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Published: January 19th 2008
Us at 'Brown's Hut'
The start of the Heaphy TrackAlright folks, i know we haven't written in quite some time but it's only because we were preparing the best blog yet. We've just finished the Heaphy Track in the South Islands of New Zealand and had the greatest experience in doing so. Here's a little info on the tramp for the eager learners out there:
The Heaphy track is rated as one of the top ten great walks of new zealand. It covers 92km of the Kahurangi National Park. In order to get down to the start of the track, it took us 17 hours of bus rides and a four hour ferry ride...but it was worth it all the way. The track begins 30km out of the nearest town, Collingwood. The first day is the hardest because it leads directly up a moutain, and you camp at the very top. The weather is compelely eratic on the heaphy and it is very used to seeing rain. There are times in the year where the rain doesn't stop for three whole weeks. This is because of the fact that the heaphy is right on the western front of new zealand and all it gets is the storm weather that is
blewn in angrily over the ocean. Luckily, we got lucky and only saw one full day of rain...of course we're not couting the many nights it poured like hell, because we were cozy and dry in our tent.
The tramp was fantastic and we've written a quick but reliable itinerary of our days in the bush.
(Evan Writing)
Day 1: 17km, 5h, clear morning; cloudy afternoon (really cloudy).
We woke up with eager excitement to start the tramp we've been looking forward to for so long. Unfortunately, we awoke in Nelson which meant we had to hop on a bus at 6:35am and drive for 4 hours to the actual start of the track. It didn't really matter to us considering we'd spent the last two days traveling on buses and ferries to get to where we were. What the hell was four hours? Right? Wrong. We were a bit unfamiliar with the route that must be taken in order to get to the Heaphy. Our busdriver quickly warned all passengers who got car sick that it might be a bit of a tough ride. The road from Nelson to the Heaphy is renowned for having more turns
than any other in New Zealand. Apparently it has 365 turns; one for everyday of the year...yay! Not only are the turns menacing but the road descends through countless rolling mountains and you never feel like you're level or that the tires are aligned with the bus.
Anyway, after the amusing 4 hour bus ride from satan's lab, we arrived at 'Brown's Hut', the beginning of the Heaphy. We started off strong and kept on with ease. The track itself is very well maintained are rarely do you come across a tough spot to cross. Chris and I walked up and up and up through dark forest whilst every 15 minutes we had a beautiful view of the moutains we were about to be submerged in. We stopped on the side of the track after about 2 and half hours to eat our nutritious and filling meal of salami, cheese and 7 crackers (each). You'd be very surprised how much this meal can staisfy your aching stomach when it's in need. And believe me, our stomachs were in need. After lunch we walked upwards for another hour and a half until we arrive at Giligan's lookout. The lookout would have
been both awe-inspiring and relaxing if it weren't for the height we'd reached and the fact that we were engulfed in clouds. So, barely being able to see further than twenty feet infront of us, we walked on towards 'Perry Saddle Hut', our first Campsite. The campsite was nice although it had to begun to mist, (btw, mist at the top of a moutain in new zealand is like being under a giant bucket of water while it's being poured on you from an unusually lateral angle.) So, you can assume we grabbed our rain jackets. As well, up where the air is thin and wind is hitting you from all angles, it gets quite chilly. That night after dinner, Chris layered of his thin sweaters and undergarments and bundled himself up in his sleep sheet while i slept half naked in my sleeping bag. Needless to say, Chris barely slept an hour that night due to utter loss of feeling in regions while i slept like a newborn baby. AAaaah, feels so good.
Day 2: 16km, 4h, cloudy morning, sunny day, cloudy night
We woke up in our little but reliable tent atop the mountain we had finished
climbing yesterday. I opened the tent vestubile and was surprisingly unshocked to see were once again: in a cloud. We climbed out of the tent and threw on our sweaters and rain jackets to keep warm. We made the most fulfilling meal you can have for breakfast in the bush: porridge, and topped it off with warm tea. After eating we took down the tarp we put along with our tent and packed all of our stuff. Only fifteen minutes down the road covered in sweaters and wool socks and we suddenly feel a burst of heat punch us from behind. Another thing about New Zealand's weather is that it is so unbelievably eratic that you can get five days worth of weather in only one. Chris and I experienced this first hand. We looked back and saw a cloudless blue sky with a beaming hot, firy sun pointing directly at us. Within seconds we were stripped down to t-shirts and shorts after just spending so much time trying to get our seconds pair of socks over the first.
We walked on through the hot sun taking quick water breaks every once in awhile. It became our ritual to wake
up later than everyone in the huts and then pass them later on in the day. You could guess that a lot of the hut dwellers weren't too proud of being passed by teenage guys that slept way past their unreasonably early alarm times and then trudge past them with smiles bigger than a clown. We didn't care.
We kept on until we found a nice little spot by an oddly shaped boulder sticking upright out of the ground. We were way ahead of schedule and has passed numerous hut dwellers so we decided to preside there for lunch and some extra reading and photo-taking. The sun stayed out all afternoon and actually gave Chris' neck a massive burn. Apparently New Zealand's ozone layer has a huge, gaping hole in it which makes it easier to get a sunburn there than Australia. Who would have known? The track today was through wide open valleys buried between tall mountain tops. The sky was clear along with the view and it puts into perspective how small we are compared to the outside world. The track was pretty much abandoned as we walked through and it was so pleasent to see practically no
one all day. As well, we were able to try out some of the swing bridges we'd heard so much about...they truly are awesome.
We headed onwards towards the Saxon Hut Campsite and arrived with plenty of time to spare, as usual. We found the walks were a bit easier than we had hoped going into it, but the scenery made it worthwhile. Once we settled into the Saxon site we were soon once again swallowed by clouds. We made our dehydrated meal of beef curry, (which was nothing special), and then tried out Chris' frisbee. Soon after the clouds became so thick we couldn't tell where each of us were, and you can imagine how hard this made our game of frisbee toss. Not to mention the wind was blowing at enough knots for us to take sail if we opened up our tarp. That night we played with the sutter speeds of chris' camera and created some pretty hilarious/artistic photos in the dark. Luckily as the days went by the temperature at night increased and this night Chris had all his layers on, and only shivered a li'l bit.
Day 3: 14km, 3.5h, cloudy morning, off and
on sunshine during the day, hot afternoon.
We awoke with smiles upon our faces knowing that today we had our easiest day yet just ahead of us. We set the alarm clock for an hour later than usual and slowly, eased our way out of the tent. Another tramper offered us his cornflakes and some powdered milk which we gladly took and ate for breakfast. Porridge is good but it's smart to have variety in your diet. So i'm told. Anyway, by the time we were packed and about to leave, almost everyone at Saxon had left. This didn't bother us considering we knew we'd catch up and we knew we'd have more than plenty of time at the next site.
The scenery of today was nice but it lacked in the awe-inspiring landscapes we've grown used to. The track headed from Saxon campsite to James Mackay and brought us closer and closer to the ocean. We stopped for lunch at another hut on the way and paused for quite some time. We took out Chris' ipod that held less than a sliver of battery power left and blasted the tiny headphones with all their might. The ipod lasted about
12 minutes, it was worth it. More salami, cheese and crackers were consumed and then we were back on the track. It was early when we made it James Mackay hut campsite. There they had wooden platforms for us to lay our tents, i believe because in flood the water rises over the ground level, leaving all of the campers...soaked. We walked up from the campsite to the top lookout over the national park and found a terrific view of the ocean. We could finally see the ocean and the following day we would be camping right at the edge of it. The sandflies came out just as we got back to our tents to cook dinner, though a little bit of 'bushman insect repellant' and they were no threat whatsoever. I'd say the mosquitoes back in northern canada make these sandflies look like ladybugs...yah, that's right, i said it!
The night came slower than ever and it seems the sun doesn't really set till past 10pm. A tiresome game of crazy eights tuckered us out and lead us off to our thermarests. Good day tommorow, can't wait.
(Chris Writing)
Day 4: 23km, 5h, spitting all day, clearing
late at night.
Today was our longest day, so we woke nice and early to... rain. Constant rain. Though, we were not at all upset. One of the best parts about camping is the rush and panic of trying to get everything packed and ready, while keeping it dry. And then walking through the rain with not a care in the world as to how wet you are, and enjoying every second of it. The walk from Mackay to Heaphy, as I mentioned earlier, would be our longest yet, but little did we expect it to be one of the most beautiful walks as well. The vast majority of the tramp was through a thick, lush, green, rainforest. With moss and life growing everywhere. And the rain and mist only added to the sublime scenery, toying with the light from the sun, resulting in fantastic pictures. We took many, and hiked considerably slower than usual to take in as much of the stunning surroundings as we could. We stopped for lunch at Lewis Hut, almost half-way, and had the usual while trying to warm our socks as much as possible by the fire before heading off for Heaphy. From Lewis,
we could spot a very long cable swing bridge crossing a river in the distance, this made us very excited. We had only crossed a few small ones by this point, but they were nothing compared to this. We got to that bridge fairly quickly. It was significantly longer than the others, but still displayed a strict sign warning us to only have one person cross the bridge at a time... we took more pictures, which we realized later may have been a bad idea seeing as the silver paint coating my camera was starting to peel, and it was beginning to shut off on its own. Note; cameras that aren't supposed to get wet (like mine), really ARE NOT supposed to get wet. As our walk continued, the forest only seemed to become exceedingly remarkable. The trees were massive, and losing (badly) in a battle against the moss, which seemed to be overtaking everything. Vines would hang down from branches, cliffs would follow along the path, and giant New Zealand flax plants would tower above us making us feel like ants. The final stretch led us along the coast of a river leading out into the ocean, we knew
we were getting close. Every once and awhile, we would get a glimpse of the water and mountains beyond. We also had the pleasant feeling of walking through small, flooded, creeks. The only way to get to our destination, was to go through the icy cold water, overflowing the path. We arrived at Heaphy hut completely drenched from head to toe but feeling great. Our campsite had a perfect little shelter to lay out our wet articles and make our tea and supper, and the lovely people staying in the huts were kind enough to allow us to hang some clothing in front of their fire. We explored around our campsite and the beach. It was windy, and still raining, so we didn't last long before we were back at our shelter. We were tired, sore, and wet, but could not have been happier with how the day went. Our rest day was tomorrow, and Ranger Craig's weather report was that it would be a beautiful day. How perfect. After socializing with some campers at the hut and then being told to shut up by the campers who were trying to sleep, we passed out in our tent, looking forward
to our long awaited rest day.
Day 5: rest day, all day, sunny and hot.
We awoke in the morning to Jeff shouting "Goodbye little Canada, and good luck on your travels!" at 7:30 in the morning. Everyone had left or was leaving to finish the tramp but us, and three Americans who had also planned a rest day at Heaphy. We tried to sleep some more, but couldn't, because it was too hot and sunny!! Ranger Craig was spot on with his report. We went up to the hut to check on the articles we had left to dry overnight, and then to the shelter to check on our things there. Oh dear, what have we now. It seems, overnight, a Weka had smelt food in my pack and decided he really really wanted it. All we know for sure, is that something, somehow, ripped through my beautiful Deuter pack to get at some nuts. And it left several small holes, and one very large hole. I was furious. From here on, whenever we saw a Weka, we either threw something at it, or shouted and swore at it. Fortunately, this incident happened near the end of our
tramp. After having the Ranger examine the holes and take pictures of the crime scene, we had tea and another free breakfast from an Auckland family that was staying in the huts. As dissapointed as we were about the pack, we weren't going to let some stupid, brown, ugly, annoying, did I mention stupid flightless bird ruin the day. The Heaphy campsite boasts being the most beautiful and perfect spot to take a rest day, and that's no lie. We decided to go for a swim, given the perfect weather for it. The beach around the site runs along a fresh water river that streams out from the Rainforest and directly into the ocean. So we a choice: freshwater, saltwater, or half and half. But we already had plans to swim across the last section of the river, near the ocean, where we spotted a secluded beach that wound along and through caves. The swim across was not as hard as we had expected, we thought the current would be too strong, but we were fine. The colossal cliffs and caves were truly mind-blowing. We are so small compared to these rocks that have been here from the start. After
taking many pictures (the camera was working again) and having a quick wash in the river, we swam back. The rest of the day was spent relaxing; mainly reading, writing, taking pictures, sleeping, and snacking. We played a little disc and a painful game of hacky sack. We both had very sore backs and stiff legs. That night, we made a campfire and met a group of New Zealanders who were camping as well. They told us they were planning on doing the whole Heaphy, there AND back, in only 5 days. We wished them luck. When we mentioned the Weka's and how they tore a hole in my pack, they told us about an even worse bird named the Kea. The Kea is an alpine parrot that is only found in southern parts of New Zealand's South Island. Apparently, this parrot will tear all the rubber off from around the windows and windshield of your car, leaving your windows to fall out. They've also been spotted taking off hub caps of cars and herding sheep off cliffs. A bird from Hell. Before hitting the sack, we took a final stroll along Heaphy beach, a nice way to conclude our
day of relaxation. Tomorrow would be our last full day on the track as we walk from the Heaphy site to Scott's beach campsite.
Day 6: 18km, 4h, spitting early but clearing quickly to sunshine and clear night.
When we first woke up, it was looking to be a dull day. After breakfast, with raincoats and heavy boots, we started our final full day. Fortunately, we only had to wear our coats for the first hour or so, and then it was back to beautiful sunshine. The walk from Heaphy hut to Scott's beach runs along the ocean and beaches. The view was spectacular, the whole way through. We crossed a few swing bridges, and jumped across creeks. We edged along cliff ledges, and trudged through thick sand. Waves would crash against boulders along the beach spraying us with mist. We arrived at Scott's beach campsite in good time, so, after setting up the tent, we went to swim in the waves and wash some clothing. Just like at Heaphy site, there was a freshwater river running straight into the ocean, so after playing safetly in the very strong and dangerous waves, we rinsed off in the stream and
washed our clothes there as well. After a short reading session and game of hack, we made dinner: Roasted Lamb and Vegetables, and Lamb Fetucinni*. The lamb and veg was better than the pasta. We then spent a good 30 minutes trying to make a fire... but failed. So we played more hack instead. It was nearing sunset, and nearing the end of our wonderful Heaphy experience, so we spent our last night on top of a giant rock protruding from the sand watching the sun set before bed. Tomorrow we would head back to Nelson... or so we thought!
Day 7: 4km, 1h, sunny.
Our bus was booked to pick us up at 10:20am, so we were up and ready to go by 9:15am. The sun was shining, and it was very hot. Our final leg took us back into the bush a little and had several climbs. We were running pretty tight on time, so we walked briskly, and didn't stop for any photos. We did, however, take a few pictures while crossing the final swing bridge on the Heaphy track. This bridge would also be the longest one as well. We arrived at the end of
the track at 10:10am, enough time to get organized before the bus. By 10:30am, the bus still had not arrived, and the phone in the Kohaihai shelter was out of service. At 10:45am, Evan asked a New Zealand couple if he could borrow their cell to call the bus service, but there was no signal. By now, our bus was not looking too good. 5 minutes later, we had hitched a ride with that same New Zealand couple who had the cell. They introduced themselves as Coral and Jeff,
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maddie fuchs
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colin and i just read and looked at all your pictures - wow we're jealous we miss you guys, hope youre having fun