Heading inland

Days 25-32, Dome Valley to Mercer

As I tap this out on my phone, I’m lying in a tent with a functioning pole (no more makeshift shelters!) listening to the busy pre-Christmas traffic on either side of me. It’s a different soundscape for the dawn chorus and possums of the Northland forests. I’m now in Mercer and passed the Auckland / Waikato boundary today which marks the start of the third section of this hīkoi: the mighty Waikato.

My shoulders are chronically tight, it’s pattering down with rain and it really feels like I’m right in the middle of this thing. Not at the start, certainly not at the end, but somewhere in the thick of it. My discomfort tolerance level is increasing, I think, and every day continues to pass me with amazement.

DAY 25 - Dome Valley to Puhoi (21km)

I set off by myself again this morning. The trail was a mix of forestry roads and grass as tall as me. Some parts of the trail are better maintained than others - it must be a huge job to oversee the whole trail maintenance. The thirst-inducing climb for the day was up to Moir Hill which at the top reminded me a bit of Mākara, the hill next to where I grew up. There was not an inch of shade on the trail and the sun beat down hard. I began listening to the audiobook of White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. The combination made for a good exercise in sitting with both physical and mental discomfort.

It was a relief to descend into a forest and bounce along the bed of pine needles. I ate my usual lunch wraps in the cool shade (I won’t mention the fillings to not offend anyone’s taste buds) and continued onwards, past the most voluptuous pohutukawa trees, to a small patch of native forest. The last few km were through a farm. The owners had created a path for TA walkers which took us off the main groomed path and into a designated path which made me get the impression they weren’t really happy with TA walkers traversing their land. The narrow path, half a metre in width and invisible through the head-high grass, went between an electric fence and a barbed wire fence. It went straight down the hill, on the verge of being a vertical scramble. At least they let us walk through their property!

A long drop is a beautiful sight when it’s the sign of a campground. I could see it from top of the farm hill. It turns out that DOC has built a new campsite a few kilometres out from Puhoi part of the Remiger Conservation Area. It’s not on the maps or in the notes, so it was a wonderful thing to stumble across. I spent all afternoon stretching and way too much time on my phone. That sometimes happens!

DAY 26 - Puhoi valley to Orewa (25km)

I set off early into Puhoi in time for a morning kayak down the Puhoi river. The walking track from Puhoi to Wenderholm is still being built (a reminder of how young this trail is), so kayaking is currently an alternative to a very tricky road section that includes walking along an off ramp from a motorway.

For some reason I had convinced myself that a) I enjoyed kayaking and b) I knew how to paddle. As soon as I’d been launched into the water I found out neither were, in fact, true. Luckily Kale who I was kayaking with graciously corrected my terrible technique and then launched himself off into the distance. I spent the next two hours splashing myself and gazing longingly up at the busy motorway, wishing I was being clipped by passing cars than stuck in a vehicle that requires upper body strength. I was genuinely concerned I’d sink the boat with so much water entering the kayak.

Above all, I was surprised at how suddenly the negative emotions and self-talk flooded into the river with me. This was probably most challenging part of the journey so far as until now I was confident in my ability to do what I needed to do to get from point A to B. Being in that kayak threw me out of that zone entirely and I wasn’t expecting it.

At one point I thought something was eating the bottom of my boat as there was a strange noise coming from the bottom, but I made it to the boat ramp alive. Back on stable land I climbed through Wenderholm regional park and then did some rock hopping around Waiwera beach. I really enjoyed this section as it was like horizontal rock climbing! It was a couple of hours before low tide, but it was fine in the end and I didn’t get wet feet.

Orewa felt like a bustling city as I walked along the beachfront. People were out in full force soaking up the sun and sand. I headed to the supermarket to buy some strawberries and then to my friend’s grandmother’s house where I stayed the night. She treated me so well. We ate Thai takeaways, I walked her pups, and we watched a crime drama finale together. Her hospitality filled me up with energy to go forth into the next day of walking.

DAY 27 - Orewa to Takapuna (42km)

A slight miscalculation meant that I walked a marathon today. I thought the difference between 537 and 576 was 31. Clearly that’s not correct and the day ended up being really long for many reasons. I had to make up my own detour because of an impossible high tide river crossing, and the other track being closed due to kauri dieback. This meant more busy road walking whIch I was so incredibly over but the end of it, but I had some delicious ginger biscuits along the way which made up for the slog.

I was so overjoyed to get off the main road that I missed a turn off which added another hour to the day. It’s amazing how fast your legs can tick over when you need them to. I could soon see my destination glimmering in the distance: the Long Bay New World. I just wanted to pop in to get some Lisa’s Gloriously Garlic hummus for my wrap.

Lesson #4483759732: don’t trust Google maps. It tells you to go down roads that don’t exist yet. After finally getting to the end of the right street, it turned out the street was not built yet as it was part of a housing development. ‘DO NOT ENTER’ signs stuck on every fence surrounding the gated community.

I called the project manager whose number was on the board, asking for permission to walk through. He said I couldn’t go through because there were too many hazards. I heaved a heavy sigh and started crying because there was no way I was turning around. His tone suddenly changed to: ‘oh yeah just jump the fence, do whatever’. Okay!

Walking through that development felt so sterile. There’s something creepy about half-finished neighbourhoods. I rocked up to the supermarket sweaty and sticking out like a sore thumb. With hummus in hand, I ate a late lunch, continued down the sterility of Long Bay and started the East Coast Bays walkway. This walkway takes walkers down the string of small bays to Devonport, with a mixture of pavements and beach walking. I couldn’t stop staring at the beachfront mansions and wondering about how these people live.

On the cusp of the evening, after taking another wrong flight of stairs down to the wrong bay, I called mum and dad for some morale boosting and company. I finally got to the holiday park and set up camp. I could feel each of the 60,000 steps I walked that day reverberating in my body. It was time for bed.

DAY 28 - Takapuna to Devonport (10km)

Today was a comparatively breezy walking day. There were so many dogs and their humans out walking at 7.30am on Takapuna beach. I love seeing people embrace long summer days. I went up to North Head before heading down to Devonport where I headed straight for a cafe and ordered the fluffiest flat white and regrettably caught up with life reading the New Zealand Herald.

I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face when I saw Chris and Grandma at the ferry terminal. The moment had been propelling me forward through the week. Family is everything, I’m appreciating that more and more especially since Dad left the trail. I had lunch at Grandma’s and we watched the America’s Cup races and tried to figure out what was going on. We then went over to Chris’s for homemade falafel. I couldn’t believe it had been a month since this whole thing started, since we were last here sitting at the same table, only this time having a bit more vitamin D in our bodies and having seen a few more things.

My amazing Grandma, the ultimate trail angel

DAY 29 - Rest out West (0km)

My hiker hunger is real at the moment. Rest days are essentially opportunities to stock up on all the nourishing stuff you can’t have much off on the trail, like fresh vegetables and soysages. I think I spent more time eating than not eating today. Grandma and I went for a morning excursion to the Henderson Westfield shopping centre for a mini resupply. We got sushi for lunch (my first course) and I pottered around for the rest of the afternoon, cleaning my walking poles and airing out my sleeping bag.

In the evening I met up with my friend and we went to a delicious Japanese restaurant which I was way too underdressed for (side note: the one pair of shorts I’ve been living in for a month now are in surprisingly good shape! In case anyone was wondering). We got a set vegan menu and boy was it the best thing I’ve eaten all year. On a scale from ‘couscous wraps’ to ‘rehydrated mashed potato’, the miso eggplant was off the charts.

DAY 30 - Queen St to Mangere (22km)

My 24th birthday started with breakfast at Grandma’s and a call to my Aunty Dorothy in London. Chris dropped me off in town. It was hard to leave because of all the generosity Chris and Grandma had provided for me over the last few days. I popped down to Queen St like a good TA walker religiously following the route, and trekked back up through the main sights and geographic landmarks including the Domain, the University of Auckland and Maungawhau / Mt Eden and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill.

It wouldn’t be Aotearoa if I didn’t see anyone I knew at some stage on the trail. Sure enough, I bumped into my friend Petazae on Maungawhau and we stood there a little speechless. I enjoyed the panoramic landscapes from the tops of the volcanoes and can now more openly admit that Tāmaki Makaurau, you’re growing on me.

I made it to Mangere and stopped off for a celebratory birthday ice cream. After a spot of people-watching, I then ambled through Ambury regional park where two cyclists joked that I could come home with them for Christmas dinner. I made it off the trail to meet my lovely friend Gloria who was passing through. She generously brought me a slice of cake, the orange juice I’d been craving, and some strawberries. Thanks Gloria! We caught up briefly before I arrived at Louise’s house for the night. Louise is my Aunty’s friend and an unofficial trail angel.

Stepping into Louise’s house was like stepping into a dream. She had cooked a huge meal and offered me a foot spa while we drank tea and ate sorbet. I talked to her daughter about her political work. People like Louise radiate aroha and warmth, and it is infectious. The trail is filled with contrasts of tough and lonely moments, and the unbelievable ones of warmth and kindness. Each make the other important.

DAY 31 - Mangere to Ramarama (45km)

In the morning Louise dropped me off from where I left the trail the day before. I had such a lovely time with her that it was hard to physically make myself get out of her car. Spooning out the rest of the yoghurt she gifted me with for my second breakfast, I headed past the Watercare waste management system towards Auckland Airport. My sister Anna kept me company on the phone (thanks Anna!) as I entered the Ōtuataua stonefields, a historically significant site in Aotearoa and for tangata whenua. It was special to share some of the trail with Anna via WhatsApp, and it felt she was there taking each step too. I admittedly got a bit lost but quickly found my ways to the trail soon enough.

The trail then turned towards Ihumātao, land which mana whenua have been protecting from being turned into a housing development. The placards still hung and each power pole was painted with red, white and black: tino rangatiratanga. It felt strange to cross so quickly from a place with so much wairua to the industrial outskirts of the airport. The main things I remember from the next block of walking are factories, trucks, and the contrast of south Auckland state houses with the I-own-three-labraschnoodles mansions of the North Shore. I think the Auckland section of Te Araroa does an effective job of showcasing the many socioeconomic dimensions of the city.

I got hopelessly lost in the Auckland botanic gardens but eventually found my way en route to Papakura. The map did not instil the slightest inspiration in me: a 6km stretch of pavement walking in a straight line. To make things more fun, it began to rain and got harder as the afternoon went on. I called Maike and she saved me from the mundanity of the walking.

With 10km to go, I began to slow a little. Up until this point I’d been zipping down the trail at 5km per hour. I began thinking of synonyms for walking that would more accurately describe my movement. I think it would have been a mix between a dawdle and a hobble. The sun came out again to welcome me into Ramarama country caravan park where I set up for the night. It was eerily quiet there, apart from one friendly guy who loved to talk. I made my my much anticipated couscous wrap and then studied the trail map for a bit to see what geographical sights and sounds lay ahead. It looks like I’ll be in Ngāruawahia for Christmas.

My excel spreadsheet for the rest of the north island + shopping list

DAY 32 - Ramarama to Mercer (28km)

Today was a day of two halves. The day started slow as I felt the remnants of yesterday’s long day heavy in my shoulders and feet. The first 20km was an unpleasant road walk bypass which exists because of track closures in the Hunua Ranges. Getting over the Bombay Hills can only be described as a slow motion rollercoaster. The road hard some sharp turns and steep ups and downs and definitely was not made for walking on.

Thankfully the stretch along State Highway 2 was cut short because a farmer has created an alternative route through their land. I was so grateful for this, but it did mean I would have to wade through the Mangatāwhiri River. I got varying estimates from two people en route that the water would go up to the ankles vs. up to the hips. The farmer also told me a French woman had just passed through - it could only be Marianne! I was excited to see another walker as it has been 10 days since we’d seen each other.

I soon caught up to Marianne who had just crossed the river herself. She warned me it had gone up to her chest, and then without hesitation waded across to help me to find my way through it. What a star. The river was certainly deep. Just as we’d crossed and sat down for lunch, Kale and his dad showed up! It was a coincidental reunion and amazing how this just happens on the trail with no planning.

Marianne and I continued along the top of the stopbank through sticky hot grass. Our destination, Mercer, wasn’t far away now. We crossed over to the other side of the motorway where the trail builders had built a path through the jungle-like bush, rather than on the side of the road. It made all the difference to be walking away from the busy traffic.

The bright lights of Mercer shone ahead and we headed straight for the Mobil station for a refuel. I bought a loaf of bread which I was more excited than I’ve ever been about bread, I think. We arranged our accommodation for the night: the backyard of an old motel that the owner lets TA walkers stay in. There is even a hot shower and flushing toilets here, it’s a dream! It’s funny what can get you excited while you’re out walking (in other words, the bar gets set pretty low).

Tomorrow Marianne and I are aiming to walk another 40km so we can get to Huntly in time before shops close on Christmas Day. We might just rest in Rangiriri if it’s too much grass-stomping though. I hope you all have a restful and rejuvenating holiday break! Lots of love from the mighty Waikato.

Mood: homesick, ready for some challenging days ahead

Currently reading: nothing at the moment! Any recommendations?

Total distance walked: 682km

Marianne saving us all from the dodgy river (me standing on the sidelines for moral support/photography)