Twenty-three kilometres! Easily my shortest day of bikepacking yet. It was utterly fantastic; such a luxury to take our sweet time through the deserted Heaphy – we saw no-one else on the track all day.
Hand scribbled notes and maps in James Mackay hut told of a short track up the hill behind. On a nice morning, there was no way I wasn’t going up there. Even with a rough track, which was mostly up a rocky, rutted water channel, it was only fifteen minutes to climb the hundred metres to the summit of Otepo.
Down to Heaphy mouth.
The trig on top has certainly seen some weather.
Over to the Tubman Range; Heaphy River down in between somewhere.
Can’t stay staring around at the summit all morning, time to head down. Lush.
By the time I returned to finish packing, who knows how many coffees Pete had had – and it had clouded over. Shockingly, I had to put my raincoat on for the first time on the whole trip – seven days on the West Coast! Incredible fortune with the weather late-winter. The drizzle was light and the jacket didn’t last long as it soon ceased.
Back into the forest for a short while as we climbed towards Tasman district.
A small drop, with some trail clearing, took us to these flats beside the Saxon River.
I was hopeful of seeing my first takahe some time during this sightseeing day. I was delighted to see this pair as soon as I looked around the corner of Saxon Hut.
It was time for a long lunch in the hut watching their antics; very cool, and at times amusing.
Out into the Gouland Downs section; pleased the rain has stopped, always feels a bit exposed out here.
Here’s another Big River.
It didn’t really matter how slow we were going, but progress was reasonable enough as we entered the Enchanted Forest for a short time before popping out to Gouland Downs Hut.
It’s such a charming little hut, we were tempted to call it a day there – but it is very dark inside and the open fire has leant it a decidedly smokey atmosphere inside. But nevermind, caves to be found! On previous rides through I had no idea there were a number of small caves back under the Enchanted Forest – I’d unknowingly ridden over one four times! Leaving our bikes at the hut, we went exploring.
Down off one side of the trail…
The caves certainly were not hard to find.
And none too wet, we could walk underneath the trail with dry feet soon popping out on the other side to clamber back up.
Beginning to see how the forest got its moniker.
Follow the water and they’re even easier to find.
Back on the bikes for the last stretch, climbing gently a few hundred metres to Perry Saddle.
Leaving the Downs, another brief spell of jacket wearing.
I had good fun clearing as much as possible as the trail got rockier and more difficult to negotiate.
At the hut just after three, that was a most enjoyable short day seeing more than I have on previous faster rides through. We even had plenty of time to properly heat the sprawling hut this time; again, a bunk room each. I found a large book detailing the history of the track and area – fascinated, I read much of it that evening.
The briefest of appearances for the afternoon.