus services from Kohaihai on Monday and Sunday or by demand if enough people want transport on a given day. It takes 4-5 days to walk the track so potentially you are sitting in Karemea for 2-4 days waiting for transport out to Westport. 

The bus runs more frequently over summer but it is still not a daily service. The twice weekly service from Karamea goes all the way back to Nelson and you can leave the bus anywhere along the route. 

It is five hours walk from Brown Hut to Perry Saddle Hut

Have a look at the various company websites to see what services they have and when they are available. 

Option 4: Fly to the track...

Some well heeled trampers will book a flight on the local air service that flies between Takaka and Karamea. Golden Bay Air offer flights to the Karamea end of the track and they can also arrange land transport back to Takaka if that suits your plans. 

Golden Bay Air fly around the Golden Bay/Tasman regions

There are no scheduled flights between Karamea and Takaka they are by demand only and require a minimum of four people before they go ahead. They will try to slip you into a group that is flying between the track ends but there must be space available. I suppose you could charter the whole plane but you would probably be talking about $600-$800..

Karamea is the closest West Coast town to the Heaphy Track

You could start off in Takaka fly to Karamea and walk to Brown Hut then catch a bus/shuttle back to Takaka. This would mean driving to Takaka and leaving your car there for several days. 

 Alternately you can take a bus to Brown Hut...walk the track and then fly back to Takaka. This is possibly the better option as it negates the need for a bus ride from Brown Hut to Takaka and makes your plan less complex.

 

Takaka is a small rural service center for Golden Bay

You are looking at $200 NZD to $400 NZD per person for a flight/shuttle package depending on how full the plane is...the more people the less it costs.

Getting to Nelson/Westport:

The two regional towns closest to the ends of the Heaphy Track are Nelson (Golden Bay) and Westport (West Coast). These would seem to be the best locations to base your plans around as both have multiple land and air transport options.

If you are in Nelson go visit Miyazu Gardens...

Since Covid rolled into town in early 2020 there is no easy way to get from Christchurch to Nelson on a bus or shuttle. Intercity used to have a direct service to Nelson but that stopped just after the Covid lockdown. What remains is a combination of different companies covering different sections of the route. 

Since Covid arrived there is no longer a Intercity route from Picton to Nelson...

You would need to catch a Intercity bus or KiwiRail train to Blenheim/Picton and then transfer to one of the shuttle services that go to Nelson. They are not interconnecting trips so you would need to stay in Blenheim/Picton for a night and then get on the shuttle the next day. If you are coming from the North Island you can catch the ferry and then connect with the shuttles in Picton. 

Picton...gateway to the Marlborough Sounds

It is probably easier to just fly to Nelson from one of the main centers and stay in Nelson for the night before catching the shuttle service to the track entrance at Brown Hut. There are limited flights to Nelson so early booking is a must. I know there are direct flights from Christchurch, Wellington, Blenheim and Auckland. 

In the forest along the Heaphy Track

 Westport is on the route from Karamea used by the Heaphy Bus, Golden Bay Coachlines and Trek Express so you might be able to get to Nelson on one of those services. From Westport you can catch the East-West Shuttle to Christchurch it leaves at 7 am in the morning so you are looking at an over night stay in Westport. There is also a shuttle service from Westport to Greymouth further down the West Coast...

View up the West Coast from near Westport

 

Westport does have a small regional airport so it is possible to catch a flight back to Nelson, Christchurch or Wellington from there.

Book off track accommodation:

So you have arranged transport to the trail town at the start/end of your Great Walk...do you need accommodation before or after you walk the track?

If you are like me you are probably travelling some distance to the start of the track so it is likely you will need to stay somewhere once you arrive. You may need to stay somewhere after finishing the tramp as well. There are multiple options in both Golden Bay and on the West Coast...

 

Nelson is a moderately big city with many accommodation options...

I find that the accommodation in Great Walk trail towns will quickly fill up once hut bookings for the tracks open. You need to book any accommodation at the same time as you book the tracks. I try to conserve money...I don't mind slumming it a bit if it will save me a lot of cash on accommodation. Look at campgrounds (they often have cheap cabins etc.), YHA hostels, backpacker hostels and motels.

There is a YHA in Westport...

Generally booking direct will be cheaper than using Expedia/Trivago or a similar service but check and compare prices to get the best deal. Some of the providers have limited services because of Covid so you might need to shop around a bit to find somewhere to stay...

Takaka has a number of options...including the Golden Bay Motel

For the Heaphy Track stay in Nelson, Motueka or Takaka and catch one of the shuttles which go to the track end at Brown Hut. There are multiple companies running shuttle services from Nelson to Brown Hut and they stop at most of the larger towns along the way including Motueka, Marahau, Takaka and Collingwood. 

There are a couple of accommodation options in Collingwood...

On the West Coast you would stay in Westport, Little Whanganui or Karamea all of which have a variety of accommodation services. Remember it is 15 kilometers from Karamea to Kohaihai and the start of the Heaphy Track so plan to take a shuttle to the track end. Some of the accommodation providers in Karamea offer a shuttle to the track. 

Chain providers like Bella Vista (Westport) sometimes have deals...

It is nice to have an extra day at the trail town at the start/end of your trip..hey this might be the only time you are here so why not give yourself enough time to check out the local sights.

Karamea River Motels is an option in Karamea township...

 

I can recommend Nelson, Takaka and Collingwood as good places to visit in the Tasman region. Karamea has several good short tracks nearby and it has a river and beach to explore and Takaka has a real hippy groove to it. There are a number of arty shops and whole food cafes there.

Organise your gear:

From experience I can tell you that you don't need any specialist gear for walking the Heaphy Track...your standard multiday tramping load will suffice. There are a couple of things I would recommend though:

My standard Great Walk load out...

• the track is quite rough and rocky in places so you might want to think about wearing tramping boots and not outdoor shoes. Cloth boots would be better than leather with a good semi rigid sole so the rocks don't hurt your feet. Really your footwear is up to you...if you prefer shoes wear them...personally I am a boot guy.
• a set of trekking poles would be useful for the uphill and down hill sections
• there is usually good weather in Kahurangi NP over the summer but this is the West Coast so a good wet weather jacket would be a plus. You might not need it but if it rains...well...!!!
• bring a set of wet weather trousers..it takes multiple hours to cross Gouland Downs and you are exposed to the elements the whole way. They will also help in the leg wetting forest if it has been raining.
• bring both a good sun hat and a warm hat...four seasons in one day is not uncommon on the West Coast
• take some insect repellant!!! The sandflies at Heaphy Hut were some of the worse I have ever encountered anywhere in New Zealand...they are big...they are vicious...they are hungry!!!

Food...fuel to keep you going!

 You cannot buy food on any of the Great Walks..we are simple folks down here in Kiwiland and selling food items let along hot meals is just something we do not do. You will need breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks for each of the days you are walking. Make sure you take the right kind of food and enough to see you through to the end of the track. 

The four days food I took on the Kepler Track in March 2021

Take an extra days food in case you get stuck somewhere especially on this track. The Heaphy Track will sometimes get big storms rolling in off the Tasman Sea with little warning and a day at a hut with no vittles is not a fun experience...

...I had crackers, salami sticks and cheese for lunch...

The food goes into its own separate dry sack...

Remember food is the fuel that keeps you moving when you are tramping. A couple of days of hard physical activity is not the time for your trendy keto diet....eat large & eat well to keep yourself going.

Here are a couple of other things to consider:

• Do take an extra days food as people often get stuck in Great Walk huts due to weather or other natural hazards. It is no fun facing a forced hut rest day if you are hungry...trust me I know!
• All food should be lightweight, compact, easy to prepare and wholesome...you need a mix of carbohydrates, protein, sugars, fats and oils for good health and energy.
• Don't take too much food...it is super heavy. A good average is between 600-750gms of food per person/per day. 
• keep hydrated....drink water often and in volume. Generally the water available in the huts and shelters can be used without treatment but I'm cautious so I always use chlorine tablets. I would rather drink weird tasting water than catch a bug. Fill your water bottle(s) every chance you get...
• don't forget to take tea, coffee, fruit juice powders etc. Drinking a lot of unflavored water gets tedious and its always nice to have a delicious brew when you get to the hut
• Alcohol is allowed in DOC huts but don't get carried away. The other people sharing the hut with you do not want to deal with your drunken antics. Wine is good...and Stones Green Ginger Wine
• if you can stomach them, freeze dried meals are custom made for a Great Walk. Quick, light, tasty and easy to make. You can take fresh food if you are willing to carry the weight...your choice!

Outdoor Gourmet: Venison and Rice Noodle Stirfry...very tasty freeze dried meal!!

If you require additional information have a look at my post about food for a four day tramp, check the internet (lots of information) or look on the MSC and DOC websites.

So Jon...what is your plan?

Good question...it is worth looking at my plan for walking the Heaphy Track to see how this all works out. I had to draw a diagram of my transport plan as it is so complicated and I didn't want to miss anything out...

Here is my personal Heaphy Track planner....

First off Karen and I are heading over to the West Coast for another camper van holiday in late August and heading up to Karamea for a day or two. Karen has never been there and I thought it would be a good opportunity to recce the route and to show her where Kohaihai is. Hopefully we can get in some walks while in the local area...

We have booked a Britz Venturer for our August holiday...

I will be flying to Nelson on Monday the 30th November and staying there for two days before my tramp. This also gives me an extra day in case something happens to my flight and I have to go on the day before my tramp starts. You cannot carry canisters of gas or any type of lighter, matches, fire starter etc. on a domestic flight so I will need to buy these in Nelson. I will also be buying my fresh food like salami, cheese, bread, mandarins etc. for my trip. 

Map of Nelson showing the YHA Nelson, supermarket and I-Site bus stop

I have booked into the Nelson YHA in a single person bedroom and my room has a refrigerator for my fresh goods but I will need to use the communal showers and kitchen while I am there. The room cost $75 dollars per night which I think is pretty good all things considered. There is a Countdown supermarket 200 meters away from the YHA and the bus stop for the shuttle to Brown Hut is only 200 meters away. 

The YHA Nelson I will be staying in...

I have booked myself onto the Heaphy Bus on the morning of Wednesday 2nd December it is a four hour trip and I expect to be at Brown Hut and the start of the track around 12 noon. From Brown Hut it is is a five hour and 17 kilometer slog up to Perry Saddle but after that the track is a lot flatter. 

I'm booked onto the Heaphy Bus....

I am walking the Heaphy Track from Wednesday 2nd December to Sunday 7th December or over five days. I will be staying at Perry Saddle Hut, Gouland Downs Hut, James McKay Hut and Heaphy Hut along the way. I thought this was the best spread of huts for my requirements. I would have liked to start on the Monday but all of the hut places were taken by the time I finally managed to get the DOC booking system working. 

Aorere Shelter is on the way to Perry Saddle Hut

I am very lucky in that Karen my partner is coming to collect me from the Kohaihai end of the track on the Sunday. We will stay somewhere on the Coast on Sunday night and we will be driving back to Christchurch on Monday the 8th December. I am fully appreciative of the fact that she is doing me a massive favor collecting me and I see massive quantities of Lego's coming her way as recompense

Looking out over the Gouland Downs...

Chaos will ensue if any single step of this plan fails which is why I drew a diagram of it before starting to book huts, flights, rides and accommodation. I have triple checked all of the bookings so hopefully everything will work out ok...

Now I just have to wait for December...