Heaphy Track - Day 5 Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai Shelter 16km

A glorious dawn.

We are walking the last day of the Heaphy Track.

Beaches, nikau palms, unusual plants, and meeting people lie ahead. 

Come, walk with us.

Through a  Nikau Palm guard of honour...

and over another new suspension bridge.

Let's help with track maintenance.

Bill and Danielle

Meet Christiane from Germany. I have talked with several women walking solo on the track. I love these meetings when we can chat and cheer each other.

I don't want this day to end.
I take my time to chat,
to take photographs, and
to become at one in this place.

Photo: thanks Christiane

Karaka 

A member of the solanum family.

Meet Tmesipteris a unique living fossil which is described as being like the Tuatara of the plant kingdom.

 Our guides and lunch carriers. Andy brought in fresh goodies for lunch today. Paula and Bill have been our guides for the whole trip.
Today has been a special day and I am glad I could set my own pace and enjoy this unique place.

Kohaihai.

Photo: thanks Dick

We have walked the Heaphy track. 78.4km + side trips.
Diana, Bill, Pete, Danielle, Dick.  front: Paula and Andy.

Photo: thanks Clem

Clem from Austria has shared our journey some of the time.

We arrive at Karamea Village Hotel.
Radioman, our friend Mark Donham, arrives on his motorbike.
A happy reunion at Karamea Village Hotel.
A surprising story unfolds.
I was amazed to hear that 'Joe on the motorbike' on the Heaphy track near Perry hut and Mark have been riding together in Golden Bay for a couple of days.
When I talked with Joe three days ago and discovered he had ridden his motorbike from Patagonia to the USA I told him about Radioman.

When Joe got home to Takaka from his stint on the Heaphy track he discovered an email from a US friend telling him he might meet Radioman. 

Just by chance Radioman was only a few km    from where Joe was and, hey presto, they met up and rode together.

I just love these unexpected meetings.

They can only happen when we talk with each other and share our stories.

I have enjoyed this walk. The Bush and Beyond crew Bill, Paula and Andy looked after us very well.

We have now tramped all of the South Island Great Walks.

We rate the Heaphy Track as one of our best walks in New Zealand.
The track is well graded and mostly in good repair. Some sections are undergoing upgrading. The bridges are splendid.  Two of the huts are new and the other huts are in good condition.
The Heaphy Track has the greatest diversity of landscape and natural history of the southern Great Walks.


Where shall we walk next?