Days 3 and 4

Day 3 Maunganui Bluff to Hukatere (31km)

Got up at about 6.30 and looked around the camp site and neither Tahlia or Robyn’s tents were there.  Strange but assumed they had got up early and left due to the wind so assumed I’d see them once I got down on the beach. 

The high tide was about 9.00am and it was unclear whether this next sec room of bleach would be walkable around the high water so had a quick breakfast (OSM Bar and water) and  packed up which was not without challenges in the gale. Headed out about 7.30am.

View along beach, towards todays destination

Walking down to the beach the footprints of the other two were apparent but once I got there lost sight of them so assumed they had ducked up into the dunes for breakfast and a rest.

The thing about walking along this beach is its pretty all much the same. A few dead fish and birds, the odd bit of flotsam and then just an endless landscape of sand and dunes both ahead and behind you.  I started to feel a few sore muscles and joints but, frankly, think they were my brain over thinking things as it had nothing to do! 

I did find a couple of interesting things, Wilson the ball (for those of you who remember Casteaway and our do Jackson) and a chair! Now when we we’re driving g up Marie was a little concerned i had nothing to sit on but problem solved!

Wilson

My “new” camp chair

Took about seven hours to get to Hukatere so a relatively long day.  When you arrive there you are greeted by a sign at the entrance to the beach that says the camp and lodge are 200m up the road. Turns out it is somewhat understating the distance as it’s closer to 1km which at then end of the day felt like ten.

When I arrived the mystery of Robyn and Tahlia was solved, they hadn’t been able to sleep in the gale and had decided to go at 2.00 and 2.30am respectively also without realising the other was leaving. 

A German lady, Gabrielle, runs the camp singlehandedly in the true sense of the word.  She only has one working arm but, it would seem through sheer hard work and determination manages to keep the camp operating. 

I got a three person cabin which Gabrielle, with a certain Germanic precision advised was only for me and I was to only use one bed. 

Cabin named after a famous local surfer

Nice evening in the little kitchen, made more so knowing I didn’t have to tent in the gale. 

Day 4 Hukatere to Ahipara (32km)

One thing I had noticed yesterday was a blister forming on the outside of my left heel.  I’d put a blister plaster on it and hoped it would survive but this morning it became apparent it had outgrown the plaster so another on and fingers crossed!

Porridge for breaky (not burnt this time) and after packing up of at about 8.00am hoping that with the high tide at 9.30 I could get a few k’s under my belt before any sections became impassable.

As luck would have it the sections where the sea come right up to the shear faces of dunes were in the early and later stages of today so wasn’t forced to stop for the tide.

As with yesterday a pretty dreary day trudging along with little to see and the scenery not changing.

The beach is, it seems, also the local playground. today came across a couple of guys drag racing, some young guys fishing and best of all two mums with the kids in a ute towing each other on a boogie board. They flew past me probably doing 60-70km/hr which I would assume means any spills would hurt.

There was a young seal lying on the sand, looked like a lump of kelp until you got close. He/she was not particularly concerned with humans although he did show some interest when I passed between him and the sea.

The wind came around to the south and built in the afternoon which made the final 10km or so bloody tough going.  

Just before Ahipara passed the 100km mark on the trail so 100 down 2900 to go!

100km mark with Ahipara in the background

Ahipara Holiday Park for the night, it was a revelation  like stepping into a tropical resort with palms and ferns so nice to see the vibrant greenery after three days on the beach.

Being a sucker for punishment walked 1.5km to the fish and chip shop for dinner only to have Robyn arrive on a bike, seems the holiday park has loan bikes, bugger!

So that’s Ninety Mile Beach done, it really did live up to the reputation of being a long hard slog. It never was on my bucket list and if your reading this thinking of putting it on yours I’d think again.  In saying that there is some sense of achievement in knocking it off!