Heaphy Track

Information

Distance

78.0 km

Duration

4–6 days

Max elevation

915 m

Country

New Zealand (NZ)

Difficulty

Moderate — a Great Walk with modern infrastructure (huts, bridges, boardwalks) that can be done year-round; some steep climbs but no special climbing techniques required

Best Season

Year-round (hiking); May–November (mountain biking)

Permits & Fees

Reservations are required year-round through the DOC online system (bookings.doc.govt.nz); the per-person per-night rate differs between NZ residents and international visitors; six huts are available (Brown Hut 16 beds, Perry Saddle 28, Gouland Downs 8, Saxon 16, James Mackay 28, Heaphy Hut 32)

Description

The Heaphy Track is the longest of New Zealand's ten Great Walks, stretching 78 km from the Aorere Valley in Golden Bay to the wild West Coast at Kohaihai, crossing the heart of Kahurangi National Park — the South Island's second-largest national park. Typically completed in 4–6 days, the track traverses a remarkable succession of ecosystems: beech forest in the upper valleys, the vast sub-alpine Gouland Downs plateau with ancient limestone formations and moss-draped caves, and finally lush lowland podocarp forest dotted with nikau palms — the world's southernmost naturally occurring palms — as the track reaches the windswept Tasman coastline. The Heaphy Track follows routes long used by Māori pursuing pounamu (greenstone) from Westland rivers; archaeological excavations near Heaphy Hut have revealed moa bones, middens, post holes, and hearths confirming Māori occupation from at least the late 14th century. Uniquely among NZ Great Walks, the track is open to mountain bikers from May to November. Six staffed huts, advance bookings mandatory year-round via the DOC online system.

Trail Highlights

The longest NZ Great Walk; the only Great Walk that permits mountain biking (May–November); the Gouland Downs tussock plains with ancient limestone, caves, and rock arches; nikau forest (the world's southernmost palm) on the remote West Coast; the historic Māori trail for hunting pounamu (jade) into Westland; and a diversity of ecosystems from beech valleys to sub-alpine zones to the dramatic Tasman coast