Heaphy Track

The Heaphy Track, named after the painter and explorer Charles Heaphy, is a popular hiking trail in the north of the West Coast region on the South Island of New Zealand. The route is 78.4 km long and can be usually moved within 3-7 in 5 days.

The track is one of the New Zealand Great Walks and thus one of the most popular hiking trails in New Zealand. The scale in the Kahurangi National Park track was named after the explorer Charles Heaphy.

History

Even before the 16th century, settled along the route some Māoristämme. Show finds that, in the area traversed by the track, searching for jade stones ( Pounamu ) in the area of ​​" Gouland Downs " Māori.

The first Named held Europeans in the area were in 1846, the two explorers Charles Heaphy and Thomas Brunner with their Māoriführer Kehu. Other documented expeditions led 1859 European gold digger Aldridge and 1860 James MacKay and John Clark.

In the following years the area was scoured during the Gold Rush repeatedly of prospectors and the "Track" by several surveyors and explorers, including JB Saxon, created in 1888.

Since in this region even after 30 years no gold was found, became the way into oblivion. It was used only rarely after 1900 by individual hunters.

Only with the establishment of the " North - West Nelson Forest Park " in 1965, as the Kahurangi National Park continues to exist as of 1996, the track was re-discovered. Meanwhile, he is well versed by thousands of tourists every year.

Landscape

The Heaphy Track is known for its diversity, so that you can see a whole new landscape every 20 km.

A wooded area west of the " MacKay hut"

Nikaubäume side of the Heaphy River

The Tasman Sea at the Heaphy River mouth