Setting off down the street to the riverbank I began following the 'River Ride' which one day will (I suppose) connect Ngaruawahia and Hamilton via one continuous broad concrete cycle/walkway. For now however there is a sizeable gap several kilometres in. I foolishly thought that there would be a way out to the road from the end, but no. Now I knew why the joggers who had passed me first going the same way and then going back had given me a couple of odd looks!
Once the path skirts to the far end of the golf club it just stops, with a tall chain link fence barring the way through to the other side, which is only a massive clump of brambles anyway. Fortunately there was a golfer nearby so I called out to him through the even taller chain link fence (designed to protect cycle way users from stray golf balls) to ask if I climbed around the end if the fence and into the ground of golf course, could I follow that fenceline out to the road. He said he reckoned I could, and I was willing to walk back several kilometres to a previous exit, so that's exactly what I did. From the weakly beaten track around the fence at the terminus of the cycle way I'd say I'm not the first person to have done this...
My plan was all well and good until the last twenty odd meters between me and the goal of the public footpath running along the main road. This appeared to be private property as the well-clipped grass of the golf course face way to a patch if less well tended lawn out the front of a house. There was no fenceline between the two, only the fence bordering the gold course that I had been following, that I could see, only a stones throw away ended at a letterbox by the footpath. There was nothing between me and escape but a few meters of non-public grass. After a quick glass at the house to see if anyone was watching I speed-walked (I can't really jog with my pack on) across the lawn as close to the fence as possible and stepped (with a sigh of relief that no "Oy! Get off my lawn!" had come hollering from the house) onto the pavement. Sheesh what a trespassing rebel...
Back on trail (it had veered off to the road way back...obviously because the pathway isn't finished) I followed the road past the meat works (and it's unappealing smell) into the small settlement of Horotiu. I stopped in a bus shelter to snack and inform my old school friend Lulu of my progress; she lives in Hamilton and we have arranged to meet up this evening once I get there.
As I was packing up to move on a guy pulled over to offer me a lift into Hamilton. I politely declined before heading off down the road again, and shortly taking the turnoff back down to the recommencement of pathway along the river. This the map of the trail assured me, would lead me all the way into Hamilton.
Passing between the river bank and the Fonterra factory the path head back up onto a road to divert around some farmland before returning once more to the river bank after passing through a very horsey stretch of farmland and outer suburbs. The trail goes through a small park where, never one to turn down a proper place to sit, I stopped at a picnic table to have a snack. A woman going for a walk stopped to talk to me. She invited me in out of the wind for a cup of tea. I politely declined, saying I would if I didn't have a friend waiting on me in Hamilton. It transpired the woman was starting her second round of post-surgery chemo tomorrow. She told me this somewhat out of the blue and it occurred to me that perhaps she lived alone and was a bit anxious about the treatment and just wanted someone to talk to, so I took a few extra minutes to chat. I asked her how she had faired during her first round and the answer was not good. I tried to assure her that it was better than the alternative of letting cancer gain a foothold again, especially since she'd already told me her prognosis was good. Finally we said goodbye; she headed inside out of the wind and threatening drizzle and I headed off down the trail to the riverbank. I hope her treatment is going okay.
Not half a K down the trail my feet were paining. The sun had sort of come out and I was out of the wind so I stopped on a handy bench--with a curious dedication plaque saying "Reserved for..." rather than "Dedicated to..." or "In memory of...". I actually glanced about to make sure the beneficiaries of the reservation were about to leap out of the bushes and say "get off our seat!" before sitting down, taking off my boots and socks and laying them out in the sun. My feet were white and getting cracky again so I sat for a good twenty minutes to let them dry, chatting to passing dog walkers and looking out over the river.
Presently a Maori man with a long plait and a cap came jetting up the river in a small motorised dinghy. He doubled back and began nosing his boat in amongst the willows on first one bank then the other, peering into the water intently, (and completely ignoring the bootless hiker watching him). When on the far side of the river he readied a long pole with a rope attached I guessed he was spear-fishing for carp. My suspicions proved correct as in the second throw he retrieved the spear and a large shiny orange thing was dangling off the end. He tossed the fish into bottom of his boat and jetted off back downstream. The erratic noise of the engine as he hunted reminded me if the lone jet boat I'd heard from the Hakarimatas the day before and I wondered if it was this guy, apparently on a one man crusade to rude the Waikato of invasive koi carp. Good on ya mate, I thought.
Feet dry, I rubbed in some balm before putting on my now mostly dry socks, re-booting, re-saddling and setting off down the footpath once more. It's a nice walk along the riverbank all the way into Hamilton city. I was reminded of Kerkeri--although the two walkways and rivers are vastly different--in that there was such a pleasant path leading a substantial way along the river and into town, both being utilised by a similar assortment of joggers, dog walkers, and the odd overburdened hiker.
Along the route I counted bridges to gauge how close I was to the CBD and checked my watch intermittently for timing. It became apparent that I'd set a new PB for speed: 7km in an hour and 15 minutes. Booyah! I figured that was deserving of a quick break so I stopped on a park bench, laid out my raincoat to dry in the now shining sun and rang Mum for a chat. Moving on again I got to the CBD and headed up the Centennial Steps onto the high street. I followed the trail through town, map in hand, getting strange looks from the locals. Poor timing means that although I was supposed to stay with Lulu tonight she is in the process of moving and can't put me up, but she found a good deal at a motel that is fortuitously only 500m from the trail, so that was where I was headed. On the way there I passed a sushi shop (there seems to be one on every block in Hamilton!) serving a range of sushi options for $1 per piece. It was 2:30 and I was starving so I loaded a plate and also bought my by now town-routine drink duo of a bottle of juice and a can of fizzy. I sat down to eat and scoffed the lot in minutes. Back on the trail (aka out in the street) I headed off to the intersection where I then diverted to the motel: the Ashwood Manor Motor Lodge. The lady at the desk was cheerful but didn't seem to quite grasp that I had walked into town from Ngaruawahia (at least it didn't get the reaction such things seem to get from most other people). Her husband was also nice and thanked me for being a responsible pedestrian; turns out it was him I had paused at the driveway to allow an indicating car to drive in ahead of me.
Shortly I was checked-in to a lovely big room with a simply enormous bed, kitchenette, and large bathroom. I took a long luxurious shower, hand-washed my dirty clothes and hung them up on the shower rail (it took six soap up and rinses to get to the point where the water bein wrung out of my shirt was even remotely clear), then proceeded to empty my pack and lay everything else out to air. When I was done the room looked like a pop-up outdoor store, or perhaps like someone was considering spending the night tenting in the bathroom. I flicked the fan and heat lamps on and left everything to dry while I doctored my feet and txt Lulu. I chilled out (read: lay spread eagles on the bed surrounded by comfy pillows and watched junk TV) until she was able to come by and then we spent a good hour catching up before heading out for dinner.
Lulu took me to her favourite restaurant, Victoria Street Bistro, and generously treated me to three courses of some of the tastiest food ever (hiker cravings aside, it was REALLY good!). Back at the motel it turns out we both thought we'd paid for the bill; turns out I had paid (otherwise I'd never have let Lulu pay for dinner!!) but I told Lulu to check her bank account just I make sure we didn't accidentally both pay!
We sat up talking for ages but finally said our goodbyes. Lulu has an early start and I should try to make one as well. With one last hug we said farewell, hoping to see each other again soon at our mutual friend's wedding in February--can't wait!
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