Scheduled Bus Service
GOLDEN BAY
From 13th November to 24th December for the Golden Bay
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (For other possible days and times of travel see click here to find your trip).
Nelson to Brown Hut (Heaphy) and Abel Tasman (with pick ups along the way) starting from early November.
Return Brown Hut to Nelson (with possible stops along the way).
Abel Tasman pick up and drop off Wainui Bay and Marahau/Kaiteriteri or Nelson, Motueka and Takaka.
From 26th December to 15th March
DAILY- EVERY MORNING
Nelson to Brown Hut (Heaphy) and Abel Tasman (with pick ups along the way.)
Return Brown Hut to Nelson (with possible stops along the way.)
Abel Tasman pick up and drop off Wainui Bay and Marahau/Kaiteriteri or Nelson, Motueka and Takaka.
From 15th March to end April
Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. (For other possible days and times of travel see click here to find your trip).
Nelson to Brown Hut (Heaphy) and Abel Tasman (with pick ups along the way.)
Return to Nelson (with possible stops along the way.)
Abel Tasman pick up and drop off Wainui Bay and Marahau/Kaiteriteri. Nelson, Motueka and Takaka.
WEST COAST
For Labour Weekend click here to find your trip
From 17th November to 24th December for West Coast trips
Sundays only
From 29th December to 11th January
3X WEEKLY - Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays .
Nelson to Karamea and Kohaihai shelter Return Kohaihai Shelter to Nelson... (with possible stops along route Wangapeka and Ghost Trail.)
From 11th January to mid March
Sundays and Thursdays only
From 15th March to end of April.
Sundays only
For other possible days and times of travel see click here to find your trip
!! You can start the track in either direction..
!! For those that have a car and wish to continue down the West coast or back to Christchurch/ Dunedin, can leave their vehicle at Kohaihai and then jump on the Sunday bus to Nelson or Mapua, and then catch the Monday bus to Brown hut. This will leave trampers with flexible exit dates and times.
For all other chartered trips on other days and alternative existing trips to Heaphy, Wangapeka, Abel Tasman and Nelson Lakes; click here to send you to a page outlining existing trips on which you can join. Other tracks as well are advertised.
The Heaphy Bus will depart from central Nelson Millers Acre car park (old I-site premises and information centre) corner of Halifax and Trafalgar streets every morning 07:30am to arrive at Brown Hut with plenty of time to get to Perry Saddle hut. It can pick up along the way from Motueka I-Site, Takaka I-Site, Collingwood cafe, and on the return journey take trampers from Brown Hut to any of those destinations including Wainui Bay and Marahau. Whilst the Heaphy trampers have lunch in Takaka we drop off and pick up at Wainui Bay at the top of Abel Tasman National Park and drop off at Marahau or Nelson (or en-route) on the return.
For those travelling to and from Kohaihai shelter the bus will leave Nelson Millers Acre car park (old I-site premises) at 7.30am to Kohaihai shelter. Also pick ups/ drop off at Lyell, Westport, Seddonville, Little Wanganui (Wangapeka), Karamea and ultimately at Kohaihai Shelter leaving plenty of time to reach the Heaphy Hut that day, or for exiting trampers to get out from the Heaphy hut. The bus then returns to Nelson from Kohaihai Shelter departing before 1.30pm and arriving usually in Nelson before 8pm. It will also stop along the destinations outlined previously. We strongly recommend you do not book a flight out from Nelson that evening as to the uncertainty of weather, road conditions and delays from injuries or other. It also puts an unnecessary pressure on the driver which becomes a safety issue.
We will guarantee to arrive at the track start in plenty of time so you can reach your hut within daylight hours.
To see all other trips that are not going on the scheduled days to the Heaphy and Wangapeka (click this link)and also to see all other availability on existing trips to other tracks.