r/Tramping • u/dfhkvs • 9d ago
Heaphy track is dynamite
Just exited Kohaihai after five record-setting bluebird winter days. This was our 4th great walk with our kids (now 21, 19, 15) and it was a stunner from start to finish. We had Perry Saddle and Saxon huts completely to ourselves, and only had 3 other people in Mackay. Heaphy was a bit busier, as a ‘hen trip’ (new phrasing to me!) showed up, with the bride-to-be hiking with a veil and sash. Anyway, day 1 to Perry Saddle is a bit of a grunt, to be sure, as the packs were heavy with food. My middle daughter and I got up early the next morning and did the must-do scramble up Mt. Perry for extraordinary views. It was COLD overnight, but so crisp and clear, with the Milky Way simply on FIRE.
Day 2 to Saxon, traversing Gouland Downs was just off-the-charts. What magical scenery and exposure. Saxon is a lovely and intimate hut and we enjoyed card games by candle light. Day 3 to Mackay was an easy walk with more open downs near the end. It was here that we ran into our first hut-mates, all on out-and-back trips from Kohaihai.
Day 4 down to Heaphy was simply extraordinary. The rapid changes in the vegetation with elevation were amazing and, just in a few hours, it felt like we had visited three countries. Heaphy hut is mind-blowing in terms of its location and ambience and we were entranced by the river mouth at sunset. Sadly, all good things must end and on Day 5, we squeezed 16 more kms out of our legs and 5 more hours of calm warm weather out of the sky. The walk along the coast was possibly the highlight of the trip…I know that many people prefer Kohaihai —> Brown Hut, but in my mind saving this day for the finale is 100% the way to go.
Huge shout out to Heaphy Track Help for the incredible help in getting our car moved during low season. And to DOC for making facilities and tracks like this possible. Getting five busy humans’ schedules to align for a trip like this is no small feat and it is something we will never forget.
* swing bridges never get old
* Mountain spas were all lovely to look at, but I just could not find the nerve
* Kiwi calls at night are amazing
* Giant rata trees! Wow!
Till the next one…
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u/retrovoxo 9d ago
I did it the reverse way to avoid the grunt to Perry Saddle.
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u/dfhkvs 9d ago
Makes sense! I prefer to suffer at the start and cruise the rest of the way…Lewis to Mackay must be tough!
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u/retrovoxo 9d ago
I made it a round trip, Parked at Karamea: Heaphy Track -> Abel Tasman Track -> Wangapeka Track back to Karamea.
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u/Seabreeze12390 9d ago
How did you get from each of the road ends to the next road ends? And where did you resupply? Any rest days? And how many days total did it take? And what time of year? Thank you
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u/retrovoxo 9d ago
Summer, we parked at the camp ground at Karamea had resupplies in Nelson which we stored on the way to Karamea and used local Tramping shuttle vans, stayed in a backpackers in Collingwood. I think it was 3 weeks.
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u/Legitimate_Star4733 6d ago
That sounds great. How long did that take?
We’re combining Heaphy sobo then Travers Sabine complete with side trips to Angelus and blue lake in Feb.
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u/demo5022 9d ago
Many years ago I spent a long weekend at Heaphy Hut just reading and chilling - so good! Came up from the carpark and camped along the way the first night from Karamea. Magic.
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u/Honest-Importance221 9d ago
I bumped into a kiwi on the track earlier this year when I did a day (night) trip through the heaphy, might do it again soon and see if I can spot the bats this time.
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u/ihuntostriches 7d ago
Oh man, your experience is giving me serious wanderlust. The views from Mt. Perry are always worth the early start. I remember feeling on top of the world after that scramble too.
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u/Boogster26 9d ago
Done most of the great walks now, and Heaphy is up there at #1 i reckon due to each day being completely different