The Heaphy Track is the longest of all the Great Walks (well, the ones you actually walk, one of the nine is a canoe journey masquerading as a walk) at just under 79km, and so some planning and logistics are involved. It's a one way track, but you can walk it in either direction, and there are a few ways of doing it depending on how quickly you want to go.
This blog outlines the things you need to know to hike the track, if you'd like to hear more about our personal experience read this post.
Everything you need to know about the Heaphy Track
What is the Heaphy Track?
The Heaphy Track is a 78.4km one way walk on the north-western part of the South Island of New Zealand. This trail can be done in between 4 to 6 days (although some like to challenge themselves and run it in a day!). The trail runs between Golden Bay and Karamea on the West Coast.
It is also a Great Walk that also include the option to mountain bike the trail between 1st May until 30th November. Also keep an eye out for the endangered Takahe that were reintroduced to the area in 2018.
Difficulty & distances
Our expectations
Before arriving in New Zealand, we had low expectations for the Heaphy Track. Dwarfed by the other famous Great Walks like the Milford Track, Tongariro, Routeburn and Abel Tasman, the Heaphy was a hike we thought might not have the same wow factor.
However, as soon as we arrived and talked to New Zealanders, we found that the Heaphy was a lot of their favourite of the Great Walks. This is primarily because the landscapes are incredibly diverse and it's a lot quieter than many of the others.
There are also very limited day walk options, so it's likely that you'll rarely see another person during Great Walk Season (30th October - 1st May). Post Great Walks season the track is also open to mountain bikers, which I have to say I wouldn't enjoy so much. The paths can be quite narrow in places and it wouldn't be much fun to jump out of the way of cyclists.
The hike takes in mountains, forests, tussocked plains, tropical palm trees, rivers and wild west coast beaches. What's not to like?
Heaphy Track Elevation & Difficulty
The information below describes the elevation and difficulty if you are starting from Brown Hut in Golden Bay and finishing at Kohaihai.
The track map makes the Heaphy Track look pretty steep, however the elevation is spread out over quite large distances.
Despite the first day climbing over 800 metres, the track is never very steep. Similarly day two and three are pretty flat and straightforward, with day four having a couple of small climbs.
Source: Department of Conservation, New Zealand
Overall the Heaphy Track is quite tiring if you hike it over four days, purely because of the long distances involved.
If you chose to hike this in six days, then it would be a lot easier and manageable for just about anyone, as long as you can manage the fairly long first and final day which cannot be shortened (unless you camp).
Heaphy Track Distances
Depending on how many days you hike, the Heaphy Track days can either be very long or fairly inline with the other Great Walks of New Zealand. We chose to hike the four day version and found day two, three and four pretty tiring, averaging over 20km per day with heavy packs on.
All hikers have to hike from Brown Hut to Perry Saddle (17.5km), but you can half the distance you hike on day two and three by stopping at the other huts overnight. The Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai shelter leg cannot be shortened if using the hut system, though there was an additional campsite on this leg.
Huts, camping & booking your hike
Heaphy Track Booking
Booking the Heaphy Track is pretty straight forward as it rarely sells out. When we hiked it in March the huts were less than half full, with some people booking the day before they hiked. However, this is different in peak season such as the Christmas/New Year holidays, so it pays to book in advance if you can, especially if you have set dates in mind.
It’s worth noting that the track is also open to mountain bikers between 1st May and 30th November. Personally we wouldn’t like to walk the track during this time as in parts it can be narrow and we wouldn’t enjoy wondering whether a bike was going to come hurtling round the corner.
Hut & Campsite fees
Bookings are required for huts and campsites year round, but the prices change.
There are 4 seasons for booking huts, each with a different price for NZ residents and international visitors. It can be quite complicated, so we recommend checking DOC’s page all about the Heaphy Track to see the rates for when you are visiting. Scroll down to the “fees and bookings” to see the latest prices.
Camping is more straightforward with two seasons, but prices still vary for NZ residents and international visitors. Like the huts, we recommend checking DOC’s page all about the Heaphy Track to see the rates for when you are visiting. Scroll down to the “fees and bookings” to see the latest prices.
Heaphy Track Huts
There are seven huts on the Heaphy Track that vary in comfort level. The newest (and best) are the ones recommended by DOC: Perry's Saddle, James MacKay and Heaphy. These all have bunk rooms that are separate from the living areas, are supplied with gas cookers and are more comfortable.
Heaphy Hut: one of the new huts on the track
They even had pots and pans you could use, which is something we haven't found on any other Great Walk track. James Mackay and Heaphy have flush toilets, while Perry's Saddle had long drop toilets that were a minute walk away from the main hut.
The bunkroom at James Mackay Hut, one of the newer huts
The other huts (Brown, Gouland Downs, Saxon and Lewis) are a little more rustic. Brown and Gouland Downs (where in the latter you might spot blue duck if you are lucky in the evening) are simply a single room with cooking facilities close to the bunks, whereas Saxon and Lewis have two very cosy bunkrooms that are separate from the main cooking/living room.
Our favourite of these huts on peeking inside was Saxon. It had a rustic charm to it and those we met who stayed in it really enjoyed it.
Gouland Downs Hut: one of the older huts on the track
Heaphy Track Transport
Transport is the hardest logistical part of the Heaphy Track as the beginning and end are 450km apart by road. We chose to use the Heaphy Track Help, who offers a car relocation service to ensure that we had our vehicle waiting for us at Kohaihai Shelter.
This costs $515 NZD as we walked from Kohaihai to Brown, but it can cost a lot less if he's got a car that needs relocating in the other direction ($465). When we did the walk, Heaphy Help was ran by Derry, who is a bit of a local legend. Since doing the hike, Derry sold the business and is currently owned by John and Rachel a British family that has taken up continuing this great service.
There are two other alternatives. There is a bus that runs to both ends of the track from Nelson. This is by far the cheapest option (NZ$235 return), however you will have to sit on a bus for five hours after hiking for four days continuously!
They also leave at a fixed time, making the final day a little rushed. The only way of avoiding this is to drive your car to Kohaihai Shelter and then take the bus to Nelson and then another bus to Brown Hut (sounds tedious to us, but does mean you can be flexible on the hike itself and not feel rushed).
The other option is to fly! This is one of the quickest options available, but it can be pricey. Most people we met using this option used Golden Bay Air and said the flight was beautiful. There is a 15kg max baggage allowance, but hopefully you aren't carrying more than this or the walk will be a lot harder!
You will still need a transfer by mini bus from the airport at Karamea or Takaka which the same company will run for you. Flights depart from Nelson or Wellington.
What to pack for the Heaphy Track
We have published a comprehensive Great Walks Packing List to ensure you have all you need. However, you don’t need to bring toilet paper as it is supplied throughout the hike (even in the dunnies).
Food
A hike on the Heaphy Track will be at least four days long, so you will need a decent amount of food. As a couple we were able to pack meals between the two of us: pesto pasta, instant mash with freeze dried veg and a couple of freeze dried meals. This helped to keep the weight down and ensure we had energy from our dinners.
For breakfast we tended to have cereal bars, but we found that this often left us hungry quite quickly and didn't provide enough energy. Packing muesli or porridge would be a more sensible idea.
For lunches we had some bread rolls, nuts, raisins and a couple of small treats. We've found that on the trails we don't tend to eat much for lunch, leaving our feasts for the evening!
Don't forget tea and coffee as we did on one hike, we really missed it!
A way of purifying your water
Update for 2024: You may need a way to purify your water as we’ve been told that there have been reports of traces of giardia, please check in the “know before you go section” on the DOC website about the latest conditions.
This can be done by bringing your water to a rolling boil for a minute (and then allowing it to cool), some form of filter or purification tablets.
How to plan the other Great Walks
North Island
South Island
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The Heaphy Track is the one of the longest of the Great Walks of New Zealand, so a little planning can make a huge difference to how much you enjoy this track. Here's our guide to everything you need to know before hiking the Heaphy Track.