Editing Heaphy Track (section)

==History==
[[Māori people|Māori]] iwi are known to have settled along the lower course of the [[Heaphy River]] as early as the 14th century.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walter |first=Richard |last2=Muth |first2=Sreymony |date=April 2004 |title=Excavations at the Heaphy River mouth L26/1 |url=https://dl.heritage.org.nz/greenstone3/library?a=p&sa=verify&c=devreports&url=%2Fgreenstone3%2Flibrary%2Fsites%2Fheritage-nz%2Fcollect%2Fdevreports%2Findex%2Fassoc%2FWalter2.dir%2FWalter2.pdf |access-date=8 August 2022 |website= |publisher=New Zealand Historic Places Trust |via=[[Heritage New Zealand]] }}</ref> There is a significant archaeological site near the existing Heaphy Hut that has been the subject of significant investigations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McFadgen |first=Bruce |last2=Goff |first2=James |date=November 2003 |title=Earthquake uplift and erosion of archaeological site L26/1 at the mouth of the Heaphy River |url= https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/dsis149.pdf |access-date=8 August 2020 |publisher=Department of Conservation |archive-date=5 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190205175521/https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/dsis149.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citeQ|Q112806314}}</ref> The evidence from these investigations suggests that at least some of the area crossed by today's Heaphy Track had been explored and settled by Māori in pre-European times. No evidence has yet been found of middens in the Gouland Downs area, however middens have been found at all the main river-mouths south of the Heaphy River.<ref name="Petyt" />{{rp||page=19|}} This suggests that the route along the coast had been used regularly by Māori.

The first visit to the area by European persons whose names were recorded took place in 1846, when [[Charles Heaphy]], [[Thomas Brunner]] and their Māori guide [[Kehu]] {{lang|mi|([[Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō]], [[Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri]])|italic=no}}, supported by another guide {{lang|mi|Tau|italic=no}},{{refn|{{Cite web |date=24 September 2007 |editor-last=Phillips |editor-first=Jock |editor-link=Jock Phillips |title=European exploration: Thomas Brunner, Nelson and the West Coast |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/european-exploration/page-5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409170337/https://teara.govt.nz/en/european-exploration/page-5 |archive-date=9 April 2022 |access-date=1 May 2022 |website=[[Te Ara: the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ,mi}}}} explored the coastal sector of the track.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kehu – Māori Guide Extraordinaire |url=http://www.theprow.org.nz/maori/kehu-maori-guide-extraordinaire/ |access-date=6 August 2022 |website=www.theprow.org.nz |archive-date=6 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706101041/http://www.theprow.org.nz/maori/kehu-maori-guide-extraordinaire/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 1856, [[James Mackay (New Zealand politician, born 1831)|James Mackay]] and a colleague John Clark explored the headwaters of the Aorere River, in search of a large grassy plan that had been reported by Māori to lie between the Aorere and the West Coast.  They found a large scrub-covered area that was later named the Gouland Downs, but did not travel across it or mark out a route to the West Coast at that time.<ref name="brereton">{{cite book|title=History of the Heaphy Track |publisher=NZ Forest Service |first=Wilfred Denis A.|last=Brereton|date=13 June 1972}}</ref>

The first recorded crossing approximately along today's route was by a European gold miner named Aldrige in 1859. Another crossing by James Mackay took place in 1860.{{refn|name="wilder"|{{Cite web |last=Barnett |first=Shaun |date=30 May 2017 |title=The Heaphy Track |url=https://wilderlife.nz/2017/05/the-heaphy-track/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204030924/https://wilderlife.nz/2017/05/the-heaphy-track/ |archive-date=4 February 2022 |website=Wilderlife |language=en-NZ}}}} At the time, Mackay was returning from leading the Crown purchase from Māori of all the land on the West Coast within the Nelson province.  His party turned inland at the Heaphy River, and then travelled up the Lewis River to the saddle. From there they crossed the Gouland Downs and descended via the Aorere River back to Collingwood.<ref name="brereton" />

The discovery of gold at Karamea in 1861 led to increased interest in the route between Nelson and the West Coast.  In December 1861, Mackay, along with John and Arthur Knyvett, created a rough track between the upper Aorere River and the Heaphy River mouth. The Nelson Provincial Council allocated funding for work on the track in 1866 and 1867, but there is no record of further work on the track until 1885, when the Public Works Department asked the Collingwood County Council to initiate a survey. The Council engaged James Saxon a surveyor from Nelson, and he laid out a route suitable for horse carts from the Brown river to the Gouland Downs, with a grade of 1 in 16.  His plans were approved by the Public Works Department in 1886.<ref name="brereton" />

During and after the [[West Coast gold rush]] of the 1860s the area was extensively visited for gold and the track was definitely laid out by various prospectors and surveyors, among them John Saxon in 1888.{{refn|{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Paul |title=Saxon Hut & Campsite |url=https://heaphytrack.com/saxon-hut-campsite/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422223639/https://heaphytrack.com/saxon-hut-campsite/ |archive-date=22 April 2021 |access-date=1 May 2022 |website=Heaphy Track |language=en-NZ}}}} No gold was found in the area and, after thirty years, prospecting came to an end. By 1900, the track was virtually forgotten and had become overgrown and seldom used except by an occasional hunter.{{r|wilder}}

The creation of the [[North-west Nelson Forest Park]] in 1965, which became [[Kahurangi National Park]] in 1996, led to the rediscovery and improvement of the track.{{r|wilder}}

The track is now tramped by thousands of people every year.{{refn|{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Jane |last2=Boer |first2=Eric de |last3=Wightwick |first3=Ian |date=September 2013 |title=Heaphy Track Mountain Bike Trial 2011–2013 |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/about-doc/policies-and-plans/national-parks/heaphy-track-mountain-bike-trail-report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131075506/https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/about-doc/policies-and-plans/national-parks/heaphy-track-mountain-bike-trail-report.pdf |archive-date=31 January 2019 |access-date=1 May 2022 |website=[[Department of Conservation (New Zealand)|Department of Conservation]] |language=en-NZ}}}}

=== Partial track closure in 2022 ===
[[File:Heaphy_Track_markup_showing_section_closed_in_2022.jpg|thumb|Heaphy Track markup showing section closed in 2022]]
In early February 2022, heavy rain in the Buller District caused severe flooding and damage to the track and to three bridges on the final section of the track between James Mackay and Heaphy Huts. The suspension bridge over the [[Gunner River]] was damaged and the Pitt Creek bridge was swept away. The {{cvt|148.8|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} suspension bridge over the Heaphy River was destroyed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bohny |first=Skara |date=9 February 2022 |title=Heaphy Track remains closed after bridges wiped out by flooded rivers |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300513982/heaphy-track-remains-closed-after-bridges-wiped-out-by-flooded-rivers |access-date=5 August 2022 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307193205/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300513982/heaphy-track-remains-closed-after-bridges-wiped-out-by-flooded-rivers |url-status=live }}</ref> The bridge across the Heaphy was the longest suspended deck bridge in the country when it was built in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 March 2022 |title=Parts of destroyed Heaphy bridge to be salavaged for replacement |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300532835/parts-of-destroyed-heaphy-bridge-to-be-salavaged-for-replacement |access-date=8 August 2022 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en-nz |archive-date=8 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808032850/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300532835/parts-of-destroyed-heaphy-bridge-to-be-salavaged-for-replacement |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the bridge deck was {{cvt|6.5|m}} above normal river level, the bridge was damaged beyond repair in the floods.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 February 2022 |title=Heaphy Bridge on Great Walk irreparable |language=en-nz |work=[[RNZ]] |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462064/heaphy-bridge-on-great-walk-irreparable |access-date=5 August 2022 |archive-date=22 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722232412/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462064/heaphy-bridge-on-great-walk-irreparable |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to the damage to bridges, the severe weather also caused slips and windfall on the track from James Mackay Hut down to the river valley.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 July 2022 |title=Heaphy Track Recovery Updates – Newsletter 7 – Mackay Hill Track |url=https://newsletters.doc.govt.nz/t/i-42ED6AF2ECBEC0132540EF23F30FEDED |access-date=5 August 2022 |publisher=Department of Conservation |archive-date=6 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806083349/https://newsletters.doc.govt.nz/t/i-42ED6AF2ECBEC0132540EF23F30FEDED |url-status=live }}</ref> The section of the track between James Mackay and Heaphy Huts was closed because of the extensive damage, although the rest of the track and huts were re-opened during February for return trips from the two road ends. The rest of the track and all the huts remained open, and the track could be accessed for return trips from either road-end.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bohny |first=Skara |date=10 February 2022 |title=Heaphy Track closure to last 'several months' |language=en |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/300514868/heaphy-track-closure-to-last-several-months |url-status=live |access-date=5 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704010443/https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/300514868/heaphy-track-closure-to-last-several-months |archive-date=4 July 2022}}</ref> A helicopter shuttle service was established as an option to take walkers between Lewis Shelter and Heaphy Hut.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Delden |first=Aaron van |date=20 September 2022 |title=Helicopter shuttle bridges gap on Heaphy Track |url=https://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/helicopter-shuttle-bridges-gap-on-heaphy-track/ |access-date=9 July 2023 |website=Wilderness Magazine |language=en-GB |archive-date=10 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710001940/https://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/helicopter-shuttle-bridges-gap-on-heaphy-track/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The track re-opened in October 2023, after the replacement of bridges and restoration of tracks damaged in the 2022 floods. Prior to the re-opening, 12,000 people had booked accommodation on the track over the next eight months.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 October 2023 |title=Heaphy Track reopens, thousands already booked in |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500512/heaphy-track-reopens-thousands-already-booked-in |access-date=18 October 2023 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz |archive-date=15 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115185316/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500512/heaphy-track-reopens-thousands-already-booked-in |url-status=live }}</ref>