Kahurangi National Park highlights the best bits of NZ. Located at the top of the South Island the park’s exceptional diversity is a major drawcard. Visitors will soak up scenic vistas from dense forest, alpine tussock, limestone karst hills, cave systems to roaring river systems.
- Relish the challenge of a multi-day hike, a Great Walk, Heaphy Track
- Adventures galore white water rafting tumultuous Karamea River
- Te Waikoropupu Pupu Springs, torrents of freshwater spring water gushing into the wetlands, simply stunning
- Oparara Basin and Cave system, where nature sculptured and carved a micro-environment with giant carnivorous snails and other creatures
- Takaka hills limestone marble lookout views over Nelson and vistas of the Abel Tasman National Park
Wild meets West Coast is where a national treasure of Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest rocks, fascinating giant carnivorous snails and other creatures of the night inhabit and rarest birds call the park home.
Most of the park is untracked wilderness, the network of walking tracks follows the footsteps of the earliest explorers, local Maori tribes on their way to the pounamu (jade) wealth of the west coast. Kahurangi is a treasured possession in Maori, an apt name for New Zealand’s newest national park.
Best Time to Visit
Spring to late autumn when the water flow creates one of kind waterfalls and white river rafting opportunities (Spring, Southern Hemisphere between October to early December) and (Autumn, Southern Hemisphere between mid March to beginning of May).
Weather
As the park is enormous it is recommended that weather conditions for a specific area are consulted.
TOP SIXTEEN THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN KAHURANGI NATIONAL PARK
1. HEAPHY TRACK
Heaphy track, highly publicised together with signature name ‘A great walk’ a popular walk with approximately 9,500 visitors in 2019. It is the longest Great Walk with the most diverse scenery. This is the drawcard, the dramatic landscape variety from the beach to the mountains.
The landscape ranges from bush, hilltops, streams and waterfalls, caves, tussock fields, west coast beaches with nikau palm trees and clear blue water. The four to five day trail follows a historic footsteps of Maori traders. Best time is mid-February through March.
What to Do Near Heaphy Track Entrances
- Brown Hut in Golden Bay – 156 km from Nelson – at the end of Aorere Valley Rd, Golden Bay is home to the small town of Collingwood and Farewell Spit.
- Kohaihai on the West Coast – 110 km from Westport – at the end of Kohaihai Rd. You are immersed in the wild west coast, check out Westport things to do, attractions, places to go and the Denniston Plateau.
2. TE WAIKOROPUPU (PUPU) SPRINGS
Te Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs. A well known tourist attraction with excellent boardwalks, information plaques explaining the springs origins. The walk to the springs passes remains of water races for sluicing alluvial gold, attempts at farming and forest clearances.
Totora and rimu trees that have survived are markers for what the surrounding forest looked like originally. Pupu Springs are the clearest spring water in the world, the welling waters cover an extensive area due to the water flow of discharging 14,000 litres of water per second.
This is a great walk for families with its interpretive history for New Zealand and the importance of the springs in New Zealand’s cultural identity.
Length: 800m
Duration: 30 minutes (return)
Grade: Easy
What is There to Do Near Te Waikoropupu (Pupu) Blue Springs?
Pupu Blue Springs explore Takaka with its cafes, shops and galleries. Spend time at Pohara, a long wide sandy beach and make sure to get the selfie at Split Apple Rock, an iconic photo location. For rock form buffs check out Grove Scenic Reserve for its karst formations.
3. OPARARA BASIN ARCHES
Oparara Basin Arches. Along with the many short walks in the Oparara Basin, you’ll pass through prehistoric moss-covered vegetation from mighty natives to tiny colourful mushrooms, lichens and flowers. Kahurangi National Park Guided Walk & Cave Tours West Coast offer guided tours to areas where access is permitted with authorised operators.
It is recommended you participate in a guided tour as the Honeycomb Caves are worth the investment in your holiday experience. Oparara is magical, with its natural grottos, arches and cave systems. The journey to Karamea is worth the distance required to visit.
What to do near Oparara Basin Arches?
Explore the Denniston Plateau with its stark tussock clad landscape a reminder of the harsh conditions of early 20th century coal mining conditions.
4. WHARARIKI BEACH
Wharariki Beach, Remote over 100 km from Kaiteriteri. The walk is a 2 km trail. Windy, bent trees, people huddled against biting wind borne sand and insect repellent. Do not let this put you off. The best things are often the adventure getting there.
The beach is spectacular, extraordinarily beautiful with lush farmland, coastal views and a beach that is one of New Zealand’s best beaches for good looks.
NOTE: Monitor the tide, and do not swim at this beach due to its powerful rips. The high tide can cut access off at either end of the beach.
What to Do Near Wharariki Beach, South Island?
Wharariki Beach is close to one of NZ’s premier National Parks. Find out more about the Abel Tasman National Park
5. NGARUA CAVES
Ngarua Caves guided tours only. The stunning Ngarua Caves with its extensive and breathtaking variety of stalagmites and stalactites, also featuring an excellent skeletal display of the extinct moa.
Located in the Takaka Hill range and open daily throughout summer offering guided cave tours hourly from 10am-4pm. Bookings essential in the winter months (June-Sept).
6. TAKAKA HILL
Takaka Hill is also called Marble Mountain. The rock is marble, which is metamorphic limestone, altered by heat and pressure. The marble is quarried near Ngarua Cave and was used to build Parliament Buildings, the Beehive in Wellington and Nelson Cathedral.
Takaka Hill is the location for the film, The Lord of the Rings. There are several lookout points on the scenic road through the Takaka Hills for visitors to get up close and personal to the karst formations.
7. MT. ARTHUR SUMMIT
The summit is not just about the spectacular view, it is the immediate environment of glaciated marble outcrops and limestone landscapes littering the surroundings.
The tramp is 9.2 km which belies the challenging climb over rolling ridges with brief reprieves of tussock fields. The weather is changeable, be prepared for sudden temperature drops. Check the forecast before departing.
8. FAREWELL SPIT & PUPONGA FARM PARK
Farewell Spit and Puponga Farm Park: Places to go in Nelson/Tasman. The area is a sandspit with fresh and saltwater wetland.NZ’s longest sandspit. Walking track (2.5 km) along the ocean beach. Beyond this, access is restricted to authorised tour groups and permit-holders to protect the delicate ecology of the area. Café at main car park.
Designated both as a nature reserve and Ramsar site, due to its importance as a staging area for migratory shorebirds on the East Asia-Australasia migratory shorebird flyway. A total of 83 species of wetland birds have been recorded.
9. RIWAKA RESURGENCE
Riwaka Resurgence. The Riwaka River wells up from an underground spring, emerging from the Takaka Hill. The limestone passages and marble rocks filter the crystal clear water forming part of the wai tapu (sacred) beliefs of the Te Atiawa and Ngati Rarua people. A cool cave and out the bowels of the earth a river resurges.
10. WILDLIFE & BIRD WATCHING
Wildlife and bird watching. Mangarakau wetland covers about 350 hectares, of which half is owned by the Department of Conservation. The Native Forest Restoration Trust owns most of the balance and the swamp is currently managed by Friends of Mangarakau Inc. which was formed in 2003.
About Mangarakau Swamp, volunteers are often the backbone of environmental support and the swamp is an excellent example. At Mangarakau Swamp you can kayak up Muddy Creek or the Wairoa River at high tide to observe birdlife. Mangarakau Swamp is a great place to see wetland birds. Pakihi and lowland sedge and swamp forest is framed by striking limestone rock formations to the west, and draining into the Te Tai Tapu marine reserve at Westhaven Inlet to the north, this 400 ha swamp supports 54 bird species including:
- Fernbird
- Bittern
- Rare brown mudfish and diverse plant life in Wildlife of Mangarakau Swamp
ACTIVE ADVENTURES DESIGNED TO STIMULATE THE MOST JADED TRAVELLER
11. WHITE WATER RAFTING
White water rafting with Ultimate Descents – Murchison.
Ultimate Descents New Zealand offers the opportunity to explore the wild and scenic rivers in our region. We have an extensive range of river trips from 1/2 Day tours, thru to multi-day heli-rafting expeditions. Family owned and operated, we are whitewater rafting specialists.
Ultimate Descents specialises in packages that cater for children from six years of age. One of the few adventure activities for all the family, All equipment and clothing supplied. We can cater to the needs of your family.
12. TRAMPING (with the Heaphy Track as the drawcard)
Heaphy Track. The walk is between the Waimea Basin, on the east side of the national park, to the West Coast. It takes 4-6 days to complete. This track has trampers fording streams and rivers whereby rising waters could be an issue. The track mostly benched, ie, often hacked into the granite hillside, wide enough to accommodate your average packhorse.
There’s plenty of history along the way: the track itself was mostly dug out in the 1890s; Cecil Kings Hut was built in 1935 and has been mostly well maintained/restored; there is still the remnants of The Tabernacle, an A-frame shelter built for the track builders and surveyor in 1898; and then there is the legacy of gold mining activity in places.
For a detailed description of Wangapeka track check Wangapeka Track | Kahurangi National Park for details.
Heaphy Track popular access is Karamea. This overcomes the logistical challenges of vehicle relocation, transport and the associated expense. By walking or mountain biking from Karamea and then returning to the Kohaihai Shelter, you get to see the most scenic sections of the track twice and also return to your vehicle.
There are tour operators who will arrange logistics such as transport of vehicles, people and equipment, as always it is a matter of time and budget.
13. CAVING KAHURANGI NATIONAL PARK’S FAMOUS CAVING SYSTEM
Caving Kahurangi national park’s famous cave systems attract spelunkers from all over the world. Some of the finest caving in New Zealand can be found inside Mount Owen, which still has many unexplored passages. Check New Zealand Speleological Society Guidelines for caving Mt Owen.
Caving expeditions usually involve the use of helicopters to transport equipment, supplies and cavers to the entry point. There are tour operators offering visitors a brief taste of the caving experience based in Karamea.
14. MOUNT OWEN & MOUNT ARTHUR
Mount Owen and Mount Arthur are the park’s ‘marble mountains’. Within these mountains, water has dissolved the marble to create extensive cave systems. The bizarre rock outcrops of Mt Owen are glaciated karst landscapes, making the steep day trek worthwhile.
Mt Olympus huge outcrops of rock are either strewn down the mountainside or seemingly placed by giants in an upright position are weather worn smooth, creating a rounded shape. These are natural menhirs and spheres, your imagination can go into overdrive with the Lord of Rings as a backdrop.
Perhaps the cluster of rocks in the shape of a giant grasping hand, palm up is man-made. Anamorphic shape and imagination make for a compelling reason to think about a helicopter ride to view natural phenomena. Mt Olympus is only accessible by helicopter.
15. MOUNTAIN BIKING
Mountain biking the Heaphy Track and other trails such as Kill Devil Track. The name is evocative, it is a strenuous trail and the grade is expert.
Can You Camp in Kahurangi National Park?
The Department of Conservation (NZ) manages all campsites within the National Park. Check Kahurangi camping for details
16. FISHING
The Karamea River is prized internationally for its trout fishing. The Karamea River is one of New Zealand’s prime wilderness brown trout fisheries. It rises in the rugged Allen Ranges and flows for most of its entire length within the beautiful Kahurangi National Park.
NZ Fishing.com information for avid fishing fans, View the MetService weather forecast, View the rainfall and river level.
WILDLIFE & BIRDS
There are 18 species of native New Zealand birds living in the park.
- While walking, visitors will be accompanied by the song of bellbirds, tui and friendly South Island Robins.
- The Kahurangi Cave Spider, one of the world’s rarest, has a leg span of up to 12 centimetres. For details on each species consult Nature: New Zealand Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. “Due to the varied landscape numerous different habitats have been created which support many different creatures.
- Several threatened species survive here from the diminutive rock wren to one of New Zealand’s largest birds – the great spotted kiwi. The park is home to our largest cave spider and the smallest of our giant weta – a flightless insect a bit like a grasshopper.
- 20 species of carnivorous land snail (Powelliphanta) live in the park; they can sometimes be seen near limestone outcrops though they tend to only come out from hiding on damp nights to feed on native worms that can grow up to a metre long.”
Department of Conservation comments on park access are:
Key Tips
- Kahurangi National Park includes the Tasman Wilderness Area. Untracked and without huts, it is suitable for experienced trampers only.
- If you plan to stay overnight on the track system, make sure you are properly equipped.
- Check with the Department of Conservation for the latest weather and track conditions before you set out.
- As well as giant land snails, you may encounter giant weta – don’t hurt them, they’re precious.
- Take a portable cooker if you’re camping or staying in a hikers’ hut – open fires are not permitted.
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