Sunday 15th NovMary very kindly dropped me back to Stillwater to start the walking through to Devenport. Walking around the Okura Estuary and the Okura Bush track was a very beautiful walk. The Nikau Palms and Kauri around the very well maintained track made great scenery. Lots of people also use that section of the trail for training runs, so being a Sunday the track was very busy and lots of people interested in why I was so loaded up with a pack and where I was walking to. Once out of the Bush Track it was a bit of road walking as I had taken the high tide walking option around the estuary. Heading into Long Bay/Torbay I called into see Helen for lunch. She very kindly had cooked up a yummy bacon sandwich which I woofed down and caught up on what had been going on at work and the outside world. Excellent to catch up and see a friendly face. From Long Bay it was a fantastic walk around all the North Shore bays through to Devenport. Being a Sunday there were many families out enjoying the walks and beaches and I can now understand why so many people love living in Auckland. I can see the lifestyle and access to beautiful beaches being appealing. Once in Devenport there was a late ferry running through to the city, so thought that was a good option to then go and stay in a hotel in the city as such a quick boat trip. 40km walk and very pleased with that effort.
0 Comments
Saturday 14th NovSo pleased I got to Puhoi last night as this morning was a great day for kyacking. The trip from Puhoi to Wenderholm is just great and such a lovely break from walking. Even better is that the packs get transported through to Wenderholm too. Once there I got the feet ready to go again and then made my through to Waiwera. The tide was right to do the rockhopping around the coast through to Orewa and I really enjoyed this section of the walk for the views and variety and also seeing the locals out collecting kaimoana off the rocks at low tide too - was just picture perfect NZ.
Caught up with a family friend Mary for a hot drink in Orewa and she suggested that I stay at her place after doing the next section to Stillwater. This was brilliant and meant I could drop my big pack to my day pack and I could make fast progress to finish this section. Mary picked me up from Stillwater and had a beautiful meal and bed waiting for me - heaven! Friday 13 NovGot packed up and moving just after 8am. Neil made an early start before me so said our farewells and he headed off. The rest of the Dome Forest Track was lovely bush, lots of steep up and down, but enjoyable. Made it to the Dome Cafe shortly before 12 noon and had a big cooked breakfast plus picked up other food for later in the afternoon.
From there it was a huge walking day to Moirs Hill Track which involved a couple turning me around at the Old Kaipara road as they said that the new farm owners had started moving the tramping markers so it was best to loop back around Woodcock street to get to Matthews road. I think this probably added a few extra kms but at the time was pleased I hadnt got all the way up that road to find I had to turn back (found out later that others did manage to find their way ok up that road and that there were markers, so not sure what the previous warning from that couple was about then). Moirs Hill track seemed to go on forever, but at that point I was determined that I was going to get to Puhoi for the night so I could get the Kyacking completed for the next day. Rang ahead to book in for the kyacking and they were going to head off at 9.30am. Also called the Puhoi Hotel to book a room so that I had somewhere to crash and they said they would hold a meal for me too - yay. Got through Moirs Hill track and Dunns Track which is mainly farmland (hard uneven ground ) then got to the start of the Puhoi track at the swing bridge at about 8-15pm so made the call that it was too late to enter that track and so did the road walk to Puhoi. Got in a 9pm and sure enough there was my steak dinner waiting covered in tinfoil with a side salad. Beauty. The Puhoi Hotel is a must stay - a place from the past and inside feels like something from an old cowboy movie. The rooms are great and along the hallway old farming items from the past. Really enjoyed staying there. Thursday 12 NovFelt much better after a good rest last night. Headed off to start the Te Hikoi O Te Kiri walk. This started with a road walk which felt a great rest from the beachwalking, then was a steep climb through farmland at first then onto the public track. The views looking back over the coastline that I had just walked were spectacular. Once again - hard steep walking always gives the reward of a fantastic view and spurs you on to keep going.
From there it was beautiful bush walking through the Dome Forest Track where I was aiming to get as close as possible to the Dome Tea rooms at about 6pm I heard someone call out hello and looked up to the clearing to see another Te Araroa walker who had camped down. This guy turned out to be Neil - the guy who had put up the extra markings back at Ratea forest, Could not believe it as thought he was a lot more ahead of me. So with it coming on for dark I decided to camp down in the same spot and had lots of questions for Neil and many thankyous to pass on to him not only from myself but others behind me who also found the extra markings a lifesaver to get through Ratea forest. Pleased I did decide to camp down at that spot as by 8.30pm the heavens opened and thunder, lightning and rain pelted down for a good part of the night. Very happy with my tent as it is holding up well and coped with the rain keeping me dry for the night.
Packed up at the Mangawhai Heads campground and the people running the campground offered to kyack me across the estury to get over to the main sandspit. What I then found out that this young couple were looking after the campground for their parents/inlaws and usually it was the woman's dad who took people across, but her husband was happy to do the same. So he set up the double kyack for us to sit in, then tied another one one to carry the pack over. They did not want any money at all for this effort so was another display of pure NZ hospitality and enjoyment of helping a crazy walking lady across the strip of water. The short kyack across was fun and a great start to the day.
Once across I said my fairwells to the guy and he kyacked back to campground towing the other one again. I headed over the sand stretch to find the beach. From there it was beautiful but very tiring beach walking for about 23km. At about 3.30pm I got to the Pakiri Campsite, booked into a cabin and just crashed - abolutely knackered. Had an early dinner and was asleep by about 7.30pm Tuesday 10th Nov
The campsite was so lovely at Waipu Cove. I found it hard to leave. Virtually had the place to myself. Finally headed off about 10am and began Cullen Road which was a gradual hill climb. The rest of this section of the trail was steeper in some parts and a mixture of bush, farmland, beautiful hill top views and at the end a beach walk into Mangawhai heads. When approaching the Mangawhai Cliff walkway which has the most spectacular views, a gentleman asked whereI I had walked from and it turned out to be Geoff Chapple the founder of Te Araroa. I could not believe it. He was checking out that section of the walkway as a refresher for an article that was being written. His partner Miriam was with him too and enjoyed finding out how I was going with the trail. It was a privilege to shake Geoff's hand and have a chat. The timing was just amazing to have crossed paths at that very moment. Was pleased that I did leave the campsite later this morning otherwise I would not have met him. Made my day. Set up camp at Mangawhai Heads and felt reassured that I'm absolutely doing the right thing by taking time out to walk this trail. Monday 9th Nov.
Stayed overnight at Ruakaka with a friend of Damian's which made it an easy start from Marsden Point first thing this morning. Dad dropped me off to begin the beach walk and he headed back to Hastings. The beach walk went well up to the Ruakaka Estuary which I was approaching before low tide. Walked around the edge for a bit then tried wading through a section that looks shallow but then backed out as was getting too deep. Walked around a bit more then a guy kayaks over to me and said 'hop in I'll paddle you to the other side' He turned out to be Simon who is mentioned in the TeAraroa notes and he lives right on the Estuary so is readily available to assist with crossings if others get there at a high tide. The walk continued along the beach then moves to the road to get to Waipu. Along Cove Road the Te Araroa signs direct you walk back down to the beach along the wildlife river walk. I followed this but there is no signage direction back up the river banks and also sections can only be covered at low tide. I had a local resident say to cut through his property to get back to Cove Road. He mentioned he is going to put a sign up to help others too. I would recommend to stay on Cove road till you get to the Campsites. I stayed in the first Campsite called Waipu Cove Cottages and Camping and it is a tidy and very clean place to camp with great facilities. Also is close to Cullen Road which is the next section of the walk. Had a visit from Damian to check out my overnight tent set up and then I had an early dinner and off to bed. Sunday 8th NovRest Day!! Great to have another break. Shared breakfast with my host Nellie who has given me a bedroom for the last couple of days in Whangarei. Visited friends of Damians and just hung out with Dad for a bit. Very easy day and off to Ruakaka tonight for tea where we will be staying overnight before I get dropped off to Marsden Point in the morning. Saturday 7th NovAnother blue sky day and a bonus being my birthday. Not such an early start today as a short walk from the south end of Ocean Beach through to McLeod Bay, Whangarei Heads. This walk blew all other views seen previously out of the water as the views from the Bream Head Track are just fantastic. The walk itself is steep but is very well maintained with many steps cut in and built around the track. Was once again very pleased that I didn't have my large pack to carry and I finished the track at Urquarts Bay in about 4 hours with a light day pack. Next part of the trail is walking 5km around all the bays to McCleod Bay at the end by the jetty. Really enjoyed the walking today - and seeing the beautiful bays. Apparently Whangarei has about 100 bays, so I think I have seen only about 20 of them in my walkins stints this week. Damian picked me up and we had something to eat and drink at the Deck Cafe and made our way back to Whangarei. Got ready to go out for dinner - and felt great to celebrate my birthday and the final section of the Whangarei part of Te Araroa.
Friday 6th NovVery early start to leave Helena Bay just after 6.30am then off to Pataua South to be there by 8am to commence the Estuary walk. Such a beautiful morning and the crossing was just very special as something I have not done before. Boots and gaiters on for this section and the feet held up to the boots being back on. Some of the estuary walk did still have water at thigh height, but was still OK to get through. Met up with a few other Te Araroa walkers that I hadn't met before when crossing the estuary, so was interesting to hear their stories too. The walk then progressed to the Kauri Mountain Track and this was the highlight of the walk as the views were just jaw dropping gorgeous and very satisfying looking back over the land that I had walked over the previous few days. Next up along the walk was Ocean Beach. Once again, just beautiful and when walking along the beach it felt like I was in the tropics. Not a soul on the beach walk untill I got to the last bay which seems to be the official Ocean Beach that people swim at. I finished the walk an hour before planned and so had a lovely sit down in a shady spot and enjoyed the moment. Met up with Damian at 3pm and back to Whangarei this time for a couple of nights.
|