We knew the final day of the Heaphy Track could go either way; almost the entire sixteen kilometers were along the coast much of the time just metres from the beach. We had seen plenty of warnings about this section of track, especially during storms or high seas. Luckily for us we woke to beautifully clear skies with just a light southerly wind bringing in lovely fresh, clear air.
With the track running right along the beach and the tide slowly dropping we walked along to the sound of the waves crashing next to us. Despite following the ocean, the views still varied greatly with the beach changing every few minutes. In places, where the surrounding hills came all the way to the ocean, the track would dip into dense forest, only to emerge a short distance later to what felt like an entirely different stretch of coast.
From sandy beaches, to rocky points and combinations of both it felt like we covered everything in the course of just a few kilometers. As with the previous days on the track, this final section was so different from the prior section through forests.
Passing one sandy beach we watched as a shag dried out in the breeze after an early morning fishing expedition.
We walked past more Nikau Palms next to the water and with a passing squall out to sea giving the water a turquoise hue, it seemed as if we were on a tropical island, rather than the windswept West Coast of New Zealand. Despite the tropical looking palms, some translations of Nikau mean ‘without nuts’ referring back to the fact that when Māori first came to New Zealand they were disappointed to see that the palm trees here did not quite compare to the coconut trees of their Pacific homelands.
Not much further down the track we were reminded of how lucky we were to have a great weather window to walk this section of the track. We have passed other warning signs on walking tracks, but I think one warning of extreme weather and sea conditions that can cause waves to wash over the track is definitely a first for us!
Having passed the shelter we knew marked the halfway point of the final days hike, were were pleasantly surprised by how quickly we were completing the last section of track. The constantly changing scenery and relatively flat trail made for an easy end to our time on the Heaphy Track.
Before long we reached Scott’s Beach, an area we had previously visited on a short day hike from the trailhead. With the sun out and just enough wind to keep the sandflies at bay, we stopped for a late morning snack whilst contemplating the final small hill we needed to climb at the end of the beach to reach the car park.
We made it to the top of the saddle relatively easily and were rewarded with views all the way back along the coast we had been walking along. With the red flowers of the Southern Rata (as sign of summer here in New Zealand) and the sunny blue skies and sandy beaches, it felt a long way away from the drizzly grey forest we had climbed through on our first day.
We dropped down to cross the Kohaihai River and were pleased to see that our car relocation was successful and that it was waiting for us in the shade of a nearby tree. From the trailhead it was just a short drive down the coast to the town of Karamea and our hotel ‘The Last Resort’ where we were eager to hop in a shower and get some real food…..although not necessarily in that order!