A 5 day trip on this long (at about 80kms) but easy track. Beautiful combination of bush forest, tussock downs and the West Coast beaches with their abundance of nikau palm trees. A popular walk so be prepared for crowded huts at times, particularly the Heaphy Hut. You can also camp at a number of designated places.This is a Great Walk so a pass needs to be bought first.We organised our tickets and transport at the Takaka Visitor Centre. The generally preferred direction is east to west as this leaves the best section (the West Coast) until last. Which ever direction you do the walk getting back to your starting point could be quite lengthy and costly. We tramped the Wangapeka Track after a days rest to get some of the way back and also because we wanted to do it.

DAY 1...to Perry Saddle Hut

A breezy warm blue sky day. Trampers transport from Takaka took us to Brown Hut at the start of the track for 10:45hrs. It was then just a question of following the generally easy graded wide track up through the bush forest to the saddle. A welcome stop at Aorere Shelter about halfway - good views here, very limited views elsewhere because of the forest. The highest point of the track is at Flanagans Point (915metres) at the bush line shortly before the hut is reached. The hut sits in a lovely spot. Took 6hrs to get here; the DOC sign said 5hrs. Only about 8 of us in the hut. Couple of guys went for a swim in the nearby river gorge(they were perished when they returned). Rest stop Approaching Perry Saddle Hut

DAY 2...to Saxon Hut

Looking back across Gouland Downs towards Perry Saddle (pity about the weather) Saxon Hut(the day after) A cloudy, cool day becoming wetter by early afternoon.Wide track, rocky in places and no shade (a sunny day could make this section hot work) as we crossed the tussock grass of Gouland Downs to arrive at the small 12 bed Gouland Downs Hut - bags of atmosphere. Rest time here as a Weka wandered around us. Two swingbridges available further on to cross streams (this area can get flooded after heavy rain). Then a gently rising track through shrub to arrive at the newish Saxon Hut by 14:00hrs. The weather got worse so we turned the gas heater on and settled down with a few others for the rest of the afternoon. There is a swimming area in the river nearby - but definitely not today. Heard a Kiwi calling during the night.

DAY 3...to Lewis Hut

Bright sunny start, increasing cloud cover from mid-afternoon - always warm. Good track with many twists and turns and across a few streams with such names as Blue Duck Creek and Blue Shirt Creek(?). Up onto Mackay Downs now with increasing views towards the coast and especially so when we reached Mackay Hut after 4hrs. Had our lunch here. Downhill all the way now through changing bush forest with occassional views of the river mouth at the coast. Into the West Coast tropical forest as we reached Lewis Hut in a lovely spot at the junction of the Lewis and Heaphy rivers - unfortunately a haven for sandflies. No mesh on the windows in the hut so we had to shut them all to get some sanity. Not many of us in the hut. Mackay Hut looking towards the coast One of the bridges between Lewis and Heaphy Huts

 

DAY 4...to Heaphy Hut

Heaphy Hut from the toilet Heaphy Hut from the beach On Heaphy beach looking south Sunshine and cloud, warm to hot day. A short and easy day over 3 long swingbridges and through the bush with an abundance of the nikau palm trees. hrough a lovely section with limestone rocks in the bush. Arrived Heaphy hut at lunchtime to more sandflies, but what an absolutely lovely situation with the hut sat in a clearing looking down to the beach. Spent the rest of the day exploring the area(and avoiding sandflies) as more and more people arrived at the hut from both directions. Some brave folks went for a cold swim in the river (the sea is too dangerous with rip tides etc). It was interesting to watch where the river enters the sea and the conflict between the river and the waves.The hut was full last night and was overful tonight. We pitched the tent(along with others) down near the beach in what little breeze there was to avoid the stuffiness of the crowded hut. The sound of sandflies 'drumming' on the flysheet in the morning was a strange sensation.

DAY 5...to Karamea

Lovely sunny day. 16kms to the roadend on an easy path with crashing waves on one side and bush on the other and Nikau palm trees everywhere. At places you can walk on the beach, but be careful around high tide in places! This is an absolutely beautiful walk. There is a shelter at Katipo Creek about halfway. There is a camping area and a lovely beach at Scotts beach before a short climb over a saddle and down to Kohaihai River where the bus was waiting to take us to Karamea and the luxury of the Last Resort accommodation complex - most people who weren't going straight out stopped here. Welcome beers and good meals available. Sunset at Heaphy Hut Climbing away from Scotts Beach