Day 17 - Mackenzie Bay to Waipu Cove (TA 425) - 22km plus 12 with the medical corp!

The journey across Whangerei Harbour is part of the trail, but it's kind of 'open' as to how you get across. We got a lift with David who said he'd ferry us across for a donation. David was a kind soul - he picked us up from Dougie's place to save us an hours walk, he was well organised with life jackets (even gave us a bit of a safety brief about how to use them).  I managed to catch my leg on some oyster shells before we left and his first aid kit was very impressive!  David took us right into Marsden Point Wharf where there was a cafe. We all needed a hot drink after our strenuous effort of being ferried around all morning.

We had planned our route to avoid an estuary crossing that people were having to organise kayaks for (you needed to give 24 hours notice). With an incoming tide, we didn't think it was worth going to check it out. The trouble with that, especially when the road route seems to go on forever, is that you start thinking 'Maybe we should have tried to get across.' Just before we turned back towards the coast, a car stopped to chat. It was the guy who supplies the kayaks to TA walkers. He said that we had made the right decision as the river was running high (that is you had to swim)  with a strong current.

Validation is always empowering.

Once we got back to the coast it was a 6km walk before hitting the road to WAIPU.
I was coming off the beach and stopped to take my shoes off and empty the sand. A man stopped to have a chat and asked about where I was walking. He was heading up the coast but offered to take me to Waipu as it wasn't far back down the road. His name was Greg and he was part of a medical corp. he had been to some amazing (and scary) places helping people. He was likely to be heading to Fiji with the Red Cross or to Syria next. Instead of taking me just to Waipu, he gave me a lift all the way to Waipu Cove.

I grabbed a kitchen cabin and then texted Alex and Harriet to say that I'd got one. I headed down to the beach to give my feet a good dose of salt water. Many kms in wet shoes makes your skin very soft and easier for it to wear away. The salt water bloody stung!
Shower next and was just washing out my undies when Harriet and Alex arrived.

'Did you get a lift off the beach?'

I just smiled.

Pigeon xx

These are the mountains we crossed yesterday

Day 16 - Tidesong to Mackenzie Bay (TA 391) 22km

It started raining during the night and I woke to a grey, drizzly day. Thankfully, Hugh had offered to drive us around the estuary so we didn't have to start the day with muddy, wet feet. Road walk to start with, then a lovely bush track, more road, paddock then on to the Ocean Beach for 7km.

I could just see Alex and Harriet up the beach and the rain was hanging around the peaks and hiding the mountains we had to cross later in the day. The tide was nearly in and I was glad that we hadn't left any later as it would have forced us into the really soft sand. As it was it was getting a little hairy going around the rocks. I got to the first headland and I could see Alex and Harriet climbing up it. It was only when I got closer that I could see how steep it was. The first part was sand without many handholds except for some grass on the side. Alex came back and took my pack to make it easier for me (THANKS ALEX) and I slipped my way up until there were some rocks which made the climb easier. Because I was wet, I was now covered in sand which made everything gritty. - hands, poles, shoes, all over. I was being a bit of a Princess about it, but the more I tried to wipe it off, the more frustrated I got so I just gave up and crunched my way up the next beach.

Another headland, another climb out, but this one not so hard.

Then there was lots of up, some more up, some steep, gnarly down, more up, a little more up and then up! Apparently there were 956 stairs according to Harriet.  I was counting them in bundles of 50 - 50 rises before I could stop and pant and bend over to get weight of pack of my shoulders.  Not sure if there were 956 but there definately were many multiples of 50!

We were essentially walking in the clouds and the track was wet and slippery. Without the rain we would have had views to die for. It's a shame because I think, despite the stairs, this was my favourite forest track so far. It was interesting to walk - a lot of variety - shrubs, forest, grass lands and some really cool rocks.

It seemed an age before we reached the final summit then there were what seemed like a 1000 stairs to descend!

Once out, I texted Dougie, the man whose place we were staying at, to let him know we were on our way and then, with the sun finally trying to come out it was a pleasant stroll around to Mackenzie's Bay.
Because it had been raining and we were all very wet, Dougie let us sleep in his studio - very cool.
I was pleased with how my pack coped with the rain. Everything was dry inside except for right at the bottom where things were a bit drippy - probably shouldn't have squirted it with the hose to get the sand off though!

Pigeon xx

Day 15 - Rest Day at Tidesong

Just chilling

Catching up

Slowing down

Breathing

Grounding

Finding a place

From which to start

Finding a place 

Where inertia seeks motion

Finding the place 

Where the pull to continue

Is strong 

But mostly 

Just chilling 

Catching up

Slowing down

Pigeon xx

Day 14 - Ngunguru to Tidesong B&B (TA 369) - 26km plus 10km by car

Mila gave us a lift for the first 10km of road and waved us goodbye. A few more kms of road before the start of Mackerel Forest. The track notes warned of two river crossings, the first meant to be knee to thigh deep, but thankfully both only ankle deep. Mackerel track only went for 4km then it was back on the road for 13 very long km - my body rebelled at all the bitumen pounding and my right inner thigh just went. One minute OK, one minute stuffed! Pain was excruciating - knife in the thigh type stuff. I hoped I could walk it out but no such luck. Took a magic pill and kept shuffling, finally reaching Padua and catching up with Alex and Harriet.  All of us had this perception that once we reached Padua we were nearly there, but there was some more road (oh bliss)  and a walk around the estuary before we got to Tidesong B&B. The tide was still going out when we hit the estuary and it became a muddy battle with us trying to find a bit of firmer ground amongst the mangroves. We got to a point where we couldn't see a way forward so we backtracked to where we had seen some stairs head up from the estuary. We climbed the stairs and then followed the track up into someone's backyard and headed out their driveway. The plan was to take the long way round by road. Luckily we came across Suzie, who was moving her float, and she gave us a lift to the top of Beasley Rd. Knowing that we definately didn't have far to go now, we all had a spring (admittedly a slightly sprung spring) in our step as we headed down to Tidesong.

Hugh (our host) had just got back from mowing the airstrip, but in quick time had us out on the deck and sorted with a cuppa and a piece of cake.

Tidesong is set on the banks of the estuary in amongst the trees and I could feel my body relaxing bit by bit  with every moment.  Rest day tomorrow - hopefully enough time to sort this leg out.  Resupply time too - am NOT looking forward to filling up my pack!

Pigeon xx

Day 13 Whananaki Holiday Park to Mila's Place Ngunguru (TA 333) - 27km)

It rained last night. Tent didn't leak thank goodness! But I must have done a Thermarest slide during the night which pushed my dry washing onto the mesh so it was wet again in the morning. Oh well, 20 odd kms of hiking with my undies hanging off the back of my pack.!

The day started with a lovely walk along the coastline along a grassy track. Some more steep ups and downs but the views were revitalising. Back to road walking for the leg into Manapouri. I came across a guy swimming with his golden retriever- lift over the hill? Sure thing! He dropped me off at the shop where I got a drink and had some pack off time. Another TA hiker (Jackson) arrived and we walked out together for awhile. It wasn't long before he left me behind though and I continued on the track, now back in the forest. It was a really nice track( which by now I'm sure you've picked up, equates to little mud, not too many steep bits and an easy to follow trail), but it was getting towards the pointy end of the day and my shoulders and legs had had enough. Finally made it to the road and got offered a lift into Ngunguru straight away- yes please! Hokey Pokey and passion fruit ice cream - just the ticket to get me through the last few kms to Riverbank B&B where I had planned to camp the night.

I arrived at Riverbank to find Barnaby, a TA hiker that I had met at Paihia, and a small not very level camp site in amongst the veggies. I was just about to text Harriet and Alex when they texted me about another camp site in Ngunguru. So back into town And then to Mila's place - a quirky little campground with ducks, chickens and a very friendly Labrador. Mila gave us some eggs which we manifested into some fried rice by combining it with some bits and pieces from our food bags.

Delicious!

Pigeon xx