The Heaphy GW was my last solitary adventure before heading home to Blightus and I loved it. Heaphy is to forest and ocean what Routeburn is to mootons and lake. Heaphy is also less popular so you don't get the crowds, I think the reason being it is so fooking remote. My transfer costs were more than double the price of the huts!
Day 1: Brown's Shelter to Perry Saddle Hut.
I met Daniel on the transfer bus to Brown's Shelter and spent the first day and a half walking with him. He had opted to take 5 days to complete the Heaphy as opposed to my 4 and so we were staying at different huts for the remainder of the trek.
Daniel is from Chicago, I would guestimate in his mid thirties and has been travelling for over 4 years. I can't even remember much about our conversation apart from it flowed and was interesting. It was nice to spend time with somebody who is bright and thoughtful. I'm hoping I didn't talk too much about myself, Adilady is my favourite topic after all;)
We were picked up at 8am in Nelson but didn't start walking until about noon. Most of day 1 was through woodland but glimpses through the trees provided views of forest covered mootons, nice!
A tom tit.
This is the view from Flanagan's Corner, the highest point of the track.
Day 2: Perry Saddle Hut to James McKay Hut.
It was perfect walking weather so after breakfast Daniel and I planned to do a side trip to the top of Mount Perry. The views were fantastico.
The hut...
Bootiful mootons...
And the Tasmin Sea.
This is Mount Perry from the bottom.
The trek crossed creeks...
...and took us through beach forests.
I saw my first tui, NZ's most popular bird so fook knows why it took so long. Crap photo, you can just see the white 'bollockesque' whatever it is under the chin.
The track then traversed what the brochure described as 'featureless downs', they really know how to sell it lol! I loved this snow white lichen, it was everywhere and made the ground glisten.
This is where trampers tie their old shoes. Why? Fook only knows!!! Carrying a 4 day pack is heavy enough without any unnecessary additionals in my humblest.
This little critter must hold the record for loudest thing on the planet per its bodyweight. It's called a 'cicada' and I had never heard of them until trippingtons.
River running through featureless downs.
At 4pm I left Daniel relaxing at his hut and continued my weary way for another 3 hours. I left the featureless downs behind and tramped through more forest with mooton views.
A dragonfly...
...and another cicada.
I love the colours in this pic. The water here is golden brown, I think it's due to the peat as I know they mine coal a little further down the coast.
I arrived at huttage at gone 7 and I was a bit worn out I can tell you. There were 3 women already there who put me to shame. They were running the whole 78km in two days, bloody mentalists! They were telling me that their exercise regime is so severe it causes the digestive system to shut down and they have to ingest 'high energy gel shots'. I'm sorry but why the fook would you? Double mentalists!!!
Day 3: James McKay Hut to Heaphy Hut.
The forest and ocean of day 3 and 4 can only be described as magical. One moment I was a member of the fellowship in Rivendell, the next I was in Jurrassic Park and then Indiana Jones' sidekick in 'The Temple of Doom'. I know the photos cannot do justice but they are all I have to share with you my lovelies.
Below is a rimu tree. They grow really tall and their leaves are like the finest deep green feathers. I think they are my favourite foliage:)
I have no idea what these berries are but their colour is so vibrant it's like growing jewels; int nature brilliant!
A glimpse through the trees showed the Heaphy River meeting the Tasmin Sea 750 metres below. This was where I was heading.
Then it was on to Jurassic Park.
This massivo tree is a ratu.
Finally, a picture of an elusive fantail. I now have a one way ticket to Nerdsville :)
View from the suspension bridge that crosses the Heaphy. I believe there are limestone bluffs to the right.
The water is golden, some may say it's the colour of piss. I guess it all depends on your outlook :D
Another crazy tree, I am entering 'The Temple of Doom.'
Everything is emerald green. I just love the plants that grow on the tree trunks.
Crazy limestone features.
Then back to Jurassic Park.
I arrived at the Heaphy Hut at around 3pm, this is the view from huttage.
I went for a walk on Heaphy Beach and I have to say it is my most favourite beach of all time, rivalled only by the beach at Harlech. Be warned, it is very wild and woolly and full of sandflies so not a place for topping up the tan.
The sands are met by this spectacular forest of indigenous nikau palms. Looks all very tropical but doesn't have the climate to match.
Here the warm, amber gold of the Heaphy River meets the cool, metallic grey of the Tasmin Sea.
I love the hoards of driftwood. It looks like an elephant's grave yard; a sea of bones.
And then the wistful sunset; gorgeousness.
View from huttage as the sun goes down...
Day 4: Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai
...view from huttage as the sun comes up. I left just before 8am as my transfer back to Nelson was booked for 1pm.
The day was spent walking through palms and along the beach listening to the roar of the ocean compete with the white noise of the cicada. Pure bliss.
The leaf litter looked like the detritus from a cannibal's banquet. The leaves were like ribcages and their stems like femurs.
Sometimes the path would be interrupted by a bridge crossing a river, wending it's merry way to the ocean.
Is it me or does this rock look like a sleeping dog? I should let it lie;)
Crashing waves.
I found a beautiful conker coloured shell along this path which once housed an indigenous carniverous snail; more on that later.
Scott's Beach...
...and after a fairly steep climb the view from Scott's Lookout.
I got to the car park with half an hour to spare so settled down for a microsnooze on the beach. I'd not been snoozing long when I felt a wriggling within my pocketsies; the snail shell had been full of maggotsies. Fooking Yucksville! I stripped me troos off and shook the pocketsies out in about a nanosecond flat only to remember the painters had arrived earlier than expected. My improvisation was poking out of me pants for all to see, how embarrassing is that??? Fortunately Heaphy is a remote track and there wasn't anybody around; phew!
So it was a 6 hour drive back to Nelson, campage, bloggage then a drive to Picton to catch the ferry. My last Adilady adventure is over and now I'm looking forward to the long trip home. Still I think Bloggington and I may have one more installment left in us before we close the doors for good. I really do feel ready to come home xxxx
