A winter tramp of the Heaphy Track

Forest and Bird, Volume 14, Issue 3, 1 August 1982, Page 22

A winter tramp of the Heaphy Track

By

M. Anderson

MANY PEOPLE tend to associate walking the Heaphy Track with the warmth of summer. Believing that isolation is an important part of any trip into the back country, | was a member of a party that planned the 4- to 5-day walk for the middie of August last year. THOUGH this was only 2 weeks away from the opening of the whitebait season (and the accompanying rains), we had high hopes of having the cool nights and clear days that winter on the Coast can provide. History The early Maoris were the first to use part of the track. Following the Aorere River south, they eventually turned westwards and headed down the Heaphy River to the coast. Charles Heaphy, V.C., ‘*discovered’’ the western coastal section in 1846, the inland route lying unused for a further .13° years. The ‘track became more popular as the lure of gold grew; it was finally graded and surveyed in 1900. Local hunting and _ fishing parties remained the most frequent visitors to the track until 1965, when the North-west Nelson Forest Park was established. Since then, the Forest Service has been constantly upgrading the track system; its 76 km now includes six huts, five shelters, and numerous swing bridges, the _ track’s grade remaining constant throughout. Showers and mist The first day’s walk, from Brown Hut to Gouland Downs, was long and wet in the continual showers and

thick mist that prevailed. From the first swing bridge the track followed the river flats before climbing through bracken, fern, and_ gorse. Spur-winged plovers and pied oystercatchers soon gave rise to their feelings at the disturbance our party caused. After a long, steady climb for 4 to 5S hours we arrived at Perry Saddle Hut in time for lunch. Along the way the soft whistling song of the kaka (in sharp contrast to its predatorlike appearance) was heard from high in the canopy. It was, however, left to the tuis, bellbirds, and silvereyes to provide most of the ‘‘musical accompaniment’’ to the morning. After a cup of hot, sweet tea and some lunch, we disappeared into the murk and began the 2-hour tramp to Gouland Downs Hut. A steady descent through low, stunted bush lasted for 20

minutes until the mist lifted to reveal the downs — a huge expanse of rolling tussock dotted with clumps of silver beech. Late in the afternoon the familiar whistle of the blue duck led to a cautious stalk and a chance to study a pair of these birds. In fact the birdlife on the downs seemed quite plentiful; redpolls, chaffinches, thrushes, and the yellowbreasted tit were frequently noted. After reaching the hut we watched the antics of a friendly pipit. Eager for insects, he was not in the least worried by our presence. A night at the Downs Hut can certainly be eventful. An hour or so after dark the old hut echoed to the cries of at least three great spotted kiwis, and the local opossum provided ‘‘on the spot’’ entertainment. This local identity managed to foil all our efforts to trap him. He eventually won the duel by claiming our bait four times before leading us on a wild chase through the tussock.

Surrounding ranges The next morning dawned with clear blue skies and a view of the surrounding ranges. A heavy mist soon rolled in and forced a number of keas down from the sky and into the nearby bush. Our friendly pipit and a pair of welcome swallows were there to see us on our way to McKay Hut. This 5-hour tramp was certainly the most diverse of the trip, and we later agreed it would have been interesting to explore more of this vast tussock country. We had thunder and lightning as we crossed from the edge of the downs into the more comforting West Coast rain forest. The promise of rain was soon fulfilled, and we spent a couple of hours weathering a heavy rainstorm. A steady climb led us through rocky clearings and stunted bush, grey warblers and yellow-breasted tits keeping us company. It was not long before the familiar ‘‘tink’? of the fernbird was heard. This interesting little bird allowed us to watch him for some time. The appearance of a warm sun led to an enjoyable final half-hour walk to McKay Hut. Brown creepers seemed to appreciate this change in the weather and soon burst forth with their distinctive chatter. The view from the hut to the coast was certainly memorable. Though we had hoped to record a sunset on film, the local weka population caught our attention. Abundant fauna On the long walk from McKay down to Lewis Hut and along to the Heaphy River mouth rain was ever present, but on this stretch fauna was the most abundant. The lush forest (including rimu, rata, kamahi, beech,

and tree ferns) on this descent was considered some of the best native forest we had seen. The robin’s staccato-like call was soon heard above the rain, the bird needing little encouragement to investigate our presence. During the walk along the river flats towards the mouth of the Heaphy River thrushes and blackbirds often flitted away from our feet. New Zealand native pigeons were frequently heard above the nikau-lined track, which closely followed the dark brown Heaphy. The presence of southern black-backed gulls, a pair of black swans, and both white-throated and pied shags

indicated to us that the coast was not far away. With the roar of the surf and the sight of the fastebbing tide we eventually came to the picturesque setting of the Heaphy Hut. Relaxing over yet another ‘*brew’’, we were jolted out of our rest by the startled cry of a weka and a fleeting glimpse of the largest white hen we had ever seen. A walk down to the edge of the Tasman Sea soon led to a view of an Australasian harrier soaring high above the lupins. Mallards, grey ducks, and welcome swallows could be seen in the raupo swamp a few minutes south of the hut.

On the approach of dusk all available cameras were assembled down at the lagoon in the hope of catching the colours of that elusive sunset. Once again we were disappointed and the beauty that one comes to expect with a West Coast sunset was not seen. A rest day In spite of a bad forecast, the next day dawned warm and clear. After a quick discussion a rest day was declared, and this was a chance to soak up the sun and explore the Heaphy. Despite the sandflies it was a shirts-off day as fantails, bellbirds, goldfinches, and a solitary kingfisher were seen On Our explorations of the limestone caves and general environs of the lagoon. Silhouetted nikaus and crashing waves made an impressive scene for our last night on the Heaphy.

End of the track Overcast skies and a cool sea breeze accompanied us on the 4%2-hour walk to the end of the track. The nikau-lined paths, rocky beaches, and the deep blue sea made for some striking views along this final stretch. Black oystercatchers, reef herons, family groups of pied shags, and red-billed gulls were among the sea_ birds noted. Locals had previously told us that kiwis were present along this section, and numerous clawprints in the sand soon confirmed this. Not far from Katipo Creek shelter we stumbled across a colony of Paryphanta snails (numerous empty shells had been seen throughout the downs). These carnivorous and usually nocturnal snails (with shells up to 8 cm across) were quite a find, and we watched their fascinating, slow progress.

Eventually the Kohaihai Bluff was reached, and after a short climb and the crossing of the final swing bridge we came to the end of the Heaphy Track. After 5 days and 76 km of track and seeing 35 bird species and a vast range of vegetation types we had finished one of the most interesting tracks in New Zealand. Walking the track in winter meant we had avoided the number of people usual in summer; if the weather had not been all it was hoped for, we had seen enough of the country to entice us back at a later date. Further reading New Zealand Forest Service, 1979: ‘‘Heaphy Track, North-west Nelson Forest Park.’’ Government Printer. Temple, Phillip, 1976: ‘‘A Shell Guide to the Heaphy Track.’’ Whitcoulls. Temple, Phillip, 1977: ‘‘Ways to the Wilderness’’. Whitcoulls.