It's not every day you have the crazy idea of walking the length of Aotearoa New Zealand, but when you do it sticks with you until eventually one day you decide to give it a go. What a great way to get some exercise, see some beautiful countryside and have one hell of a life experience?!

This blog documents my experience of taking on Te Araroa, The Long Pathway from Cape Reinga to Bluff--a journey of over 3000km from end to end. Will I make it? I don't know, but I'm keen to try! I'm no fitness freak (rather a confirmed couch potato) so aside from the obligatory assortment of bush-walking paraphernalia I'm setting out with little more than a desire to walk and the hope that my "two feet and a heartbeat" will be enough to get me through...

Note To Readers: I did it! I finished Te Araroa!! Unfortunately I am way behind on my blog but I promise to keep working on it so that you too can finish the adventure. Keep watching this space!

Friday, 6 November 2015

Day 18: Whananaki to Matapouri (12km; 321km total)

I awoke to the sound of promised rain on the roof and lay there listening to it get heavier. Scott, Joanne and Jobty are all having a rest day in Whananaki today...maybe they were onto something?

Turns out I didn't wake up until 8:30am. I struggled to get to sleep last night; my legs were achy and I was restless and thirsty. So I got up at midnight and downed some water before making a hot chocolate at the little kitchenette in the corner if the room (that had this magical thing called a kettle: you put cold water in and a few minutes later you pour hot water out, no gas, no pots...amazing!).

I finally got up, dressed and took a porridge sachet, my tube of condensed milk, my bag of milk powder and a tea bag over to the kitchen. Mary and Tony's tent was gone and I figured they'd already been walking a good 2 hrs or so by now. Joanne came over as I was stirring my porridge and we chatted over tea. Jonty soon joined us and later Scott. It was nice sitting chatting to everyone...was i still keen to walk today?

I found out poor Jonty had spent the night out in his leaky bivvy! Had I known I'd have told Tracey to chuck him in the bunk room with me. Turns out he'll be moving in there just as soon as I get my gear out so I went to do that.

I had packed up and was putting tape on my blisters when a school group arrived. They're having a walking plus outdoor activity day around the estuary and beach. They sure picked the day for it! I looked at the kids, most in hoodies with no sign of a rain coat...I just hoped the brief break in the rain woukd hold for the rest of the day for them!

Donning my rather more weather proof jacket I finally saddled up and left around 10:30, wishing the others a good rest day. I had planned to hoof it to Ngunguru from here, but with the late start and lousy weather I had decided to settle for Matapouri, a mere 12km and coastal walk away. At least I was walking a bit today, if not very far.

So off I went, down to the bank of the estuary and along a path that I thought would lead me to the bridge. Turns out it stops about 10m shy of the bridge, which at low tide wouldn't be a problem but at the current high tide meant a knee deep wade...and I wasn't overly keen on getting my feet wet this soon! Plus, there was the bridge so there must be a path to it!

Fortunately just at that moment a trio of kayakers appeared round the corner and came over. I helped the first two, foreign woofers, get out if their boats on the nearby stairs, despite the local guy in the boat behind them telling me not to, or rather, to let go of the boat just as each girl stood up to get out. He was kind enough to direct me to the right path to the bridge and soon enough I was on my way over the longest footbridge in the Southern Hemisphere. It's an old wooden structure that's sturdy enough but does away a bit in the middle where it's higher so small craft can more easily get underneath it at high tide.

At the other end I had to take the road detour to the beach as the high tide made walking round the point impossible. Along a beach track a loose yearling steer took flight ahead of me, searching for a way back through the fence to the rest of the herd grazing docilely in the paddock beyond. Realising I'd drive home all the way along the track if I kept to it, I moved over as far as I could on the broad shoulder of grass, hoping I'd be far enough over that the animal would not flee further but allow me to walk past and then go back the way he'd come. I slowly inched past, not looking directly at him. Eventually he got the idea and we then each returned to the track and headed off in separate directions.

The coastal walk snakes along the coastline, through grassy farmland for the most part as the many small headlands and bays would be difficult to traverse but are also for the most part private property. I don't want to know how much some of those houses are worth, nestled amongst the hills, looking out over their own private beaches and bays. Even in the overcast and sometimes rainy weather it is a beautiful coastline.

I'm happy to say my new raincoat is waterproof (as it should be, given what I paid for), but even making use of the put zips I sweated so much walking some if the up hills that I got soaked on the inside anyway. That's the thing about Northland, even when it's wet it's relatively warm, so any physical exertion means you sweat like a pig. For this reason if it was only very light rain (misty rain) I left my jacket off, figuring that on balance the heat I was generating probably would help keep my shirt relatively drier than if I was sweating under my coat with significantly less ventilation. It's cold when you stop though, especially in the wind, so I kept the jacket on hand.

The track comes out onto the road into Matapouri. Walking down the hill you come to Wooleys Bay where you can walk along the beach, then it's back to the road and up over a small headland before the trail veers off into the Morrison Reserve track through the bush and emerges in Matapouri. A few short blocks away I found the main road and the shop. Gladly unloading my pack and other paraphernalia I headed inside and soon emerged with a cup if tea and a pie. Mmm warm.

Now that I'd stopped I really was damp and cold. It was 2:30 and I eyed the part if the map leading to Ngunguru via the Matapouri Bush Track. I decided I probably couldn't complete that walk before dark, and being already wet and cold I decided to stay put. I asked Craig and 'catastrophe' Kate at the shop where  coming was allowed in Matapouri and they directed me over the road to one if the two previously operating campgrounds which are now closed...but it turns out this one still operates unofficially.

So off I popped, over the road to knock on the door of a man named Des. He's a cheerful guy, despite having recently lost his wife. It was she that used to run the campground and I surmised that it closed when she passed away, but the facilities are still there and Des took me for the grand tour to see if I was happy to stay in the place. While Des' house sits in the middle of a wide grassy space, round the back is a large quadruple-garage that has been fitted out as a kitchen and dining area, and next to it is a shipping container converted into a toilet and shower block. $10 bought me a campsite and use of the facilities...but since I was the only one there Des let me sleep inside on one of the couches in the dining area. A Russian father and daughter pair stopped by in their caravan to use the shower but other than that I had the place to myself all afternoon, so I sat quietly and updated my trip diary and had a whatsapp conversation with a few friends. I popped back across the road to get a curry roll and chips for dinner (mmm chicken salt...), did the crossword and sudoku in the Advocate Des had given me to read, and then settled down to bed, quite happy in this random little place, all by myself...though a little creeped out by the lack of curtains and view out to the road, so I chose to sleep on the couch out of sight of the sliding glass door. Turns out this was a bad call...

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