Days 17 & 18

Day 17 - Ocean Beach to Whangarei Heads to Whangarei (13km walking, ~25km hitch hiking) 

Well the weather has turned! Torrential rain overnight and woke to it still raining. The temptation to just stay in the tent and wait it out was strong but I was on a mission to get to Whangarei today. 

All packed (tent totally drenched, adding I reckon a kg of water to the pack) and out by about 7.45. 

There’s a relatively tame road around to Whangarei Heads from Ocean Beach but the TA takes the scenic route following the Te Whara track over the highest point in the area before descending into Urquharts Bay. 

Today’s elevation chart - might be another tough one!

The initial climb was a bit over 1.5 Hakas (470m) and definitely got the old heart going for the day. All the while it was pissing down with rain and in exposed places blowing a gale. 

Apparently the views from this track are spectacular but unfortunately all I saw was cloud. 

Somewhere through there is the coast

Getting to the first peak took about an hour, which I was pretty please with given the weather and my ongoing sore leg. 

WW2 radar station near the peak

The track then continued up and down for another 5km or so. Most of it was basic tramping type track which means essentially marked but very little maintenance so roots, trees to clamber over etc. Not that technically difficult but hard yakka and you needed to concentrate as it was incredibly slippery in the rain. 

Looking back along the ridge

Me at the ridge looking and feeling like a drowned rat!

The final km was essentially a steep downhill or 395m  (with stairs) into Urquharts Bay. 

Cloud cleared as I was descending enough to get this view of Marsden Point

I then road walked around to Whangarei Heads and then put my thumb out looking for a ride into Whangarei proper. 

I think it’s about 37 years since I last hitch hiked so wasn’t really sure how it would go. I was also aware I was absolutely  drenched as was my pack so getting  into someone’s, presumably dry, car was unlikely to be pretty. 

My recollection of my hitching when younger was if one car in a hundred picked you up you were doing good. Well about the third car that came along stopped. A really lovely couple (Rob and Wendy, I think but they have this blog so might correct that) from Kerikeri picked me up. They were only going a few kms along the road but offered to go a bit further to a bakery where they thought I’d have a good chance of getting a ride. Transpires this bakery is on the outskirts of Whangarei (Onerahi, by the airport). The generosity of people is sometimes just amazing! 

After I got out at Onerahi I put my thumb out again and was somewhat surprised when about the second car stopped for me. A great you guy, Carlos, picked me up and took me right to the centre of Whangarei! 

Maybe it’s age, or being wet and bedraggled or perhaps looking like a hike but so far the hitching is proving to be too easy. I hope I’m not speaking too soon as on Thursday morning I need to get back to Marsden Point. 

Just to make sure no one thinks I’m cheating here, the TA generally finishes at Whangarei Heads and recommences at Marsden Point. If I was going straight through I’d have got a boat ride across but needing a resupply and a look at the bad knee means coming into town. 

Once in town the first thing I did was get a haircut and trim of the beard. Then got soup and coffee, then went looking for accommodation. 

A shout out for these guys so interested and gave me a TA discount

Accomodation here was pretty thin on the ground but found a backpackers by the police station that is actually the old police holding cells. Got a cell to myself and have managed to turn it into a big drying room as I try to get every thing dry. 

My cell

Day 18   - Whangarei to Whangarei (0km on trail but feels like about 15 around town!)

Today’s a resupply/medical day so not a lot to report and even less phots!

Saw Dr first thing (I was the first into the medical centre) and he was somewhat perplexed by my leg issue. Got him to give me an ultrasound referral despite not meeting the criteria. As an aside I’m sort of surprised one of the criteria isn’t “can you pay?”

Anyway, discovered an ultrasound clinic here (Echo North) that are true “trail angels”.  Not only did they squeeze me in but they took over an hour investigating all sorts of possibilities (two songraphers, one looking at veins, arteries etc. and the othe muscles, tendons etc.). I was in there for well over an hour and they really didn’t even want to charge me! So truely generous, I did insist on paying, or at least Southern Cross did! 

The outcome was nothing wrong and more medical professionals perplexed by my bloody left leg. 

So what I do know is nothing is obviously mechanically wrong and I can carry on without undue risk of making it worse. I’ll just continue to grit teeth and box on. 

Todays noon photo at the Whangarei war memorial .

Rest of the day was taken up catching up on domestic chores, buying food and gas, getting new nsaids, drying wet gear and generally sorting pack out. Additionally you will have noted a surge in blog posts as with good internet I can finally catch up. 

Early to bed tonight though as I intend to be on the road to Marsden Point with my thumb out at first light. A big day as I want to get to Waipu Cove so I can see Marie and some friends as they travel north.