Heaphy Track Group Tours: A Note for Agents

The short answer

Heaphy Track group tours cross Kahurangi National Park on a 78.4 km Great Walk between Golden Bay and Karamea. Groups walk it all year, and mountain bikes are allowed from 1 May to 30 November in parties of up to six riders. Explera DMC plans the huts, the transfers at both ends and the guides.

The Heaphy is the Great Walk that agents most often price wrong, and it is never the huts. It is the road. The track runs one way across the top of the South Island, so the coach that drops your group in Golden Bay is nowhere near where they walk out. Our New Zealand team has written the full Heaphy Track briefing. This note covers Heaphy Track group tours for agencies that sell New Zealand next to other destinations.

What Do Heaphy Track Group Tours Involve?

The track. DOC lists it at 78.4 km, maintained to Great Walk standard, with six huts along the way.
Two ends. Brown Hut, at the head of the Aorere Valley in Golden Bay, is 156 km from Nelson. Kohaihai, on the West Coast, is 110 km from Westport.
Bookings. Every hut and campsite has to be booked in advance, all year. Entry to the national park is free.

A small stream between dense ferns and palms

Can the Group Ride It Instead?

Yes, in the cooler months. Mountain bikes are allowed from 1 May to 30 November, and DOC describes it as a two- to three-day ride, depending on the riders' experience. Two rules shape the programme:

Six riders at most. A bigger group rides as separate parties, which means more guides and staggered starts.
Daylight only. No night riding and no e-bikes.

That makes the Heaphy a good fit for a fit, experienced cycling group in the shoulder season, and a poor one for a mixed group that wants e-bikes. Our Bridge to Nowhere cycling guide covers an easier ride for the second kind.

What Should Agents Plan First?

The transfer, then the huts. Air New Zealand flies to Nelson and Sounds Air to Westport, and some local transport does not run in winter. Settle how the group gets home from the far end before you hold a single bunk. Our New Zealand Great Walks guide and group booking lead times guide cover the booking side.