Day 9
Sep 9 day 9 Puketi Camp to KeriKeri 25 km 7:15-1:00 Hiked hard and fast, but was short, fairly easy day. The highlight was crossing a large set of pastures toward the end of lambing season. Most of the ewes had already lambed (most with twins) though some were about to. A lot of afterbirth […]
Day 8
Sep 8 day 8 Apple Dam Camp to Puketi Camp 25 km 7:30 – 3:00 Finally a really beautiful day. Early part on a forest track past many Kauri Trees, and by mid-morning descended down an old atv track through the high rushes to the Mangapukuhukuhu Stream which I then hiked straight down the middle […]
Day 7
Sep 7 day 7 free camp on ridge to Apple Dam Camp 25 km 7:30-3:00 Woke to rain and cold, packed up quickly, put on wet clothes and headed out fast. The trail down to valley (5km) was ridiculous– standing water, looked like ponds in the middle of the trail. Soon I was completely soaked […]
Day 6
Sep 6 day 6 Digger Valley Road to free camp on ridge 24 km 7:30-5:30 The second worst trail I have ever hiked.
Day 5
Sep 5 day 5 Ahipara to Digger Valley Road 24 km 7:30-4:30 Started out beautiful, barely a cloud in the sky as the rains had come on hard all night but dissipated by morning. Made coffee in kitchen before leaving, then strolled through town, stopping to get a juice before striking out of town. The […]