Nikau Walk

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Marios Gavalas

Author And Researcher

Nau mai, haere mai

I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.

I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!

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Karamea, West Coast

Camping near Karamea

Photos

Marios Gavalas

Crossing the river at Kohaihai

Marios Gavalas

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Information

985 m return | 50 minutes return

Welcome to the Jungle! The abundance of nikau palms lends a jungle-like quality to the forest and you almost expect snakes to dangle from the branches and monkeys to dance around the tree tops. Occasional bird chatter, the salt-lade wind and the running of the stream are however likely to be the only noises encountered.

Walking Track

Access

Kohaihai is 16 km north of Karamea at the southern end of the Heaphy Track. The start of the loop track is signposted just after crossing the bridge over the Kohaihai River.

Track

This can be rough in places with floods and winds making it a difficult track to maintain to a good standard. There is a short cut signposted half way through which returns to the main track 2 minutes from the start point. Or continue on the main loop track, which passes a particularly impressive rata, guarded by nikau sentinels.

Flora

The entire track network passes through a forest of nikau palms. The nikau is the most southerly naturally growing palm in the world, with leaves up to 3 metres long and 2 metres wide. The coral-like flowers grow on spikes below the crown and above the trunk, ringed by closely spaced leaf scars. It takes 20 years for a nikau to get out of the ground. It then looses 3-4 fronds per year, each leaving an equatorial scar. So to age a tree, count the scars, divide by 3 or 4 and add 20. Voila.

Details

Feature

Value

Info

Organisation

DOC West Coast

Central government organisation

Location

South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Karamea

Categories

Walking
Free

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-41.108750834445

172.103025817871

Latitude
-41.108750834445
Longitude
172.103025817871

Feature	Value	Info
Track Length	From 500m to 1km Track Length What is the physical length of this track? From 500m to 1km	Track Length What is the physical length of this track? From 500m to 1km
Track Duration	30 mins to 1 hour Track Duration How long does it take to walk this track on average? 30 mins to 1 hour	Track Duration How long does it take to walk this track on average? 30 mins to 1 hour
Track Difficulty	Easy walk Track Difficulty Considering the track's terrain, safety, facilities - how hard is this walk to complete? Easy walk	Track Difficulty Considering the track's terrain, safety, facilities - how hard is this walk to complete? Easy walk
Payment Requirement	Free access/participation Payment Requirement Is there a cost for this experience or is it free? Free access/participation The experience costs no money to access or take part in.	Payment Requirement Is there a cost for this experience or is it free? Free access/participation The experience costs no money to access or take part in.
Large Vehicle Access	Large vehicle accessible Large Vehicle Access Can large vehicles such as motorhomes, housebuses and caravans gain access? Large vehicle accessible The site is accessible with large vehicles such as motorhomes and 5th wheelers.	Large Vehicle Access Can large vehicles such as motorhomes, housebuses and caravans gain access? Large vehicle accessible The site is accessible with large vehicles such as motorhomes and 5th wheelers.
DOC Track Category	Short walk DOC Track Category What type of category does this walking track fall into (as defined by the NZ Department of Conservation)? Short walk Easy walking for up to an hour. Track is well formed, with an even surface. There may be steps or slopes. Suitable for people of most abilities and fitness. Stream and rivers crossings are bridged. Walking shoes required.	DOC Track Category What type of category does this walking track fall into (as defined by the NZ Department of Conservation)? Short walk Easy walking for up to an hour. Track is well formed, with an even surface. There may be steps or slopes. Suitable for people of most abilities and fitness. Stream and rivers crossings are bridged. Walking shoes required.
Disabled Access	No disabled access Disabled Access Does this location provide disabled access? No disabled access This location does not provide access for wheelchairs.	Disabled Access Does this location provide disabled access? No disabled access This location does not provide access for wheelchairs.
Crowd Factor	Lesser Known Crowd Factor How crowded is this place usually? Lesser Known Usually has less people visiting	Crowd Factor How crowded is this place usually? Lesser Known Usually has less people visiting
Track Managing Organisation	DOC Managed Track Managing Organisation What type of organisation operates this walking track? DOC Managed This track is managed by the Department of Conservation. DOC is a New Zealand government organisation.	Track Managing Organisation What type of organisation operates this walking track? DOC Managed This track is managed by the Department of Conservation. DOC is a New Zealand government organisation.