Stephen

Day 22 Very late start today, due to the tides. The 6 kms from the start and 500 meters from the end of the walk is tide dependent. In hindsight, the first tide crossing was completely fine. The trail notes…

Days 20 and 21 My last rest day was at Paihia, 9 days ago. Before the trip started, I planned to take a rest day every 5 days, so I am a little overdue at 9 days. Typically a rest…

Day 19 Day started with a water taxi ride across the water to Marsden Point. Blair was our Captain for the short journey. Everyone wanted to be in the first boat, but the second boat left only 15 minutes after…

Day 18 Camped at the southern end of Ocean Beach for a reason, as today would be a big day. Not distance, but in terms of going up and going down. My fancy GPS watch reported that the day involved…

Day 17 So nice to spend time at the Nike Bay Eco-Lodge and enjoy the hospitality of James. Our little group is well armed with information for crossing the river. We set off in high spirits for the exciting day…

Day 16 Started the day with crossing the footbridge between Ngunguru North and South. This bridge claims to be the longest footbridge in the Southern hemisphere. Originally built to allow kids on the South bank to attend the school on…

Day 15 Up early when the birds woke up. Everyone else was sleeping. Took 2 eggs from the box and tried (unsuccessfully) to fry one, then (successfully) poached the second. It was worth trying, but needs non-stick pans I think.…

Day 14 Left earlier with hopes to take it more slowly. It is not in my nature to walk slowly, and nature is hard to change. But after two weeks on trail, I feel I am starting to slow down.…

Day 13 Ruth, Elliot and I had discussed “The Farm” many times, and we had created our own stories about this place. There were rumours on the trail that it was a hippie joint, or maybe it catered to corporate…

Day 12 After the kayak trip, we had a short walk to Sheryl’s place, my first trail angel. It was an eye-opening experience for me and not what I was expecting. Sheryl lives on Maori land. Her home is a…

Day 12 There are a couple of options when leaving Paihia. Either take a small passenger ferry to Russell and walk the roads or board a sea kayak and paddle with the incoming tide to Waikare. I opted for the…

Day 9 to 11 The walk to Kerikeri was very pleasant, but maybe a little harder than anticipated. Or maybe it was harder because the previous day was a big day. The last 5 km stretch into Kerikeri was especially…

Day 8 Huge and very rewarding day. I got to walk the river gorge, something I have wanted to do since hearing about the Te Araroa Trail. It did not rain overnight. In the morning I walked back almost 2…

Days 6 and 7 The weather warning ended at 7am, and it was time to get on the trail. But first a coffee on the way through town. As I started I was not sure where I would be at…

Days 4 and 5 Time to enjoy a little time in some Northland townships. Ahipara is tiny, with a gas station, dairy, holiday park and a very pleasant and unexpected coffee shop. Kaitaia is 15 kms walk away, and has…