Twelfth week on Te Araroa: km 1,483-1,805

Day 79: Makahika Outdoor Education Centre to wild camp: 30.6 km

Today was mostly all forest walking. In the morning we had a few kilometres of road and paddock walking before reaching the trekking path. I felt so much faster in my new shoes! Such a good feeling!

Comparison of my new Altras next to the pair I have hiked the last ~700 km in

It doesn’t take long to get the shoes muddy on the TA

The trail was pretty muddy at times, but nothing like the Longwoods which we hiked in week two.

We had one small viewpoint today for lunch time. Otherwise we were under the rich canopy of huge ferns, palm trees, and more. Really beautiful and simple day out here. We didn’t even run into another person!

We camped under the full moon and hoped for a good sleep.

Day 80: wild camp to Palmerston North: 34.4 km

We woke up in the fog. Motivated to get the kilometres done, we packed up quickly. We had a mixture of trail and road walking to complete. 

Immediately, we started descending away from the hills along a 4x4 track. The walking was easy and the road got wider and more smooth with every step it seemed. We crossed paths with the one and only hiker we saw in two days. We exchanged tales of the trail.

We made it to the halfway point!!!

Such a big milestone!

Slowly the forest gave way to the farmland. We were spit out onto a meandering farm road and began seeing the rolling grassy hills dotted with white fluffy sheep. We layered on the sunscreen, more exposed out here on the tarmac. 

Up and down we went. Twisting and turning through the countryside. Seemed like it would be a fun motorcycle road. We walked together but separate, each lost in our own thoughts. 

We started linking into local walking paths as we reached the outskirts of Palmerston North

As we made the outskirts of Palmerston North we went past the university and then connected into the town’s river trail. There were lots of people out and about.

We turned away from the TA to head into town for food and to check into our hotel. I went to get us Burger King and the dining room was closed. Walking through the drive through was allowed because of this. With my pack on I walked into the line. It was pretty embarrassing actually. The teenager in the car ahead of me snuck a picture of me standing there looking hungry, dirty, and a bit dishevelled. 

I will tell you though, once we were checked into our room and we had burgers AND pizza to eat (Brian went to get us the pizza), it was all worth it!! We ate, showered, did our laundry, and chilled. 

Day 81: Palmerston North to Mt Lees Reserve camp: 34.8 km

We had to send off a few packages this morning. We had two pairs of my shoes for the rest of the hike with us that we couldn’t send out at the last stop. We sent those off 500 km apart from each other. I should now be fully set for shoes! We also bought food for the day and to send ahead to a resupply point we should arrive at in about a week. 

All of these chores took a few hours, so it wasn’t until 11:30 am that we actually started hiking. Our original plan was to hike 42 km today, but considering when we started the day, we were so happy we still did 35 km! 

Heading out of town on the road walk

I discovered using just the hood of my jacket to block the wind noise from my headphones

Today was all road walking, except for the river community trail for a couple km and the teensiest bit of paddock walking for about 0.5 km at one point. The cars were whizzing past and it was hard to cope with the constant traffic noise for 8 hours. I put my headphones in when I could and used by rain jacket as a hood/scarf to block the wind noise. It was a very effective strategy! 

I let my mind wander a lot today and think about future goals and ideas. I always like to think things through while on trail because I find I have a much clearer head and decisions come easier. Walking does that for me! 

Beautiful rolling hills

We made it to camp at dusk. It’s a really beautiful and calm reserve that used to be a homestead. We were the only ones. We set up quickly and tried to get to sleep early. Aiming for 40 km tomorrow.

Day 82: Mt Lees Reserve camp to Koitiata Campground: 41 km

After a nice sleep we were ready to do a big day today. We had a few kilometres to get into the town of Bull, where we hoped to get a late breakfast. It was all road walking with a small shoulder. Just did a continuous push to town and made it by 10 am. 

Excited to be arriving in town for FOOD

The only food place open was McDonalds. So after I got a coffee from the small local stand, I met Brian at the restaurant. We ate as much as we could. Then we went across the street to the Four Square Supermarket to get the rest of the food we’ll need for today and tomorrow. 

Time to get walking again. It was a bunch more straight and flat road walking. I started to get bored because it was so mundane. Brian and I got into a discussion and this helped pass the time. 

Finally the trail linked into a dirt road and then onto the beach!! Best part of the day by far! We were on this beautiful firm sand for about 15 km as we made our way up the beach to camp. The waves were crashing repetitively and I felt immediately calm. There were sand dunes to our right spotted with small grasses. We saw only two cars the entire 3 hours we were on the beach. At times it felt like we had the beach completely to ourselves. 

Perfect spot for a lunch break

The sun set as we approached the campground. Deep orange and pink flooded the sky. Our long shadows danced across the dunes. 

The campground is a small self serve site on the outskirts of the small village of Koitiata. It’s peaceful and serene. I think we will have a good night here. 

Day 83: Koitiata Campground to Whanganui: 35 km

Such a good sleep! We needed to get going at first light to ford the river at low tide. The sun just started to peek out while Brian was crossing. We got across with water only to mid thigh depth. Very calm flow. 

One of the most stunning sunrises I have ever seen

Fording the river at low tide

The next 4 km were incredible beach walking. We were the only ones out there. Long, firm sandy beach with lots of bird life. Perfection. 

Absolutely loving it

Beach walking transitioned into farm track

The trail cut through a farm and then onto the road for the final 25 km of the day. There isn’t much to report about the road. It was long and flat and boring. There wasn’t a shoulder for 22 km, so every time a car drove through our lane we stepped into the ditch. It was very difficult to keep the morale up. 

Ecstatic to make it to the outskirts of town

We made it to the town of Whanganui around 5 pm. We went straight to Woolworths Grocery Store to buy food for dinner and resupply for the next few days. 

I’m feeling very tired tonight. It was a difficult day to deal with so much traffic and boredom.

Day 84: Whanganui to freedom camp site: 37.5 km

Another full day of road walking today! To get from our hotel back to the trail we walked along one of the main streets. When we walked past the outdoor store called Kathmandu, Brian decided he would look for a new hiking shirt. I got a coffee next door and then watched as he tried on various options. He settled on a merino wool long sleeve and we eventually got to the trail at 10 am.

Brian feeling good in his new shirt

It rained on and off for the first two hours. When it started to rain pretty heavily, we arrived at our lunch spot, a cafe called Behind the Door on 4. We had drinks and lots of food. We waited out the worst of the rain for about an hour. 

Back on the main road for 4 km and then when we branched off to the Whanganui River road it got a lot quieter. We chatted for the last few hours of the day as we pushed our pace and intentionally took no breaks. My legs were feeling tired by about 25 km into the day, but not so tired that I couldn’t keep walking. I think my body might be getting used to these longer distance days!

Brian in his happy place - behind a camera

Road walk parallel to the river

Very cool slope

We arrived at the freedom camp spot just as darkness was setting in. We had our cold soaked noodles, set up camp, and got into the tent just before the rain started again. There are animals calling out and rustling in the bushes, but I’m choosing to ignore them. Another river road walking day tomorrow!

Day 85: Freedom camp site to Pipiriki: 38 km

The rain started in the early morning. It bucketed down. When the alarm went off at 7 am, neither of us got moving very quickly since the rain was still going. We eventually packed up during a break in the rain around 9:30 am. 

All rain gear on for our road walk today

Such a fluffy sheep!

It’s all road walking again today. With rain jacket and poncho on, I put my head down and tried to walk continuously for 15 km to the Matahiwi Cafe. 

At moments the rain was coming down so hard I just tried to focus on the podcast I was listening to and keep pushing forwards. Today feels like a low point in the hike.

The cafe was a little oasis. There was lemonade and hot soup waiting for us from a local. I got a coffee and a coke as well. We dried out our clothes and then reluctantly packed up to hike the next 25 km of the day. 

This next stretch of the road was quieter, since we are nearing the end of the road. It was so nice to have less traffic! We still had on and off rain, so we didn’t bother taking another break. We snacked as we walked. I thought I had way too much food, but then I ate through 80% of it today. Very hungry. 

We saw lots of feral goats. So cute!! The road is eroding away in some parts. Looks like they maintain it regularly, which is great. We read in the cafe that this is one of the rare fully native forests in New Zealand. It’s lush with huge ferns and palms. Really stunning. 

We arrived at the Whanganui River Adventures camp site at dusk. The guy who checked us in was warm and welcoming. We were very happy we made it! Tomorrow morning at 9 am we take the jet boat shuttle up the river with them to get to the trailhead. I spotted our resupply package behind the front desk, but we will deal with that in the morning. 

Arriving in Pipiriki at dusk

My legs and feet are achy. The skin on my feet is a bit unhappy. I’m exhausted. Hoping for an excellent sleep. That is what I’m feeling I am most in need of. It’s very quiet and peaceful here. 

Thank you so much for reading. In next week’s blog post I will tell you what happens tomorrow morning. I’m as excited as you to see what the jet boat ride is like! 

Much love,

-Story