Being resident in Nelson, I have walked the Heaphy Track half a dozen times over the years and experienced some Little Adventures.
The first time was a solo tramp during the August university holidays, when I had to walk the 15 km from Karamea to the start of the track, because no vehicles passed on the unsealed road. Then another dusty 15 km as I made my way past Brown Hut towards Collingwood.
The second time, I walked with my brother and a friend down the coastline from Kahurangi Lighthouse to the Heaphy River. A massive adventure with bush-bashing through Olearia leatherwood scrub, dashing through two seal colonies, a crayfish feast, and seeing the Korean fishing boat perched high on the beach. I remember that despite our considerable tramping experience, we got lost near Monument Creek in waist-deep flood conditions, long before it became a Great Walk.
Years later, I branched off to try to go up the coastline to emulate that earlier coastal walk, albeit in the opposite direction. I didn’t get far due to the lunchtime high tides, meaning it wasn’t possible to just skip along the rocks beneath the cliffs. I couldn’t even cross the Heaphy River until after lunch.
More recently, I’ve eluded the hut wardens when coming up to the track from Kahurangi Lighthouse via the Ministry of Works hut.
I’ve even just done a usual three-night zip through a couple of times.
This time, it was a long-planned trip with my sister, D, and her husband, Z.
The day prior, a car breakdown on Takaka Hill slowed our progress to accommodation at Pohara, but a resourceful Takaka AA mechanic and a few cable ties resolved that. An operational accelerator cable proved useful.
They would have five-star tramping luxury in the huts, while I chose the freedom of a tent.
Rather than off-season, this was mid-summer.
February should have lovely settled summer weather, right?
