Andy and Nathalie were soon up. Nathalie had spent the night in her tent, but unfortunately it had rained a little and it was damp. It was clear when we got up so she hung the tent up on the clothesline, but the drizzle soon returned and she was forced to wet pack her tent. I was glad I'd opted for the indoor option, despite the soft bed.
I went out to resupply at the 4-square as soon as it opened at 7, and also got a pie from the bakery for breakfast. I headed back to the hostel to pack. Andy was ready first and headed off, planning to stop at the cafe for breakfast. I set off second, and also stopped for a hot chocolate. Nathalie wasn't far behind but stopped only to bid us good walk before striding off down the road through the drizzling rain.
The first part of the trail today was a 7km asphalt road walk. I walked with Andy to the turnoff into a side road leading up into the hills, at which point I told him to go on ahead. I had been struggling to keep up with him the whole way and reached the turnoff feeling very tired...not a good omen for the day ahead.
Andy set off up the hill and was soon out of sight around a bend. The sun had come out so I ditched my raincoat and slathered on some sunscreen before continuing in a slow trudge up the hill, past houses and lifestyle blocks. On a long shoulder ridge I stopped by a farm gate, tired and craving sustenance (remind me not to have a pie for breakfast again). I had some cordial and all three museli bars I normally stagger throughout an entire day. After about fifteen minutes I felt much better and moved on again.
A stiff wind was gusting from time to time, bringing with it more rainy mini-squalls punctuated by intermittent sunshine. The wind made incredibly eerie noises as it whistled in low tones through the power lines flanking the road. Most rainy patches were only drizzly and I judged them not worth getting my coat out for (raincoat use must be carefully judged as to whether or not you'll get wetter from the rain or from sweating under the coat. It has pit zips for ventilation, but these aren't always enough, particularly when slogging uphill). Wending around bends on a low saddle however the wind-rain combo was such that I began to get cold, so out came the coat again.
The road became gravel and led on into forestry land. I passed a group of loggers working; they all appeared to be on break, sheltering inside a shopping container-come-lunch room, so I walked past without anyone noticing. Around a further bend a guy was working an excavator to bench the hillside next to the road. Glad to be wearing a bright red raincoat I stopped and soon caught his attention. He lowered the excavator bucket to the ground and waved me through. We shouted a greeting to each other and I yelled "thanks!" but not much more could be heard over the machine's engine.
Beyond the forestry block the road plunges into native bush. It passes a couple if houses, including one, with a truely impressive vege garden, belonging to a older UK expat who stopped to chat. We discussed the weather which led to comments about climate change; I smiled when the man categorically stated that anyone who doesn't "believe" in climate change is a fool. He's spent twenty years living here and apparently in that time his weather patterns have changed a lot. With it looking like another shower was coming through he kindly invited me in for tea or coffee to wait it out. Turns out Nathalie had done just that not too long ago. While a hot tea was very tempting, with such a slow start to the morning and now feeling better I was keen to at least try to get to Mangawai Heads and feared that if I stopped for too long at any point I wouldn't make it.
I set off again along the track which became more of an old quad bike track through the bush. It had several steep ups and downs and some nice person had cut crude steps into the slippery clay in several places. There was a random wooden seat at one point where there was a partial view out over the green paddocked valley below, so I stopped and had my bakery-bought sandwich for lunch. Moving on, along a short stretch between steep sections a French Canadian pair passed me going in the opposite direction. The girl cheerfully told me to keep going and that I was doing well; clearly they had already encountered Nathalie who must have told then there was another hiker lagging behind.
The trail continues on through bush, passing several "Stage 2" lots, cleared patches if grass that are part of a huge, widely spaced development know as Paradise Heights within the Langsview Reserve. The plots get closer and closer together and the track broadens back into 4WD track near the summit where there are spectacular views all around. By the time I headed down the hill toward the road the sun had come out and I stopped to have afternoon tea on one of the sunnier lots. It was 2:30 and I was only 12km out from Mangawai Heads so I phoned the backpackers to book a bed.
Setting off again the trail diverts away from the main entrance to the development, following a well graded path through the bush in a random loop to emerge on the road separately. A short distance down this road the trail diverts up a gravel road into farmland. At the top of the hill I passed a farmer working in his shed. I'd seem him tide up the road ahead if me on a quad bike with two dogs on board; the two dogs lumbered over to investigate me, tails wagging. The farmer too came to say hello. He was interested to know my reasons for doing the trail. My default quick response now has become "to get some exercise". Unlike most other people he did not laugh but instead sized me up and seemed to decide that was a fair statement. Thanks mate. He was a nice bloke, though he didn't think 20-25kg for a pack was especially heavy, and assured me it would take a full month for me to get my fitness up. Duly noted. He helped point out the route the trail took across his farm, describing where it went beyond the next hill where the trail markers were out of sight. I thanked him very much for his help, but soon regretted not thanking him for allowing the trail to cross his property.
Over a stile the trail crosses a sheep paddock, follows a fenceline down to a small causeway over a swampy gully, steeply follows the fenceline up again and then turns off through a gate and into a graded grass track, recently mowed, that winds down and then back up through a lovely patch of native bush and grove of young kauri trees. Emerging at the top the trail comes out of a gravel road running along the clifftop on the coast, close to a wooden platform and picnic table affording a wonderful view if the sea. It was pretty windy up there do I didn't linger, and soon followed the Mangawai Coastal Walkway as it wends it's way around the steep hillside above the cliffy headlands and bays. Around one headland I can across a tui sat in a tree that seemed to be growing out into nothingness in the steep hillside. There have been loads of tui along the trail ever since the Herekino Forest, but this one stood out in my mind for having chins such an exposed and somewhat lonely place to sit and sing his heart out.
The track stays at roughly the same height until it nears Mangawai Beach, where it descends in stairs and switchbacks down the hillside to a carpark, affording views over one or two very posh and modern seaside houses that appear to be mere holiday homes, judging by their apparent state of unoccupation.
As I came down the track I could see people walking the beach, but by the time I got there and set out at my 'beach pace' down the 2km stretch of sand every man and his dog seemed to have turned in. It was gone 5pm and the shadows from the cliffs were getting long.
At the far end I hiked up the path through the dunes by the surf club, past a woman heading down for an evening beach walk. She was very excited to see someone walking Te Araroa, so much so she doubled back to congratulate me for taking it on and wishing me all the best. "You must be having a fantastic experience". Yes, I am, but right then and there I was absolutely knackered. My fatigued of the morning had redoubled and I just wanted to get to the backpackers.
The last 1.5km or do into town seemed to take forever and I got caught out in a new mini downpour just for good measure. Finally I staggered down the road and up into the front stoop of the Coastal Cow, where Andy met me at the door. It was just him, Nathalie and I again, this time all in the same dorm room. I carried my stuff through and collapsed face down on my bunk, apparently looking so comical Nathalie had to take photo (which will hopefully never see the light of day!). Andy and Nathalie were kind enough to congratulate me on making it. I like these guys. They're fun to hang out with. I only hope I can keep up with them...but already I'm beginning to feel my body crying out for a rest day.
While I was in the shower Tania the hostel caretaker came to collect our payments and bring us carrot cake-muffins...mmmm nom nom. She also kindly gave us a lift half a K down the road to the shops where we could get dinner. The pub/restaurant was just taking orders from a table of 12 so we opted for the quicker meal offered by the chippy across the road. I wasn't all that inspired but settled on homemade wontons and wedges.
We all decided to walk back and eat at the hostel, stopping at the liquor store just as it shut to get a bottle of beer each (or in my case: cider). It then started to drizzle so Nathalie, in a down jacket, ran on ahead. Having no hope if running I hobbled along behind, and soon got caught up by Andy who had gone to pick up some supplies from the service station.
Back at the hostel we dispersed plates and tucked into dinner. This time all three if us discussed house prices in NZ and strategic approaches to buying houses and selling them at a profit a few to several years later. We also (inevitably) discussed pack weight and ways I specifically could shave off extra kilos. Andy proffered an example by producing a truely tiny stove, which is functionally almost equivalent to mine but is half the size. I weighed their suggestions in my mind, as I have done all others before now, but I have come to the conclusion that I'm just not a big enough risk taker to change up my kit purely based on what other people tell me. The reason I have all my heavy gear is that I've used it before and I trust it to work. I didn't want to set out on a long, unknown trail with untested kit I was not familiar with. Happily both Nathalie and Andy seemed to think this was very sensible, Andy commenting that your own trial and error is the best way to find out what works for you. I'm glad they weren't offended that I didn't immediately latch on to all their advice.
All this said, walking the trail is rapidly becoming a habit. I've settled into it now to the point where I only have to glance at the next few days' worth of track to work out if there's a resupply point, and only read the very next day's trail notes in any great detail. This is in contrast to when I set out where I had the next several days mentally prepped in my mind. I've relaxed into the routine that is walking the trail now, and down the track this comfort and confidence may enable me to risk swapping out some gear...though no doubt saving kilos will have a dramatically opposite effect on my bank account!
Oh well, no need to make any decisions yet; there won't be a chance to buy any really serious new kit until I get to Auckland. So I have several more days yet to ponder and consider my options :)
No comments:
Post a Comment