Heaphy Track & Kaituna Track

Heaphy Track – 28/07/26

Another walk planned for the day and we have another awesome day with the weather. Up early backpacks checked brunch packed, expresso coffee kettle packed. Morning cuppa finished and off we go, 43kms up the Aotere Valley Road to the start of the Heaphy Track that runs 72km over to the West Coast.

Ah… no we’re not doing the whole track (yet) just doing a 6 km uphill climb to have brunch where ever we end up at 6kms. To many people the pictures we take of the landscape, bush, trees, hills, mountains, rivers, streams and wildlife may all look alike but to Jude and I every track and what it presents in visuals and challenges are all different.

We arrive at the start of the eastern end of the Heaphy Track, there were only two vehicles there when we arrived one where the occupants were somewhere on the track and the other a late model Suzuki Jimny same colour as ours and the Number plate QLK which amazed us as ours was LKQ… anyway the woman that was setting off on the track sounded American or Canadian and appeared an experienced tramper as she wished us a enjoyable hike up the hill and headed off.

Moments later we were packed up and ready to head off for our day trip and hit the trail with pace. My pack was deliberate about 18kg with added unnecessary weight just for the strength building side of the walk while Jude selected her bike backpack with minimal weight (she knew I would carry the cooking gear, coffee espresso etc).

The grade was a persistent uphill, not steep but relentless and without respite for 18kms for those going all the way to the first DoC hut the “Perry Saddle Hut” and I was pleased we were only going 6kms. After 1.5Km I thought Fuck me this is going to be a slog, however at about 2km my body had warmed up and was cruising nicely as was Jude who claimed she got her second wind after 1km… “Well’a I just said “That’s because your light weight, little load and tiny motor would warm up faster than a larger power machine like me! Anyway as I said once warmed up I didn’t mind how far we ended up going I was now in cruise mode.

After 3km we eventually caught up to the woman we met at the start before she headed off , she had stopped to remove her backpack to adjust her gear and attire etc as she was sweating quite hard and explained she had been on holiday and wasn’t as fit as she normally was so intended to walk to the Perry Saddle hut for the night before returning back down to her vehicle.

We continued on, stopping occasionally to admire the view and get the odd snap for our regular posts. After 1hr and 40min we thought it was time to find a sunny spot for brunch and by luck we noticed a small side track that went 30 meters into the bush and came out in a small clearing the size in area of a twin garage which was perfect for a rest and brunch. Once the espresso Coffee was on the cooker, we sat looking out over the valley while eating brunch before the return trip back down the track to the car park.

On the way back Down the track the pace was obviously a little faster than the climb up… however Jude being Jude just loves stopping admire everything and anything that nature has to offer and I pretend to listen to what she is saying, what Jude doesn’t seem to understand is that men just want to go from A to B, we men just want to do what needs to be done to get the job done, men don’t want to look at the wildlife or the plants, shrubs and trees unless you can eat it. lol

Kaituna Track – 29.07.26

Today as per another good day with a cool easterly and an early start to head of to the Kaituna Track with the intent to walk to the fork where an unnamed river flows into the Kaituna River. The track does continue on from the Fork for another 9km to Knuckle hill, but that will be another trip on another day but for today it’s an easy 7.4km return trip.

We head off on a cold track that is hidden from winter sun just about all winter, it is cold but walking briskly and the incline in creasing we soon warmed up. At the start in the first half kilometre there are a couple of detours to old gold mine shafts and relics which we will detour on our return leg. The track narrows to a goat track width with rather high drop offs so maintaining sure footing is paramount as there is a risk of the track ledge collapsing.

There are multiple signs of where huge masses of water have gouged out the hillsides and with it the track, fortunately someone has cut into hillside to form collateral routes for the keen to continue. The huge size of the trees that have been ripped out of the ground and smashed like match stick and the size of the rock that is bulldozed by pure water force is amazing.

Finally after an hour of hiking we reached the fork and it was worth the short tramp of 3.7km through this terrain to see it. We didn’t hear or see too much bird life which was disappointing but the views were definitely worth it and as per normal Jude found the small things like fungi of different types of interest. Recommend this to anyone.