Ron and Betty were up bright and early; Ron made delicious mixed cheese and capsicum on toast for brekky. He's also given me a pair of thick woolly socks that are much better than my back up pair so I trail tested them today. I left my tent, sleeping bag and spare good behind today = light pack! I've decided while I have the chance to see just how much of a difference a reduced load makes on my progress.
We jumped in the car and Ron dropped me off on Govan Wilson Rd at the start of the track to Dome. It's a nice drive up there with lovely views over the valleys on either side of the ridge. Ups short flight of steps the trail follows an old 4WD track past a few houses and into the bush. Early on I came upon a small herd of goats sunning themselves on the track; collars suggested these were of the pet rather than wild variety. Not much further along I began to hear voices behind me and shortly after the trail diverted onto a bush walking track I was overtaken by a pair of day walkers/runners. I couldn't see if they even carried drink bottles! If the track was anything like I thought it was going to be I'd need them even if they didn't.
And the track was very much as I thought it was going to be: LOTS of up and down. None if it was as arduous as the route up Bream Head, but there was just a lot of it, which by the end of the day was knackering, in spite of my much lighter pack.
Having a lighter pack certainly made a difference. As you might expect I could walk faster for longer, but I also didn't need to be quite so careful about foot placement without having additional excess weight to balance. The unfortunate side effect of all this was I went along at a cracking pace for a while (for me) and began to notice the jarring effect this was having on my knees. This was particularly noticeable on the final couple of downhills.
There are rare views out over Warkworth along the track, but right at the end there is a lookout platform with a great view of Warkworth, Rangitoto and yes, there, poking up from a cluster of buildings on the horizon, the Sky Tower. Wow! I'm nearly in Auckland!!
I didn't actually notice the Sky Tower at first. Two 20-something guys came up from the Dome carpark and we're looking at the view while I sat and had a rest and I overheard them point it out. Of course I immediately jumped up to see. I'd first thought the large conical hill I could see was Rangitoto but dismissed this as blatant optimism. Turns out I was right!
I was suddenly flooded with a sense of accomplishment and uttered a short verbal celebration. The guys were intrigued by this so I explained about Te Araroa. This they were even more intrigued by and we sat and chatted for about 20 minutes. It's really weird for me to have athletically built people impressed by some kind of physical exertion on my part...really weird. I don't recall that ever happening in my life before (usually they're trying not to look too unimpressed by something that for you counts as a great physical achievement...).
The guys were from Auckland and were on their way to Whangarei for the weekend. They assured me that even in my hiker garb I wouldn't stand out too much in Auckland I am a little concerned about having to tramp for days through civilisation, surrounded by people who aren't hot and sweaty and who actually have clothes that are, well, clean! (Despite access to proper laundry facilities it seems my walking clothes will never be pristinely clean again).
The guys wanted to know where the track went beyond the lookout. I explained that about 5hrs along it they'd pop out on Govan Wilson Rd. Understandably they weren't keen, and I suspect their jandals wouldn't meet the criteria of "sturdy footwear required" displayed on a sign by the track leading away from the lookout in the direction from which I'd come.
They set off back down the rather more jandal-friendly path to the Dome carpark, and shortly afterward I followed. Knowing there was a cafe and a rest stop at the bottom I strode down the steps (easy footing!) at a record pace and actually overtook the guys I'd spoken to at the top (one if them had broken a jandal and was now barefoot).
I emerged at the bottom next to an old and slightly cobwebby bubble car completely covered in brown fake grass, with a large stuffed cartoon rabbit on the top and a skeleton behind the wheel--it looked like a prop from Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I was also greeted by a duck, and a fine looking Welsomer rooster who it turns out is the cafe pet.
I took a seat outside and ordered an iced chocolate. It turns out the waitress gave Andy and Nathalie a lift to Sheepworld Campground last night after they got out of the track at 7pm (by which time the cafe was long shut, poor buggers). Thank goodness I didn't try the track myself yesterday; there's no way I'd have got out before dark if it took them that long!
Feeling tired but content I was nearly happy to call it a day...but that would mean a 28km walk to Puhoi on Monday. With a little self persuasion I was able to saddle up and set out again, aiming to get to Old Kaipara Valley Rd by 5pm--where and when Ron was going to pick me up if he didn't hear from me before hand. So I set off across the highway, up a gravel road that winds through farmland to a forestry block. Down the other side of the ridge the trail veers off through recently harvested pine forest and I got the fright of my life when a pheasant suddenly erupted from a bush just in front of me. Down the hill and along a few different roads in the valley I finally staggered out to the junction with Woodcocks Rd right on 5pm. Ron had already passed but a quick phone call sorted out locations and soon I was sitting in the car with kilometres flying underneath me without having to lift a toe.
Am very much looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. Going up the last uphill section to the lookout I could feel my legs saying "we want a rest...you promised us a rest day two whole days ago...give us a damn rest day". They're not especially saw, just exhausted. And after bouncing along with a light pack my knees are quite sore. No matter--rest day tomorrow guys!
Ron and Betty very kindly took me out to dinner to a place called Rusty's. We were all impressed that the reason there was no steak on the menu tonight was that the manager had sent it back to the supplier for being substandard. Slightly atypical for me I only fancied a light meal so opted for the seafood chowder (I must be tired!). I must have been feeling like myself again at the end though as I joined Ron & Betty in having desert, and then the waitress gave us each a glass of port on the house.
One odd thing though was ordering a glass of water...I'd have been happy with tap water but Ron and the waitress agreed that tap water here is aweful and I'd be better to have bottled. A few minutes later I had a stylish water glass and a straw and a shapely glass bottle of water from the spring at Waiwera (I'll be walking through there in a few days). The whole arrangement was more something I'd expect for an alcoholic beverage, not to mention the $5 price tag for the not overly large bottle. Oh well, I decided 'it must be an Auckland thing' and slurped down my water feeling like the yuppy that I temporarily am.
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