38-588: The Hollyford Track is a tramping track in New Zealand. Located at the northern edge of Fiordland , in the southwestern South Island , it is unusual among Fiordland's major tracks in that it is largely flat and accessible year-round. It follows the Hollyford River which in turn follows the course of the Hollyford Valley . The Māori people were the first to settle the area around Martins Bay , though by
76-508: A 3 km (2 mi) radius of Haast township. Fibre broadband became available in the township in 2022. The Haast School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a student roll of 7 as of August 2024. The school opened in the 1890s and is the most isolated school in the mainland of New Zealand. There are no secondary schools in the Haast area. The nearest is Mount Aspiring College , 140 kilometres (85 mi) away over
114-478: A bachelor's or higher degree, and 9 (12.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $ 28,900, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 6 people (8.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 45 (60.0%) people were employed full-time, and 9 (12.0%) were part-time. Haast statistical area covers 4,099.09 km (1,582.67 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 300 as of June 2024, with
152-458: A bus to transport club members to the tracks. A network of tramping tracks has been developed throughout New Zealand of varying lengths and difficulties. A small number of tramping tracks cross private land either in part or in full. All of the major tramping tracks are on public land that is administered by the Department of Conservation . Among the best-known tracks are the ten Great Walks and
190-582: A local club and volunteers from clubs will perform much of the maintenance on these huts. In the Tararua Forest Park north of Wellington huts are managed in a partnership between DOC and various lower North Island clubs. In the eastern Southern Alps near Christchurch some huts are managed solely by the Canterbury Mountaineering Club and they rely on fees from these huts to help pay the cost of maintenance. Amongst experienced trampers there
228-468: A permanent township when the opening of the Haast Pass in 1962 made the region more accessible. The road through the pass to Wānaka was upgraded in 1966. In 1990 the Haast area was included as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site , giving international recognition to a region of significant natural value, named as Te Wahipounamu – The South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. The Haast township
266-762: A population density of 0.073 people per km . The statistical area had a population of 258 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 18 people (7.5%) since the 2013 census , and a decrease of 42 people (−14.0%) since the 2006 census . There were 144 households, comprising 132 males and 123 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female. The median age was 52.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 24 people (9.3%) aged under 15 years, 36 (14.0%) aged 15 to 29, 138 (53.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 57 (22.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 86.0% European/ Pākehā , 11.6% Māori , 4.7% Pasifika , 4.7% Asian , and 3.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
304-412: A population density of 158 people per km . The settlement is part of the larger Haast statistical area. Haast had a population of 84 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 30 people (55.6%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 21 people (33.3%) since the 2006 census . There were 45 households, comprising 42 males and 39 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age
342-545: A roughly south–north direction, its southern end being accessible by road 15 kilometres to the east of the Homer Tunnel , and its northern end being at the Tasman Sea coast at Martins Bay, north of Milford Sound . For most of its path, the track follows the course of the Hollyford River / Hollyford Valley . Features of the track are the two lakes, Lake Alabaster (or Waiwahuika ) and Lake McKerrow (or Whakatipu Waitai ),
380-713: A visitor centre in Haast Junction, on the southwest bank of the Haast River, immediately south of the Haast Bridge, at the junction of State Highway 6 and the Haast–Jackson Bay Road. The visitor centre offers a wide range of information about the surrounding area. Lake Moeraki is 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the northeast, and the Haast Pass is 63 kilometres (39 mi) to the southeast by road. The settlement of Okuru
418-462: Is a popular activity in New Zealand . Tramping is defined as a recreational activity involving walking over rough country. Trampers often carry a backpack and wet-weather gear, and may also carry equipment for cooking and sleeping. Alpine climbing has been a recreational activity from the early days of European settlement, and possibly earlier. From the 1950s tracks, huts and bridges were built in
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#1733084936430456-474: Is a strong culture of looking after huts. The phrase "hut etiquette" encompasses looking after any hut that is used and showing consideration for other hut users. Most huts on the conservation estate are open to the public and the state of a hut depends on the care by those who use it. This environmental care code promoted by the Department of Conservation contains a 10-point checklist of things that can be done in
494-512: Is located on the Haast River , approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Haast Junction, on State Highway 6 . The Haast River ( Māori : Awarua ) is 100 kilometres (62 mi) in length, and enters the Tasman Sea near the Haast township. It drains the western watershed of the Haast Pass, and passes through a gorge known as the Gates of Haast. The New Zealand Department of Conservation operates
532-561: Is located on the coast 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of Haast. The small settlement of Haast Beach is on the coast of the Tasman Sea, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west southwest of Haast Junction, on the road to Jackson Bay . Haast holds the distinction of being the wettest town in New Zealand. Haast town is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, covering 0.57 km (0.22 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 90 as of June 2024, with
570-470: Is well known as the 'Demon Trail'. This due to its uneven nature with multiple side streams. The Demon trail is aptly named and can be slippery in the wet. There have been a number of proposals for a road in the vicinity of the track to link Haast with the Milford Sound road, proposed as early as the 1870s. In 2001 a widely distributed newspaper advertising supplement "The South Island Loop" promoted
608-465: The Haast Pass . He ambushed a Ngāi Tahu encampment between Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea , then went south past Lake Wakatipu . His raid ended in Southland where he was killed and his war party destroyed by the southern Ngāi Tahu leader Tūhawaiki . European settlement of the area dates back to the 1860s. The remoteness of the area initially limited access to seagoing vessels, with some rough tracks from
646-701: The Hollyford road as well as a road in the vicinity of the Heaphy Track . Mayors in the South Island and other supporters pushed for having the road built. Forest and Bird , New Zealand's largest conservation organisation, called it the "biological equivalent of smashing the Mona Lisa". In January 2010, the National-led government confirmed that it was considering a Hollyford road proposal. The Westland District Council and
684-575: The area was the pā Ōkahu at the mouth of the Arawhata River . The Haast area was extensively used by Māori as a key source of pounamu . Their main route from inland was called Tioripatea . Ngāi Tahu occupation of the land was ended by attacks by North Island tribes . In 1836, the Ngāti Tama chief Te Pūoho led a 100-person war party, armed with muskets , down the West Coast and over
722-436: The forested areas of New Zealand to support hunters culling introduced deer species which had become a threat to the biodiversity of New Zealand . As tramping became popular these facilities were increasingly used by trampers. In later years tramping has become popular for both local and foreign tourists. Tramping clubs were formed in many towns, cities and universities with regular trips being organised. The clubs sometimes own
760-497: The headwaters of the Makarora River . On 23 January they reached the open, boggy summit of the pass, which was surrounded by beech forest. Haast made a watercolour which was used to illustrate a later report. The party then crossed the pass and travelled downstream to the coast, which they reached on 20 February. The present Haast township was originally a New Zealand Ministry of Works road construction camp, which expanded into
798-422: The job for the war effort and was worked on both ends. After World War II the idea of a road linking Haast to Hollyford was reignited to allow access and used prison and unemployed labor to progress the work. In 1960, the valley became part of Fiordland National Park and Davy Gunn's original tracks have since been upgraded and tramping huts established. The track is 56 kilometres (35 mi) in length. It runs in
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#1733084936430836-404: The latter being a fiord now cut off from the sea by sediment. The track runs through lowland forest, with views of surrounding mountains. Wildlife visible from the track include seals , penguins , and herons . The track is part of the Department of Conservation network with several bunk huts scattered along its length. It also has a guided operation operated by Ngai Tahu Tourism (owned by
874-534: The main South Island Maori tribal group) with their own Lodges at Pyke and Martins Bay. The guided option combines hiking, jetboating and helicopter flights in a three-day journey from the mountains to the sea. Freedom walkers can make the walk more accessible by flying into or out of Martins Bay. Walkers are advised to be aware that the 2–3 day section from the Pyke River to Martins Bay alongside Lake McKerrow
912-528: The major river that is close to the town, a gorge on the river and the pass across to the eastern side of the Southern Alps are all named after Julius von Haast , a Prussian -born geologist who travelled through the area in 1863. Although the prospector Charles Cameron is said to be the first European to ‘discover’ the pass, Haast was recognised by having the town named after him. The main Māori settlement in
950-513: The north and east. Early European explorers searched for the Māori routes to cross from the eastern to the western sides of the South Island and back again, having learnt of the pass when Huruhuru drew a map for the explorer Edward Shortland in 1844. The first European ascent was from the Wānaka side in March 1861, when the exploring surveyor John Holland Baker, seeking new sheep country, looked down from
988-428: The now defunct New Zealand Forest Service for deer culling operations. Other huts were built by alpine clubs, schools, and ski clubs. Some of the buildings on public land that are readily accessible by vehicle, are generally " baches " or "cribs" built by private individuals when control of the use of public land was less stringent. These baches are not made available to the public. Some public huts are associated with
1026-558: The outdoors to help minimise impact: Haast, New Zealand Haast is a small town in the Westland District on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island . The township is beside the Haast River , 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Haast Junction, on State Highway 6 . The Haast region is in Te Wahipounamu – The South West New Zealand World Heritage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 1990. The township,
1064-473: The owner of a hotel chain are backing plans for the road. The plans were however put on hold in March 2010, when government decided that the investment was a low priority. 44°41′34″S 168°07′33″E / 44.6928°S 168.1258°E / -44.6928; 168.1258 Tramping in New Zealand Tramping , known elsewhere as backpacking , rambling , hill walking or bushwalking,
1102-472: The province and the dangerous sandbar led to the gradual waning of the settlement, which was practically deserted by 1879, only some eleven years after its founding. Only one family, the McKenzies, remained close to Martins Bay. They sold their property to Davy Gunn in 1926. Gunn continued to farm the area, and also mapped the area and was a pioneer in the tramping tourism industry, taking parties of walkers along
1140-679: The saddle towards the West Coast. Gold prospector Charles Cameron claimed to have made the first crossing to the coast in 1863; however he was widely believed to have only got to the upper reaches of the Haast River / Awarua . The honour of first official crossing was claimed by Julius von Haast, Canterbury's provincial geologist, who led a five-man expedition in January 1863. He named the Haast River after himself, "directed, so he said, by his provincial superindendent", and returned to Lake Wānaka "nearly shoeless" after six weeks. Haast's party travelled up
1178-424: The time of the arrival of Europeans in the mid-19th century, only a handful remained in the area. One of these was Tūtoko, for whom Mount Tūtoko , which rises 2700m above the Hollyford valley, was subsequently named. he first Europeans to reach the bay via an inland route was Patrick Caples from Hollyford County Tipperary Ireland in 1863, although early runholders David McKellar and George Gunn had mapped some of
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1216-563: The town. Electricity is generated by an 800-kilowatt hydroelectric scheme on the Turnbull River , constructed in 1972. The scheme is backed up by a 375-kilowatt diesel generator . In 2023, the company applied for consent to build a second hydro power station on the Turnbull River. Haast received mobile coverage in May 2018. 3G mobile coverage is provided for all three mobile networks within
1254-414: The ultra-long-distance Te Araroa . There is a network of more than 950 backcountry huts throughout New Zealand operated by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on public land. DOC operates a program of bookings, tickets, and passes to help fund the maintenance of these huts. Some areas have privately owned huts on public land used for commercial tourism operations. The majority of the huts were built by
1292-528: The valley two years previously. Also in 1863, a small ship captained by a Captain Alabaster crossed the sandbar at Martins Bay to reach Lake McKerrow . In the early days of European settlement, there was much enthusiasm for a commercial port at Martins Bay, led by the Otago Provincial Council . A settlement – Jamestown – was surveyed and several houses built, but the lack of road links to the rest of
1330-419: The valleys of the Hollyford, Pyke and Cascade Rivers. After his death in 1955, his son Murray continued to guide trampers in the area, and started "Gunn's Camp", a rest-stop for trampers with store and small museum, which still stands near the southern end of the track, around 10 km from the Milford Sound - Te Anau highway. The gravel road was being constructed up until 1941 when the workers were taken off
1368-553: Was 18.6, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 46.5% reported no religion, 39.5% were Christian , 1.2% were Buddhist and 1.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 27 (11.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 51 (21.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $ 27,000, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 24 people (10.3%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
1406-548: Was 43.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 9 people (10.7%) aged under 15 years, 21 (25.0%) aged 15 to 29, 39 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 12 (14.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 89.3% European/ Pākehā , 14.3% Māori , and 7.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.6% reported no religion, 32.1% were Christian and 3.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 9 (12.0%) people had
1444-505: Was that 147 (62.8%) people were employed full-time, 27 (11.5%) were part-time, and 3 (1.3%) were unemployed. The Haast tokoeka is one of the rarest subspecies of kiwi , with more than half the known population living in an actively managed area of the Haast ranges. The main economic activities in the Haast region are farming, fishing and tourism. The Haast area is not connected to the national electricity grid. New Zealand Energy operates an electricity distribution network supplying
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