Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a long swing bridge over
Katipo Creek
and arrive at Katipo Shelter, the halfway point of the
day, 2½ hours from Heaphy Hut. Located here is Katipo Campsite.
To the south the track skirts
Twin Beach
, fords
Crayfish Creek
and then arrives at
Cray-
fish Point
. Normally you drop to the shore and scramble over the rocks to round it. But if
the tide is in, you may have to use the high-tide track that climbs above the shore.
From Crayfish Point, the track dips back into the bush and then climbs the bluff to skirt
both
Koura Beach
and
Big Rock Beach
, allowing you to look down at the crashing surf.
One hour (3km) from Crayfish Point you descend to Scotts Beach Campsite, where you may
encounter day walkers who have come in from Kohaihai, just one hour away.
From
Scotts Beach
the Heaphy Track makes a steady but gentle climb to a saddle. You
top off at a spur track to
Scotts Hill Lookout
, a 10-minute walk to a spectacular view of the
coastline, and then descend. The track ends with a big swing bridge over the
Kohaihai River
that deposits you at Kohaihai, where there is a shelter and campsite.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Wangapeka Track
Duration
5 days
Distance
59km (37 miles)
Track Standard
Tramping track and route
Difficulty
Moderate
Start
Rolling River car park
End
Wangapeka Rd car park
Nearest Towns
Nelson (
Click here
)
, Motueka (
Click here
)
, Karamea (
Click here
)
Transport
Shuttle bus
Summary
In the shadow of the well-known Heaphy Track, the Wangapeka is a challenging
tramp over two 1000m saddles and through the beech-forested valleys of the Wangapeka,
Karamea, Taipo and Little Wanganui Rivers.
The Wangapeka Track is a journey across the southern end of Kahurangi National Park.
There are no beaches or pounding surf on this tramp, but to many trampers its rugged
scenery and isolation make it a more interesting walk than the Heaphy Track.
