Day 39 and 40

Day 39 (November 4th)

Waitomo to Te Kuiti (15km, a really short one)

This should be known as the day of 100 stiles, it largely crossed farmland and consequently innumerable fences with stiles. 

The start was a short road walk to the first stile which a luck would have it was a right handed one. By that I mean the pole you support yourself with was on the right hand side. Being left handed I tend to dismount those backwards,  in this case  allowing me to see a note that had been placed on the far side of the stile. 

The easy to miss but pretty critical bit of information

The note advised the farm was rearing jersey bulls and it was recommended to divert via the road to the top of the farm then through another farm to rejoin the trail. So back over the stile and off I went up what seemed an interminably long hill. 

View from top of the road

The trail linking the road to the trail proper was pretty rough in places and very wet so another day of wet feet! Also plenty of gorse so the odd scratch too.

From here it was largely walking across farmland. One interesting g thing about the TA is if there’s a hill the TA will go over it even if there’s perfectly viable path around. This was noticeable over the farmland as the route followed fence lines up and down very steep little hills and as you looked back you realised you could have just walked across the lower paddock. 

Te Kuiti in the distance

The trail then crossed a swing bridge (the first of the TA) and entered the Pehitawa Kahikatea Forest Reserve.  This was absolutely stunning, magnificent tall straight Kahikatea trees reaching for the sky with the sunlight filtering through them.  Someone I spoke to after said they actually lay down and just looked up at them and I can understand why.

First swing bridge of the TA

After leaving the kahikatea  forest the trail resumed its meandering across farmland until it emerged at a point that was a navigational nightmare.  The trail map said turn right on the farm track then left onto a new trail. I tried this and ended up in a paddock with a herd of bulls showing a bit of interest in me so evacuated, rather quickly.  I then went looking for the trail but after wandering around for nearly an hour gave up and returned to the main farm track and followed it to the road into Te Kuiti.  Seems this is what everyone else ended up doing too so I’m not alone in having issues on this bit

Boscos Cafe on the outskirts of Te Kuiti. The inspiration for our beach house!

I’ve arranged to stay with a trail angel, Sue Sands, in Te Kuiti and her instructions were to cal into her shop on arriving. I did this and she gave me key to her home, no questions asked, and said go and make yourself at home.  Again the trusting nature of people comes to the fore, I just hope everyone respects this as it is what makes this experience possible.

An afternoon of shopping for six days without supply and generally getting sorted including having a really great pizza from the pizza place in the main street, my food recommendation should you find yourself in Te Kuiti!

There were three of us staying with Sue, Tahlia, myself and a guy who I’d not met before now, Ben.  What was notable was Ben’s food resupply weighed at least twice mine!  This did concern me as I wondered had I underdone the food in trying to keep my pack weight down or did he just eat heaps.  Only the next few days will tell.

We did have TV at Sue’s so were able to watch the initial results of the US election.  This had Trump leading and it would be a couple of days before we had coverage again and could catch up with progress.

---

Day 40 (5 November) 

Te Kuiti to Sam and Lauras patch of grass halfway to Pureora (22km) I was up early and was going to have breakfast on the way out of town but the lovely Sue said I was welcome to use her eggs, so a couple of farm fresh eggs on toast.  As I left Sue’s felt a bit of warning pain in the old gammy left leg. Unfortunately the pain would seem to be back!! Bugger, just when I thought there would be a day soon without either blisters, a cold or a gammy leg.  Anyway despite the pain getting worse here was nothing for it but to box on which is what I did.  The trail today follows the Mangaokewa River, it does have a bit of a reputation due to the sections where it follows very narrow “goat” tracks along the sides with reasonably substantial falls if you get it wrong. There’s also large sections of blackberry to contend with that have apparently caused injury when trekkers have slipped and fallen into it. So not a day to take lightly! Before I got to the river trail proper I got a call from Tahlia (who had left before me this morning) asking where I was and if I could help her with some overly friendly cows.  I was only about 200m behind and when I arrived she was sitting on a bridge over the river with a group of cows standing looking at her.   I proceeded to shoo them away and gave Tahlia a bit of advice on scaring cows and if necessary a swat with a treking pole so hopefully she’ll  I must say despite the leg pain the scenery made up for the discomfort, it was spectacular and quite varied.  I’ll post a gallery of various photos which will hopefully convert the beauty and variety of terrain and scenery.

Tahlia waiting for me to sort out cows!

It started raining about midday and rained with increasing intensity for the remainder of the day and into the night.  

Trail follows this river

It was a good day to stick together in case someone fell

Towards the end of the day I figured because the trail followed the river it was possible to cut off a couple of the corners and stay in the paddocks thus making the walk a bit easier. The first went well which increased my confidence, unfortunately the second time I did this there was another stream intersecting the river and I found myself on the wrong side of it. Seemed an easy remedy, to cross that stream then climb the bank and cross the little ridge to get back on the correct bank of the river. Crossing went well, especially as by this time of the day I’m over worrying about wet feet, the climbing bank part though  proved a bit more challenging as I was confronted by an almost vertical bank. After one failed attempt (which added to the dirt I was covered in)  I moved along a bit further and managed to get to the top without falling. The upshot of all this was the energy used in getting back on trail we and truely exceed what I’d saved in the shortcuts! 

Wet but happy!

About this time Tahlia gave up on me and for a late lunch while I decided to plod on towards the promised camp for the night.  Tonight’s camp is a piece of flat ground and shelter some local farmers (Sam and Laura) have provided for TA hikers. Another example of locals assisting with making this all possible. 

By the time I got to the shelter it was bucketing down and the wind was gusting pretty strong. I knew that by putting the fly up over the footprint first then fitting the tent body inside was possible and  would allow me to keep the interior dry. I’d seen it done on youtube  but had only done it once on a fine, sunny, calm day at home.  So now I entered a high stakes game, cock it up and a damp night would become a really wet one. Well I’m pleased to report it all went well and I’m writing this from a dry tent albeit being blown  around something aweful. I’d estimate the wind is gusting 70+ km/hr so will be a big test of my trusty abode! 

Bone dry in my little home!

I was fed and in bed by 7.30 and the storm raged all night.  I’m pleased to report my tent withstood it well (despite actually being pitched the wrong direction as the wind swung through 180deg in the evening) and I had a dry but very noisey night. Tahlia actually pitched her tent inside the small shelter which seemed like a good idea but with the wind she somehow ended up with a lake at one end where the rain blew in.