Days 15 and 16

Day 15. - Whananaki to Nikau eco-camp Ngunguru (28km) Hard to believe I’ve been on the trail over two weeks now. The time has really (with the exception of yesterday!) flown. Probably also helped by the little trail family of Ding, Robin and Tahlia sharing the experiences while all walking our own walk.  Looking at the distance covered it’s great to have gone past the 300km mark, 10% of the total does really feel like a meaningful dent in it. Not to say there aren’t going to many more challenges in the days and weeks ahead.  Today actually started really well. woke up and left leg felt really good, nevertheless took some industrial strength Diclofenac, just for security. I was up, feed and packed before 7.00 and made a really early start from Whananaki. Just after starting out things really spiralled down hill. I got about halfway across the bridge (the longest in the Southern Hemisphere, bugger it) when I started getting excruciating pain right through my left leg. It also chose that moment to start pissing down with rain!

Whananaki Bridge from the southern end

Frankly I just spun out! Wind, rain and bad pain and I was struggling to see how I could do the 5km to the road let alone the 28km to Ngunguru or the 2650km remaining on the TA. So in my despondency I rang Marie, just being able to talk to her and get some reassurance helped so much, not with the pain but with the mental stuff of having to think about options.  The one thing I wasn’t going to do was turn around and go back to Whananaki, so I decided to do today in small bites. The first being getting to the road just before Matapouri. From there I could either hitch into Whangarei to get medical help or carry on depending on the leg.  The walk to the road was along the Whananaki Coastal Walkway, which I’m sure on a fine day and in a good frame of mind is spectacular. Unfortunately today between the rain, the pain in my leg and a bit of despondency that this might be a premature end to the dream I struggled to appreciated the views.

Looking back at the photos I took the views were spectacular.  As I progressed along the walkway the leg continued to be painful but interestingly only on the uphills. This was something new to me as normally my knees hurt downhill but I can power up any hill put in front of me.  At the road the TA makes a detour as the track  through the forest behind Tutakaka has been closed so the route to Ngunguru is a road walk initially following the main road to Whangarei. I decided the next small bite was get to the Hikurangi turn-off. This being about 6 or 7km away. Fortunately the rain had ceased which  improve my mood significantly as did the early Bumper Bar ( I give myself one of these a day at 10.00 but today had it at 8.45!). As I made my way along the road the leg pains remained but I felt the really sharp pains that had been causing me to stop were diminishing. I tried knee brace on and off and decided on and tight was the go. Perhaps all I was doing was constricting the nerves but whatever works.  Once I got to the turn-off decided I was now halfway through the day and I started to think getting to Ngunguru was achievable. So on I plodded.  Finally got to Ngunguru at about 1.30pm (6.5 hours), so not the fastest 25km I’ve ever walked but I must say getting here was most satisfying. 

Ngunguru Estuary

Arriving in town I found the local cafe which was like an oasis. Corn fritters, long black and a beer! The girl did question if I wanted the long black and beer together,  to which I responded “of course”!

Late but, I thought, well deserved lunch

Tonight I’m staying at the Nikau eco-camp on the south side of the estuary and with the tides being high during the day am reliant on James the owner to come and getting me in his dinghy.  I had a bit of a wait for James as he was also out walking but used the time to catch up on blog notes, speaks to few people and have another beer! Words can describe how magical the Nikau Camp is. I’ll try to post a gallery of photos of it to give a sense of what they’ve created here. It’s in the bush right beside the estuary and largely built from recycled timber. The only power is solar 24v but it does have the most amazing gas heated outdoor showers. 

While I’m sure everyone would appreciate this magical place two people who I’m sure would absolutely love it are Mal (my cousin in Au) and Chris my son who works with word every day.

I’m the only one staying here tonight. Another sign of the impact Covid has had on the TA, James in a normal year would expect ten or more TA hikers by this time of the year.  Lastly dinner, Indian precooked rice, teriyaki beef jerky and greens from James’s garden. Amazingly simple but equally delicious and I think probably nutritionally pretty good too! 

Fresh greens, should keep the scurvy at bay

Day 16 - Nikau eco-camp to Ocean Beach Camp (~30km)

The day of tides!

Today posed some logistical challenges as there were two estuary crossings and a walk along Ocean Beach, unfortunately spread across the day.  

James at Nikau was onto the estuary crossings with a large display board and the timings required to do both of them in the day.  

The day started early as I was pretty keen to get going and also the comfortable bed at the eco-camp meant I got a good rest and was awake early.

I ended up chatting to Wendy, James’ partner, fascinated by the effort they’ve put into I creating this piece of paradise. James has had the property for 29 years but has spent the last 15 going hard on building, planting and creating what is there now.  It really has been a labour of love, remembering they are totally off the grid where they are.

Wendy, despite being a software developer, has taken on the local role of environmental champion and is working hard to eradicate invasive plants and allow the whole area (including on the other side of the estuary) regenerate in natives.

So after chatting I left at about 8.30 which was when James recommended.  This didn’t take into account my gammy leg and the fact I could quite possibly be slower than he anticipated.

Beautiful wetlands just past Nikau Camp

Fortunately the leg, despite protesting at the start settled down and was actually pretty good all day.

Entry to the custodian of the tribal lands property

I got to the Horahora River crossing about an hour before low tide there (the tide in this river/estuary is actually 1.5hours after the stated tide in the charts!) and was pleasantly surprised to find the water was only thigh deep.  Decided to do this crossing with shoes off as it was all on sand and dry feet are like gold on the TA.

The first crossing challenge!

There was then about 10km of mainly road to the Taiharuru River.  I really needed to do this in about two hours as this is crossable up to 2.5hours each side of the tide. Just made it!

Made a management decision to leave shoes on this time as there was quite a long walk around the headland through mangroves and a fair few shells etc.  One of the issues I’m noticing is how soft my feet have got even after only two weeks.  Wearing shoes, frequently sodden, for days on end and your feet do change pretty quickly. 

Taiharuru River crossing, a bit more challenging

Again this crossing went without incident and was only thigh/crotch deep again. 

I’d kind of expected these crossings to be like something from one of those Vietnam War movies where you are wading in chest high water holding your pack on your head! Rather nice it didn’t eventuate like that.

Unfortunately as I got through the mangroves the sand gave way to shin deep black mud. Needless to say my shoes and I were petty muddy by the time I got back on land.

Hmmm, rather muddy!

A well placed cattle trough, unfortunately straddling an electric fence proved to be too tempting. I figured I could hold down the wires with my treking poles, and wade through the trough accomplishing two things, crossing the fence and washing my lower legs and shoes.  Theory was good execution not so!  The foot washing went well until I was straddling the fence and the poles slipped off the wire.  One electric wire running up my inner thigh while I’m well earthed standing in the cow trough!  Needless to say I was out of there bloody quickly.

The offending trough with electric fence over!

There was then a 2/3 Haka climb up initially a road and then a narrow track to Kauri Mountain.  The view did give an appreciation of how far you can travel in an hour as I looked back.

The estuary in the distance I crossed less than an hour earlier

I then meandered to Ocean Beach which runs all the way to Whangarei Heads.  This was the one blunder in the tidal planning as by the time I got there it was high tide and hence I had about 6km of walking in very soft sand.  Felt like Ninety Mile Beach again but harder.

Ocean Beach was spectacular though with a big Nor’easter blowing in.

Ocean beach, I’m walking to the very far end.

Tonight I’m staying in a camp spot provided by another Trail Angel at the edge of their property.  Complete with shelter, toilet and hot shower for the princely sum of $15. The generosity and support shown by these “trail angels” never ceases to amaze me.  In a world that we increasingly see as dog eat dog there remain so many kind, generous and socially minded people.

Wet sandy shoes at the end of a long day!

I’m the only one here, seem to have gotten into a bit of TA void as haven’t seen another walker for two days now.