Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Tramp
Day 1: Brown Hut to Perry Saddle Hut
5 HOURS, 17.5KM, 775M ASCENT
The car park at the Heaphy Track's eastern end is now at Brown Hut (16 bunks). The hut
was built to enable trampers to get an early start on the first leg of the journey - the climb to
Perry Saddle - and has flush toilets and drinking water. Nearby is Brown Hut Campsite.
From the hut the track follows Brown River for 200m before crossing it on a footbridge.
On the other side you pass through pasture and then begin the long climb towards Gouland
Downs. Beech forest with scattered podocarps and rata surrounds the wide track as it slowly
climbs along monotonous switchbacks.
Within 1½ hours the track passes a junction with the
Shakespeare Flat Track
, a route
that descends south (left fork) to the
Aorere River
.
The main track swings uphill and about three hours from Brown Hut, after an 11km
climb, reaches Aorere Shelter, an ideal spot for lunch or morning tea, complete with a water
supply. Nearby is Aorere Shelter Campsite.
Beyond the shelter the track remains wide and continues to climb, but at a more gentle
pace. Within one hour, or 3km, you reach
Flanagan's Corner
, the highest point of the tramp
at 915m. A five-minute spur track (left) leads to a viewing point that includes the surround-
ing ridges and Mt Perry.
From Flanagan's Corner it's another 40 minutes (2km) along a level track before you
break out of the bush into the open tussock and patches of beech found on
Perry Saddle
.
Five minutes away, the brand-spanking new Perry Saddle Hut (28 bunks), at an elevation of
880m, commands views of the Douglas Range across the Aorere Valley. Perry Saddle
Campsite is also located here, and nearby is the deep
Gorge Creek
, which is popular for
bathing despite its somewhat shocking temperature.
Day 2: Perry Saddle Hut to Saxon Hut
3-4 HOURS, 12.5KM
A well-formed track enters the bush and remains in it for the next hour or so, crossing a
handful of streams, three of them bridged. The third one is Sheep Creek, and from here the
track opens into the bowl of
Gouland Downs
, a wide expanse of rolling tussock broken by
patches of stunted silver beech and pygmy pine. You skirt the upper edge of this basin for
