Helicopter trips over the Heaphy River will be available from October for Heaphy Track walkers and bikers who want a through-trip.

The track has been closed between James Mackay and Heaphy huts since February due to storms that wrote off the 150m-long Heaphy River suspension bridge.

Re-installing a bridge is the main obstacle to fully opening the track, and DOC has said this won’t be done by May 1, 2023 – the reopening date it set for the track’s booking system.

That’s because a recent hydrology report has uncovered issues with rebuilding the bridge at the current site.

“The new preferred option is to construct two bridges – one across the Heaphy River downstream from the previous bridge and the other across the Lewis River,” said Suvi van Smit, DOC Buller operations manager.

In the meantime, Golden Bay Air will run helicopter shuttles between Lewis Shelter and Heaphy Hut.

There are already several bookings for the 6km flight, which costs up to $300 per person.