Heaphy Track

The odyssey of diversity. The Heaphy Track is the longest of New Zealand's Great Walks, stretching 78.4km from the Aorere Valley in Golden Bay to Kohaihai on the West Coast. It is a journey of extreme contrast: starting in ancient beech forests, ascending to the Sub-alpine tussock downs of Gouland Downs (home to the Great Spotted Kiwi), and descending through lush podocarp forest to the coastal palm groves. Unlike the steep verticality of the Milford, the Heaphy is a more gradual, long-distance traverse that allows hikers to experience the full spectrum of New Zealand's wilderness ecosystems in one continuous line.

Following the historic path used by the Army of the Andes in 1817, this 6-day trans-Andean expedition traverses the central cordillera from Mendoza, Argentina, to the Cajón del Maipo in Chile. The route crosses two significant high-altitude barriers—Portillo Argentino (4,330m) and Paso Piuquenes (4,030m). Hikers move through a high desert landscape of volcanic rock, vast glacial valleys, and the powerful Tunuyán River. The terrain consists primarily of rocky mountain paths, loose scree on the steeper pass approaches, and high-altitude plateaus where exposure to wind and sun is constant.