Sep 25 day 25 Auckland to Auckland Airport 33 km 8:15-3:30

My sense is that the TA route through Auckland was designed on a dart board, but I did get to climb Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill, walk through some cool neighborhoods, and finally out to the airport– not your most scenic place. Finally tomorrow I should get back out in the country. Walking in the city is odd– of course I’m out of place with my pack (though there are plenty of students with massive packs traveling about). Walking on the sidewalk, dodging people, waiting for lights, stopping for coffee, constantly consulting maps to be sure I’m on the correct road. All in all, a strange way to be hiking. Have a long stretch before the next real re-supply, so went to grocery and will be carrying a load tomorrow. The airport area was actually ok when I got there. Had to book hotel, but found one cheap, had a great meal in a crowded restaurant– not sure where all the people come from as its not in the airport and the hotel wasn’t full. Still, was a pleasant evening saying goodbye to urban life for a while.

Sep 24 day 24 Auckland 0 km, Zero Day

A day much like yesterday. Had to check out of the YHA hostel as they were booked, but found a luxury hotel room just down the block for the same cost. Hotels.com came through on that. And Ubertec also delivered, getting my new phone in and set up by noon. The sun finally came out, so I spent early afternoon strolling down by the docks, then over to the Shakespear Brewery for a celebratory IPA (the first really good beer I’ve had so far). Then back to the hotel for a few hours downloading apps, maps, and other stuff to make my phone a functional navigation device. It’s pretty stripped down for now, but its main purpose is to be sure I’m on the right path. There was a scale in the hotel, down to about 181 lbs, so I went to one of those Asian all-you-can-eat meat barbecue places and played the glutton.

Sep 23 day 23 Auckland 0 km, Zero Day

Was strange waking and not walking. Instead I strolled to a coffee shop for a day of healing and rest. Given all the isolation of the last weeks, for some reason, I still want quiet and privacy here. Just peace without motion. I’ve started to put sugar in my coffee, I think in an attempt to take in more calories– not sure how much weight I’ve dropped, but it is a fair amount already, so today is a day of high calorie meals. Started cold with clouds and rain, but the sun kept trying to come out. In many ways, I did not care. My day was to be spent in the great indoors, but still, the possibility of relaxing in the warm sun was alluring. Of course my peace was interrupted by technology failure. My iPhone died. Fortunately it was under warranty and I was in a city that could replace it, but it did require a hike over to the repair place and at least another day here waiting for replacement. Well, if it was going to fail, I’m glad it did now and not out in the bush three weeks from a city.

Sep 22 day 22 Stillwater to Auckland YHA 33 km 6:15- 4:00

So at 7:09 this morning I was trying to ford the Okura River. I did everything right– arrived at the ford point at exactly low tide, tried 4 different places. Each time I’d get about 20 meters out and the water would get to my ribs (and the bottom of my backpack) and the river bottom would go soft — really muddy. Had to turn back each time, so finally gave up, and took the long walk around through the Okura Forest track, which goes through a fairly young Kauri grove along with lots of other magnificent trees, and lots of Tui’s (the birds, not the beers). Much of the rest of the day was spent working back to the coast through the suburbs. I changed from my wet clothes, but of course my shoes were soaked, so that 33 km beat my feet up. The sun would shine for about ten minutes, then it would rain again. Finally got down to Devonport, which is a really great town, and caught the ferry over to Auckland just as it was leaving. The hostel was just up Queen street, but walking there was disorienting. Surrounded by people talking — chattering– after all that solitude was hard to deal with. Hostel is nice, finally got some laundry done, whew, it reeked. Did not realize how tired I really was until I went out for a big bowl of noodle soup, then planned to find a bar, a beer, and maybe a televised rugby game. Ended up crawling into bed very early watching Colbert and Oliver clips before a deep a dreamless sleep.

Sep 21 day 21 Puhoi to Stillwater. 32 km 8:00-3:30 (because of high tides, some road walking probably shortened the actual distance)

Today started with another generous act. Two days ago, when I stopped at the Dome Cafe for an early dinner, wet, covered in mud, I ordered food and a beer. When the woman who ran the place brought it, she asked if I wanted any chips (in New Zealand, chips are a large bowl of hot, thick-cut fries). I smiled and said sure, and, even though it was obviously a slow day, she just gave them to me. Last night at the bar, I ordered a Tui’s and the manager charged me 6$. When I ordered the next, the bar tender charged 5$. I asked and he said 5$ was enough. Then this morning, I stopped at the Puhoi General Store and Cafe for a cup of coffee before hiking. It was a cold morning, and while I was sitting outside, the woman running the cafe came out with a large, hot croissant with tomato, ham and cheese. She said I looked cold, and refused payment. And tonight, because I was hiking the long trail, Pete– the camp owner– refused payment and let me sleep in the camp TV room (though the only thing on were game shows). This is often a kind and generous country. The day’s hike was, on the other hand, uninteresting. The tides were high so I was forced up on the roads most of the day. It was pretty much a day of walking on the shoulders of roads dodging ongoing cars. Initially I was just going to go 18 km to a campground at the southern tip of Orewa, but I got there before noon, so decided to trust luck in finding a place to pitch my tent in Stillwater. Lucked out as there is a campground right at the entrance to the next part of the hike. The whole place is pretty empty, but a warm dry place to sleep before the big push toward Auckland tomorrow.

Sep 20 day 20 dome Cafe to Puhoi 27 km 8:30-3:00

Got a bit of a late start because I walked up from the Sheep World Campgrounds, to the Dome Cafe for another meal and some great conversation with the couple who run it. Both so kind and peaceful. Had delicious Eggs Benedict and coffee before pulling on my wet muddy shoes for another day’s slog. Even though it rained off and on, it was a good day. Not much road walking, but a lot of old forest roads that were well drained, so only a few kilometers of slipping and sliding. Pretty uneventful walk, but a wonderful ending. 11 or 12 years ago I was driving (with the family) from Whangerai back to Auckland. It was lunch time so we pulled off at this little village that had a beautiful pub by a river with a large green lawn. I remember thinking that it was a nearly perfect place. You can imagine how my dampened spirits rose when I came down off the hill, crossed the bridge and realized that I was in the same place. Walked into the pub in the midst of the Sunday dinner rush, and Amigo (the manager) looked up and said of course they had a room for me. I was soon unpacked, showered, and seated near a fire tucking into a great hot dinner. The place is still nearly perfect.

Sep 18 day 18 Mangawhai Village to Pakiri Camp 23 km 7:45-1:00

Short day, resting for what looks to be a difficult couple of days ahead. Pretty much a two surface hike–road to beach, then beach to the end (a brief up and over a point at Te Arai). Started out in the pouring rain, though it does not much bother me when starting out if I’ve got a pack cover, rain pants, and coat deployed from the start. Met two other thruhikers– Pierre and Sophie who were camped at Te Arai and who later stayed at the Holiday Camp. Minimal excitement on this track except having to ford three rivers, each mid-thigh deep. It takes a bit to find a good spot to cross. The water is not always clear enough to acertain depth. On getting to the middle and largest river, I found a woman, A—– on the other side. She was checking the DOC pest traps and also monitoring bird nesting habits. She kicked off her boots, dropped her pants, and waded out in just her knickers, noting on crossing that the water did not get to her crotch. Had a good talk about the nesting of the Oyster Catchers, and the problems of motorbikes on the dunes. The rest of the trek was just more beach–beautiful but monotonous after a bit. Stopped in early at the Pakiri Camoground, made for a short day, but got clean and dry, missed a large afternoon shower. Tomorrow the hills will be mud, a difficult challenge.

Sep 17 day 17 Waipu Cove to Mangawhai Village (Mangawhai Camp) 28 km 7:30-2:30

Very straightforward day. Woke to clear blue skies, got on trail fairly early, had to backtrack to the turn which took me up through a subdivision. They are building lots of upscale houses on the ridges overlooking the bays and islands. After a while, the road turned to gravel and I entered an area being logged off, soon coming up on one of those large winching machines they put at ridge tops to pull whole trees up the hill from the ridges where they have been cut out by chainsaws. It was exactly like the Stamper operation in the film version of Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion. I had to stop a while just to watch the sheer force being deployed to harvest trees is such difficult terrain. The track then rose up to follow a ridge line with occasional great views of the bays one either side of the head, before descending to a road and then back up a farm track to the edge of the coast. One amazing thing about farmscapes here is that Calla Lilies bloom in clumps all over the pastures near streams or pools. The track then turned to follow the coastal cliff down to Mangawhai Heads, which included a short bit hiking on the beach (seems requisite on this part of the trek). Got lunch and a great smoothie made of some NZ fruit at the Heads before crossing into Mangawhai village and pitching my tent at the campground. The campgrounds here can be interesting. Talked a while to Mike, the manager, who explained that the 68 lots in this one were sold off, and the owners park caravans or build cabins to rent or to live in. I am pitched in a little green bit of lawn between a couple of occupied cabins– my tent is quite a contrast. Strolled into town to the Smashed Pipi Gallery and Bar to have beer and pizza, something I’ve been craving. Talked a while with the outgoing manager– it was his last night running the place– about how peaceful living in this area is, unlike Auckland which is not so far down the road these days.

Sep 16 day 16 McLeod Bay to Waipu Cove 30 km. 8:30- 3:00 (part by boat)

Today started much better. A sleepless night near a road–once again cars kept me up much of the night, but on rising, packing up, I noticed the The Deck cafe, which had been closed last night, was well lit, and I was soon tucking into eggs, bacon and coffee. After last night’s pack of ramen supper, it was pure delight. I then wandered down to the jetty to wait for the boat to take me across, spending a pleasant quarter hour talking with a woman walker and long-time resident of McLeod Bay about the changes over time in the village, and also how the footpaths were all being staircased. She doesn’t like them. I tend to agree, until I think back on the Herekino Forest track which could have used something, anything, to make the trail more stable and walkable. In a bit Steve Martinovitch picked me up in the Cara-J, a 38 foot cruiser he built himself– wood with fiberglass sheathing– over three years in his spare time. For the last 18 years, he has been running it as a fishing and charter boat. He too noted the changes in the area, particularly on the bay with the construction of the large (and only) oil refinery in NZ. After a throughly pleasant boat ride, he gave me ride into town so I could get money from a bank ATM (my card does not work in rural ATMs and so is a sometimes source of anxiety). Resupplied at a good grocery store (also a rare commodity on the trail) and hiked the beach down to Waipu, a wonderful little village originally populated by Scots (there is an amazing old cemetery just south of town). I had a good lunch (with salad!!) before heading down south to the campground at Waipu Cove where I got a hot shower (pure luxury) and finally did my laundry (more luxury).