Hiking the Heaphy

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Hiking the Heaphy Andrew Devlin IPPEE! "No more work for at tot the opposite sex and how they were bly well. Miss Santa Claus even manleast ten days" was a common viewed. Leanne maintained she saw aged to find time in her busy schedsentiment amongst the seven males like fish and clarified this by the ule to popinto thel hut. What's more, oft us. But even better was thet fact that playful dolphin, the beached whale, she appreciated the Christmas carols we were off to explore the Heaphy the octopus, the shark and the angel- we sung that evening; however, the Track. Surprisingly, none of us had fish. Our resident psychologist then two mountain bikers who turned up tramped it before. promised us males our individual pro- didn't join in our tuneful(?) singing. files at the end of the tramp. Dave saw Was the late departure of the 11pm females as pastries (eg the Danish On our way over Gouland Downs the ferry sailing an ominous hint of things pastry and the tart) and Prakash saw next day, we spied an interesting signto come? One or two in our group females in terms of vegetables, with a post. A wooden post, aptly named the were fortunate enough to get some nice cabbage being his favourite. I put "Boot Tree", situated on a corner, had sleep on the chocka-block ferry when this unusual conversation down to a discarded footwear from various it eventually left, 30 minutes late. lack of sleep for two nights! trampers. Some people apparently walked this track in high heels! Mind A 2am arrival in Picton and no shuttle When it came time to start preparing you, the track could better be detaxi to take us to Collingwood. Sev- a meal, we took our stoves and the scribed as a "highway". We saw evieral phone calls in vain later and still food out to a shelter in the form of a dence that the "highway" was being no taxi. In the early morning hours, closed-for-the-Christmas-break work- further improved to "motorway" stathe Picton Ferry Terminal is deserted shop. Unfortunately, Dave could not tus, as the bogs were having flyovers and not much fun. We wondered find the stove that he was assigned to installed. The two diggers we passed whether this Christmas tramp was carry and thought that he must have were evidence of DOC's roading doomed from the start butj just before left it behind in Wellington. Leanne endeavours. 3am, we found dry shelter underneath kindly offered to buy one in Takaka, the Maritime Museum and bunked as we really needed two stoves. Af few of the party were lucky enough down. A comfortable sleeping bag was to experience a white Christmas when SO nice.. Later that evening, after having eaten it hailed on Christmas Day. Unfortuat typically yummy WT&MC meal, we nately, it wasn't sufficient to settle on But hey, what was that vehicle doing gathered in Dave's room. Then some- the ground. I was lucky enough to be driving around out there at that time thing interesting was spied under inside the shelter of Gouland Downs of night? Our taxi had finally turned Dave's bed. It was the stove he Hut, and not out walking in the hail. up, so no: sleep for us. The driver men- thought he had left behind. Thus we tioned something about a communi- now had three stoves. Dave's reward Gouland Downs Hut lies on an open cation breakdown and how busy they for encouraging Leanne to buy another tussock plain, and we imagined that it were that night, and so he'd never re- (unnecessary) stove, was the pleasure could have an ethereal spooky feeling ceived our numerous calls! of carrying two stoves. ifa wintry rolling mist were to sweep in. At the hut we encountered an in- We drove into rain and more rain. The next morning, the rivers were quisitive weka. This weka, like the oth- What was that sign at the bottom of dropping and the sun was making an ers we met near huts, had no fear and the Takaka Hill that we passed five appearance, SO in late morning we was quite prepared to walk into the minutes ago? Road closed? Nah, the managed to make it to the start of the hut with peoplei inside. I suppose seasign was spray painted SO it couldn't Heaphy. Phew! sons of peoplet feeding the wekas have have been official. Probably just a lotaught them to enter, as food will uncal prankster having a Christmas joke. Perry Saddle Hut was reached on day doubtedly be inside. They are an unone of the tramp. From the highest usual shaped bird. Their plump shape Over the other side of Takaka Hill, we point on the track we got a good view belies their ability to scuttle away encountered swollen rivers which back down the valley we had just quickly when they feel threatened; weres starting to claim various stretches walked up. The bonus was that it kind of like the way a big potato with of the road. So much, in fact, that our wasn't raining either. I have since spindly legs would. taxi couldn't get through. Even the heard that Greg and Sue sang all the 4WD Landcruisers were finding it in- way up to the saddle. Maybe this was Wekas werej just one of ther manyt types teresting. So much for thel Heaphy, we an expression of relief that the rain had of birds that we encountered. It was thought; what should we do now? finally stopped! lovely walking along and hearing the melodious songs ofa a variety of native We turned back to the nearest town, We had a continental Christmas in birds-so unlike the Tararuas. We even which happened to be Takaka, and Perry Saddle Hut. I am glad that I did had the pleasure of a robin bobbin' made the pub our base for the night. not have to carry 2kgs of Christmas along in front of us at one bushy Inevitably the conversation got round pudding, though Chris coped admira- stretch of the track. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING 1996

Like the variety of birdlife, the terrain variedi impressively, ranging fromlush, native bush to the open and tussocky Gouland Downs, through to coastal tramping in appealing nikau palm groves. As the track could well be considered a highway, it would not complete the tourist picture unless the flush loos were comparably flash. And flash those loos were too. Saxon Hut had two new flush loos for us to use. When we reached Lewis Hut, we encountered the first rivers. Lovely golden colours of the streambeds clearly gave the impression that maybe gold was in "them thar streams". The highlight of this hut was the kea that popped down to say hello and show off its beautiful wing colours. I suppose the hail that we experienced a few days earlier tricked the kea into thinking this was an alpine area. I guess the location which impressed met the most was around Heaphy Hut; the flowering rata on the hills, the groves of nikau palms, and the varying shades of green in the bush behind the hut was an impressive vista. In front of thel hut, the river carved its way through impressive rocky riverbanks, leaving some interesting rock formations on the other side of the expansive Heaphy River. At the point where the awesome Heaphy Prakash and the Boot Tree Andrew Devlin encountered the might of the Tasman Sea, some unusual waves occurred. I think this location was the nicest of When our party had gathered at the all the places on the Heaphy; unfortu- end of the track we had a photo shoot Most of us appreciated the opportu- nately, So did the sandflies and mos- of us draped around the sign in varinity to go for a cleansing swim in the quitoes. Consequently, the following ous poses. Feet were releasedi from the Heaphy River. Captain Salute (alias morning we were keen to get moving, confines of boots-aahhh! Greg Crow) went for his swim in a as the longer we, stayed inactive, the most unusual fashion. He walked longer the local savages had to ravage We managed to find accommodation slowly into the river, saluted, and then us. And they sure knew how to ravage atal house owned by the local Karamea leaned forward, maintaining! his salute, too. So after the necessary photos pub- -thanks to Prakash's bargaining as he fell in. I guess he just had to be were taken in front of the signpost, we skills. They even sent a bus to pick us distinctive. ambled on. up from the roadend. Of course, it wouldn't be right not to make use of Heaphy Hut is known for the Rang- Down the coastline we walked, with the pub just over the road, so we had ers' horses which graze in the grassy the Tasman Sea on our right. Strangely a couple of drinks before trundling enclosure around the hut. Whilst I enough, we didn't have rain or back to the house to vege out for the knew that two horses roamed that drizzle-it was fine! remainder of the night. enclosurei in search of packs carelessly left open, I didn' 'tl know about the two When we got to the Kohaihai River, I know that I had an excellent time, sheep. Needless to: say, Iwas surprised Chris and I went for a quick dip. Why and Ithink I can say that Chris, Dave, that night to be disturbed byt the sound was it quick? because it was COLD! Greg Leanne, Prakash and Sue also of two female sheep baaing. I think This river seemed to be as cold as the enjoyed themselves. Now wej just have they breed a special type of sheep other rivers that we had "dips"in, and to start thinking about what we will down there, as these ones giggled. they were dips in the truest sense! do next Christmas... B TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING 1996