It was with immense satisfaction that the first judder of many peculated through my bones at the start of The Heaphy Great Walk. This was no tramp though, but a long awaited mountain biking adventure. I first rode this track back in 1996 on a fully rigid bike. Then I was new to MTBing. Now, I was on a luxurious full suspension bike with a bit more single track under by belt. It had taken 15 long years to be allowed to return; at times I wondered if it would ever be reopened in my MTBing career, at last it was! Either way the rocks seemed not to remember me, and with indifference bounced me on my way.
After mixed interest in a WTMC trip back in July, some friends whom I’d successfully sold the idea to, decided to organize their own trip, and thankfully invited me along.
The Heaphy Track is 78.4km long cuts an arc across the top of the South Island through the Kahurangi NP. It starts in beech forest in the east, crosses a high open basin and ends in nikau palm lined beaches in the west. Though it can be ridden in either direction it is much easier from the Collingwood end. In this direction most of the track is rideable, for a rider with good skills and fitness. We were spreading the trip over 2.5 days so that we had plenty of time and didn’t set ourselves up for an epic of the wrong sort.
The first few hours were spent winding uphill in a low gear. The climb has a good consistent gradient, some parts are smooth others rockier. The rocky sections drain your legs and are paradoxically easier to ride in a higher gear.
Plenty of side stream means we don’t need to carry much water which is a bonus as we are all already carrying 8-9kg packs. This is a self sufficient trip and sleeping bags, spare clothes and food are all carried on our backs. Though this is nothing unusual for a tramp it is a very strange feeling for an MTBer.
After several hours of climbing with intermittent rests we reached a lookout (920m) over the surrounding bush. This was the highpoint of the track and although not the last of the climbing by any means at least now we could engage the ‘gravity assist’ feature of our bikes.
We were heading for Gouland Downs hut, a charming and tidy old hut with a gigantic fireplace. If not for its historical value it would have been ripped out and replaced long ago. Here we would spend a comfortable night eating our Backcountry cuisine and coaxing the fire with damp wood.
Sunrise brought us a fine day to cross the Gouland Downs and the prospects of some of the best MTB riding in NZ. The Downs are a large upland basin, a spectacular and unique landscape filled with colour and interest. From the hut a relatively level and fast track wanders through tussock fields, into pockets of enchanted trees, across creeks, past boulder outcrops, and around charming water features.
Before lunch there was some steady climbing and the odd slower muddy section. These swallowed the occasional front wheel much to the amusement of the rest of the group. Boardwalks crossed the boggier sections of the track though. A nice downhill run had us coasting to McKay Hut for a well earned lunch.
After lunch we descended continuously down a spur towards the coast and Lewis hut. This is classic gravity fuelled riding, though a bit more technical than earlier sections. After a days riding already, the body and bike are starting to flow and the pack is no longer noticeable. As we get lower there are less obstacles to interrupt the flow and the riding gets faster.
At the Lewis River we opt to take the swing bridges despite low rivers. After an exhausting battle to cajole the bikes across we admit that the river would have been a much easier option at these flows.
We arrive tired and just on nightfall at the Heaphy hut. The last section of track has taken us twice as long as planned. Sand piled onto the track as part of an ‘in-progress track upgrade’ makes this section exhausting and unrideable. Our bikes are choked with sand, brakes grinding away discs and rims with every touch, gears grate, quick release pedals – don’t!
The hut was already warm and cosy, courtesy of two other MTBers. More Backcountry cuisine and clean clothes restore our energy levels and spirits. The night brought coastal rain and a bit of a clean for the bikes. In the morning a more thorough clean and re-lube and the bikes are functional again.
We set off on the last leg of our adventure with the rain just holding off. This last section of track skirts pristine beaches southwards along the coast. The riding is mostly flat with the odd quick climb between beaches. We stopped often just to take in the sheer beauty of this untouched coast, views north and south equally breath taking. A blustery Tasman Sea added to the rawness.
At Crayfish Point we dropped down onto the beach and pushed our bikes along the firm sand to the edge of the incoming tide. It was the edge of a different world to that which we were trying to return to. By the time we reached the last beach, Scotts Beach, we all felt a little saddened that our epic adventure was nearly over. One last grunty climb followed by a superb down hill and it was all over. High fives all round, fish and chips in Little Wanganui and a drive over Lewis Pass in a blizzard rounded out a brilliant trip.
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