of surf and the Tasman Sea. Heaphy Hut to Kōhaihai River mouth This final section of the track is all close to the coastline, with the route partly in forest and partly on the beach or beach margins. There are several stream crossings along the route. The Katipo Creek shelter is located at the mid-point of this section of the track. The landscape of the coastline with its pounding surf and the coastal forest with groves of nikau palms is described by some as the highlight of the track. Towards the end of this section of the track there is a climb from Scotts Beach to around over a saddle set back from Kōhaihai Bluff. The track the descends to a crossing of the Kōhaihai River and the end of the track at the car park. Mountain biking Prior to the establishment of Kahurangi National Park in 1996, mountainbiking was a popular activity on the Heaphy Track. In the final 12 months before the North West Nelson Forest Park became a National Park, around 2000 mountain bikers completed the route. At the time, the National Parks Act 1980 did not permit mountain biking in National Parks, other than on formed roads. Lobbying activities to allow the return of mountain biking on the Heaphy track continued through until 2011, when a three-year trial began. The trial permitted mountain biking during the winter season from 1 May to 30 September. The mountain bike trial period ended in 2016 and mountain biking became a permanent option over the colder part of the year. Mountain biking is now allowed each year from 1 May to 30 November for groups not exceeding six riders. Incidents The route of the Heaphy Track is subject to high rainfall, and is prone to flooding. Until the 1970s there were significant streams across the track that were not bridged, leading to the risk of trampers becoming stranded, or being swept away while trying to cross a flooded stream. There was a fatality of a track worker at Kohaihai Bluff in 1919, but there are no recorded deaths from then until the 1960s. In October 1965, a school teacher from Rockville in the Aorere Valley went missing on the Heaphy Track while attempting to travel on his horse from Karamea back to Rockville. Despite several searches, his body was never found. In March 1972, a visitor from the United States,