The Heaphy Track, located in Kahurangi National Park at the north-west corner of the South Island of New Zealand is the longest of the 'Great Walks'. For 82km the track crosses the Park's range of landscapes, from the junction of the Brown and Aorere Rivers, over expansive tussock downs to the lush forests, nikau palms and roaring seas of the West Coast.
The track is classified as a walking track, being well formed and suitable for fit, well-equipped people. All rivers and major streams are bridged. The track takes four to six days to complete - although the ultra-fit could probably do it in tree days on foot and at certain times of the year, the track may be open to mountain biking which would speed things up considerably. I know of people who have biked the whole track in one day. The terrain rating is all about the distance you will be travelling, having to carry a fair amount of gear and probably having to stay one or more nights on the track. There are no really steep sections at all.
There are huts and campsites where you can stay along the track. These MUST be booked and paid for before you start. The DOC Rangers are well within their rights to turn you away if you should turn up without the necessary paperwork - I saw this happen! I wouldn't want your adventure to end in tears.
This track defnitely requires that you do your homework, be prepared and take all necessary safety issues into account.
This cache is placed near the Heaphy Hut. It really made us feel like we were on the track now. Here you will find the Heaphy Hut, Heaphy Shelter, Heaphy River and not far away, Heaphy Beach. This is a feally flash new hut, replaced in 2012 and officially opened in 2013. It could be done as a long day walk from Kohaihai - 5 hours each way - or, more sensibly as part of a multi-day tramp on the track. Most people travel from East to West making this their last stop on the track. We did it the other way and walked on past this hut to stay at Lewis Hut for our first night.
The cache is a 400ml Sistema container with log, pencil, eraser, sharpener and room for small swaps. Please replace as found.