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An early start with a pick up by K Bus at 7.05 to take us out to the start of the track. Stood outside the hostel with about 40 other people, fortunately they were with Kiwi Experience on another bus, but there was another group of 5 who got on with us.
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With the sun rising and clear skies we made our way out to Motueka on the road that we had travelled in on two days previous.
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From Motueka we then drove over the hills to Takaka and up to Collingwood were we headed up the Aorere River to the start of the trail.
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Maori Trails
The first people to walk in this area were Maori, travelling the treacherous coastline in search of food, on journeys of trade or going to war. A coastal trail from Pakawau to Karamea was well known amongst Maori, as was an inland route from the Aorere.
In 1846 Kehu of the Ngati Taumata Kokiri tribe confidently lead European explorers Charles Heaphy and Thomas Brunner down the rugged coastline from the Wanganui inlet. He told stories of an inter-tribal battle at Otukoroiti Point and of Maori taking revenge on an unfortunate sealing party at the mouth of Toropuihi Creek, just north of the Whakapoai (Heaphy River) the travellers climbed a 200m hill to avoid a steep headland, from there Kehu pointed out a route through the mountains that Maori used to reach the coast from Taitapu (Golden Bay).
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Trail to Track
No European set foot on the inland trail until 1859, when a goldminer named Aldridge and his 'mate' crossed from Aorere to the coast. One year later Collingwood goldfields warden James Mackay crossed the other way. He returned with a party of men to blaze the first track in 1862. Upgrading to pack track standard for use by prospectors began in 1866, but regrowth and landslips posed a constant problem. By 1893 when the trail was finally benched to the coast, the rush for gold had waned but interest in the area's scenic and wildlife values was established. The Gouland Downs Scenic Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary was created as early as 1917.With the establishment of the North-west Nelson Forest Park in 1965 the New Zealand Forest Service cleared the track built huts and bridged major rivers. Over the years, amid repeated calls for a Collingwood to Karamea road, the Heaphy Track has been improved. It now ranks as one of New Zealand's great tramping tracks, passing through our second largest national park.
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Left the trail head at Brown Hut at 11.50. The track was well formed having in the past been a pack track. The gradient was also modest at around an almost constant 1 in 20. To maintain this the track was cut into the side of the steep valleys. The track for the whole of the day was within forest of red and silver beech with rimu, rata and other native species. Ferns and moss formed the undergrowth.
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Stopped for 15 minutes for lunch and another 15 minutes for a break when we reached Aorere Shelter.
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At 3.30 we reached Flanagans Corner the highest point on the track at 910m. To one side was a lookout over the valley which occupied us for 10 minutes. As we walked on patches of red from the flowers of the rata appeared through the forest.
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By 4.10 we had reached the Perry Saddle Hut. Nearby was a stream with a pool where we were able to enjoy a bathe.
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In the evening, as we sat in the hut, we had a visit from a couple of kea and a weka.
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Set off at 7.45 with the sun still low in the sky throwing long and deep shadows. The track passed gently down through a shaded avenue of beech until we reached open downs of the Perry Saddle, with tussock and sub-alpines with manuka mixed in, ..
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Passed by a post to which boots were tied, seemed a strange place to be abandoning a pair of boots - half-way along a track.
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Walked down into the Cave Brook Valley and over the bridge to arrive at the small Gouland Hut at 9.15. Sat around for 10 minutes before continuing on over Shiner River, Big River and Weka Creek.
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The main activity on the track seemed to be ditching, digging out the ditch and throwing the mud onto the path to build it up.
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Climbed up through a beech wood to reach Saxon Hut at 10.30.
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Sat around for 20 minutes and then we were on our way again crossing the Saxon River and Blue Duck Creek and continued to climb through native broad leaf for 50 minutes. At last we got our first glimpse of the Tasman Sea in the far distance.
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The track narrowed down to a path that was in excellent condition, crossing through downs of red tussock and sub-alpines set between a series of large rolling hills. An area ecologically known as 'North-west Nelson oeneplain'. A unique landform representing what New Zealand was like 60 million years ago. Stream with names like Blue Shirt Creek, Monument Creek and Deception Creek ran off to make their way to the Heaphy and the sea.
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Large black dragoon flies flitted around the vegetation. A cool southerly wind tempered the heat of the sun.
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Finally at 1.35 we were relieve and surprised, given the timing we were advised it would take, to reached Mackay Hut. From the hut we were able to see all the way down to the Heaphy Estuary and the sea.
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The afternoon was spent most pleasantly sitting on the veranda chatting and comparing the political ineptitutes of both British and New Zealand governments.
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After such clear blue skies of previous days we were surprised to find the weather had turned and the sky had become grey and overcast, the air was humid.
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Set off at 7.40 to start our walk down through initially beech forest but changing later to one more typical of the western coast rain forest with rimu and nikau. Small streams ran off to the left down into the Heaphy River.
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A couple of light showers stopped us from getting too complacent but were not heavy enough to make us put on our rain gear.
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Through the trees the yellow sands of the Heaphy Estuary came into view below us. We mistook the sign for the Lewis Hut and realised that we had by-passed it when we arrived at the Lewis River. Crossed on the swing bridge and then at 10.25 over the Heaphy River at by the same means. A heavy 15 minute shower forced us to get out our panchos. But soon the sun was trying to break through without success.
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Continued along the left bank of the Heaphy, the sound of the surf becoming louder with every step. At 12.20 the rain falling heavily we walked into Heaphy Hut.
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As the afternoon progressed the weather dried and the sun came out so we were able to take a walk down to the beach to watch the waves breaking on the shore and the eddying currents as they forced their way back up the Heaphy estuary. All over the beach above the high tide mark were trees and branches washed up and dried out in the sun forming all imaginable shapes.
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As we lay in bed that night we heard the distinctive call of the morepork owl whose name is derived from what it seems to be saying.
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The day started with patchy cloud, the majority of which formed a band along the coast, where the sea spray was thowing up a mist.
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Set off at 7.25 on a path that would take us south following the shore. Sometimes in a forest of nikau palms, sometimes out in the open with green leafed bushes shaped by the wind into numerous topiary shapes. Sometimes we were actually on the beach and others we wandered inland a little. Driftwood that hadn't been able to find space at the estuary was piled up between the path and the beach. The sound of pounding waves filled our ears. Crawling along the path were a few giant carnivorous snails 'powelliphanta' looking for worms, these snails are usually nocturnal.
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Walked on reasonably level ground past Heaphy, Twenty Minute and Nettle Beaches until we reached Katipo Shelter at 9.00 and stopped for a snack. But within 15 minutes the sandflies drove us on past Twin, Koura and Big Rock Beaches until we came to Scotts Beach at 10.30. With plenty of time in hand, a comfortable log and few sandflies we stayed for nearly half an hour before setting off for our final climb up the saddle by Scotts Hill with a look-out back up the shore line along which we had walked.
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Coming down the other side we passed through the usual west coast rain forest. Cicada hissed and clicked like overworked garden sprinklers. Crossed the bridge over the Kohaihai River where shags were perched preparing to seek out their lunch.
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At 11.45 we reached the end of the track. The local taxi company had thoughtfully provided us with a telephone that we could use to call them up and so rather than wait for the 2 o'clock bus and be eaten alive in the mean time, as there were five of us, we phoned for a ride. By the time the taxi, in fact a minibus arrived at 12.20, all 13 of us walking out that day had arrived so the driver ended up with eight passengers, a family of five waiting for the next taxi.
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Topuni
Traditional Ngai Tahu tikanga (custom) enables a person of rangatira (chiefly) status to extend their mana (prestige) and protection over a person by covering them with their cloak. This concept also applies to land.
Topuni as we interpret the concept today, places protection over a chosen area of land. The existing status of the land remains. Topuni adds to the layers of respect we have for the land by ensuring that Ngai Tahu values are recognised acknowledged and provided for.
Topuni have been placed by Ngai Tahu over 14 prominent landscapes in the South Island including Kahurangi Point, which marks both the north-west boundary of Ngai Tahu land and the boundary of Kahurangi National Park, and Otukoroiti Point, an area of special memory as a place of intertribal warfare.
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Moa Hunters Camp
In 1961 two Canterbury archaeologists unearthed evidence of Maori occupation at the Whakapoai (Heaphy River) mouth. Remains included bird bones (including those of the smaller moa Anomolopteryx didiformis), shell dumps, oven stones, post holes and stone tools. Pounamu (greenstone) was found, some from as far away as from Milford Sound, and also obsidian from Tuhua (Mayor Island) in the Bay of Plenty, supporting traditions of early and widespread trade. The archaeologists concluded the site was 'Moa-hunter culture dated about 1500AD; this culture endured here longer than in other parts of New Zealand due to the isolation. Two more sites thought to be of the same age were discovered nearby.
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Heaphy Town
Between 1898 and 1909 proposals were put forward to create a town at the Heaphy River mouth. A rather ambitious plan in 1905 showed roads, school, cemetery and homestead sites. Poor access by both land and sea coupled with a lack of flat land discouraged a rush of applications.
Arrived at Karamea and the Last Resort hostel for the best accommodation we had had in New Zealand, though at NZ$75 for the room it was also the most expensive. We enjoyed ensuite facilities, tea making and the choice between a double bed and two singles. After four days tramping, standing under a good shower was ecstasy.
Once we were human again we dropped next door to a cafe for a snack lunch before taking a stroll to buy a couple of snacks and check out where we would go for our evening meal. In the end we settled on the Last Resort where we enjoyed a starter of grilled whitebait and a main course of turbot, a speciality of the west coast.
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