From Little Wanganui, we headed north to the Department of Conservation
(DOC) office in Karamea to get a map of Kahurangi, New Zealand’s second largest
national park. We wanted to day-hike the lower end of the Heaphy Track along
the Tasman Sea. The Heaphy is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks (4-5 days from
Karamea to Golden Bay, north of Abel Tasman National Park). According to a sign
at the trailhead, Charles Heaphy, a European explorer, was guided down the West
Coast by Kehu, his Māori guide, in 1846. We stayed at Kohaihai, a DOC campground
at the northern end of the Karamea- Kohaihai Road. It was small and undeveloped,
but had toilets and potable water and cost $6 NZD per night. The campground was
mostly empty and our spot had a view of the Tasman Sea out the back windows. The
sandy beach behind us was steep, not very wide, and littered with weathered tree
trunks.
 |
| Our caravan at Kohaihai campground |
