Heaphy Track, Kahurangi National Park, 7073, Tasman Region, New Zealand
The longest Great Walk in New Zealand at 78km, four or five days walking most common, or two days zipping through on a mountain bike.
The Heaphy is the Great Walk with the most varied scenery: beech tree forest on the Takaka side; tussockland across the top; over into the West Coast forest, a different type, huge rata trees dripping with epiphytes; views of huge limestone bluffs and a creek running out from a cave; the sun plopping down into the sea; then a day walking beside golden beaches, where, if you’re lucky, you may encounter a stray seal.
The level of strenuousness is not high but you are required to lug your sleeping bag, warm clothes and food for those four or five days. The one big uphill, while constant, ie, trudging up for hours, is never more than a moderate gradient, enthusiastic 70-year-olds can cruise on through.
Epic New Zealand Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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