NZ tramping advice - walks near Heaphy and transport advice?

[Joynz]

I’m booked for the Heaphy Track - finishing at Kohaihai end in early Feb 2022.

I’d like to add on another walk(s) in the area - but finding it a bit confusing figuring out public transport.

(I initially wanted to do the Papamoa Track but the huts are booked out.)

Options so far are The Old Ghost Road or the Copeland Track. Has anyone here walked The Old Ghost Rd?

Any other suggestions for walks - and how to get there by public transport?

Is there a good online or Facebook NZ site for these types of queries that you would recommend? I know about the NZ Tramper site - but wondering if anyone knows of other sites

[lseries92]

I have not done either of the Old Ghost Road or Copeland Tracks but if you want to try to do at least part of the Paparoa Track you could check out the Croesus Track. The Paparoa uses part of it including the Cec Clark Hut which still has bookings available.

I have personally not done the Croesus Track but you may be about stay at Cec Clark hut for two nights and walk up to Moonlight Tops and beyond on the Paparoa before returning on the second day (you may want to check if this is ok). As well, it may also allow you to snag a last minute cancellation for the Paparoa itself.

I would assume you have done the Abel Tasman? - if not you could obviously you could return via the Heaphy Bus from the Heaphy Track end near Karamea back to Nelson and then use it to go up to the Abel Tasman trailhead the next day.

[Joynz]

Thanks for that advice. Yes, I did the Abel Tasman on another trip.

Will keep my eye out for a Papamoa cancellation - but will likely just do that one on another trip.

[wayno]

Croesus track is very steep and slippery, slow going and is easy to loose in places. took me three hours to descend it.
paparoa you have to be careful in summer, you have to deal with a lot of bikers coming downhill at speed around blind corners, on the sections north of moonlight hut
from what i've heard that is an issue , more so than on the ghost road which also has bikers but fewer of them.

[Joynz]

Thanks Wayno.

Any thoughts on other walks?

Currently thinking about the Copeland Tk, and also considering the Travers Sabine Circuit. But not sure about the advisability of doing either one solo. All my other NZ tramps have been ‘Great Walks’ so little chance of getting lost…

[wayno]

good fitness needed for travers sabine. coplenad is easy
i dont recommend any tracks... quite a few are getting over run now because they've gone viral... and the te araroa trail is swamping some in mud and swarming the smaller huts

[Joynz]

No worries - there’s plenty of DOCS info around - I just find the public transport options confusing.

I was just in NZ for several weeks and there seemed to be a lot fewer people around due to the international COVID travel restrictions.

I would have thought that would have affected usage of the tramping tracks too.

[wayno]

once a track goes viral. it will stay viral for the future....

[wayno]

theres loads of NZers and people on work visas still around tramping since they cant go anywhere else. the TA was still busy this year.

[Joynz]

Just a footnote to this query.

I joined the Tramping in New Zealand Facebook group and found a wealth of helpful information on NZ tramps.

Highly recommended for information about all kinds of tramps, conditions and transport in NZ.