Te Araroa, first 10 days

Looking east from the lighthouse at Cape Reinga

Though it was a long journey to Cape Reinga, It went smoothly. Groceries, outdoor accessories and transportation are very much like in the states but much simpler. New Zealand has the feel of the late 80's USA to me.

Pavilion at south end of Twilight Beach

Day one I camped at a small hut at the south end of Twilight beach. A perfect little sandy beach between two stone outcroppings sheltering the very human-scale cove.

dbBrad's beach!

A better beach I've never seen. At the end of it was a brand new pavilion and two restrooms and a water catchment system. Its proximity to the outhouses was a bit disconcerting yet it appeared to be for fresh water though all the lines were buried. I had guests, 3 young men from Israel and one from Holland.

Anywhere along 90 million mile beach, NZ

About 2-3 pufferfish along every Kilometer of the beach, these funny fish would wash up and dry in the sand.

Day two I camped at a stream. All along 90 mile beach, back behind the dunes, is either forest or swamp. There are miles of flat shallow flooded land that finds it's way to sea only at intermittent breaks in the sandy dune bluffs where little streams flow clean fresh water and where plastic objects and marine debris pile up from winter storms.

One of the many creeks draining the swamp lands holding water between the beach dunes and the forests further inland.

Day 3 was hiking all day on 90 mile beach. I only did 24 klicks and was sort of bored. The wind was strong and tiring so I bushwhacked over the dunes to the forest where I found a little flat spot under a tree sheltered from wind and sun. I slept great!!

dbBrad camped right in the middle of the Te Araroa trail. Not a lot of other traffic!

Day 4 I hiked 42km and finished off 90 mile beach. Along the way I met a very cute German couple surfing who I played Frisbee with for a while and further down the beach met 4 locals hanging out and fishing.

A fish, fresh out of the water. I think it's a Mackerel

I camped at the ramp where North Ahipara meets the Tasman sea in between micro-dunes only a few blocks from fresh coffee the next morning!

Day 5 I hiked 15 km and camped up on a ridge in Herekino forest.

dbKauri tree

Day 6 hiked 27km, almost half on gravel roads and camped under a roof in Takahue but wished I have stayed across the street at the facilities being fixed up for future Te Araroa hikers, which is owned and operated by Takahue Maori Trust. I was given permission to camp there after the fact, but also received permission from a Poppy Yates for future hikers of the trail. Hopefully this facility, hikers, city slickers, the environment and the Maori culture can all benefit by smart development of the Te Araroa trail.

dbBrad in forest, New Zealand North Island somewhere around Mangamuka

Day 7 I hiked only 10km but through thick jungle. It was steep, slippery and wet from the rain, overgrown and difficult to navigate. Going was slow but at the top of a peak was a clearing the perfect size for a tent or two. At the other end were solar panels supplying power for a cell tower. Nothing but jungle in every direction, no one to talk to, but great cell reception!!

My MSR Zoid 2 tent, a new variation. Setting up the fly took about 5 minutes and was great for 2 hours while I sat out a deluge on a steep slope above a stream prone to flooding. A great opportunity to study the flow of water and the workings of a New Zealand forest.

dbBrad a bit muddy after coming out of the forest.

Day 8 traveled 30km to Mangamuka and then on up into the hills. The roads went forever and I walked on gravel for 39 km before finally getting back to single track.

A Maori owned corner (marae site) in Takahue managed by 'Takahue Mauroe Trust' A wonderful piece of property with facilities that has great potential where Te Araroa hikers, Maurie culture, and the New Zealand environment can all come together.

Day 9 camped in tall grasses after finally getting to the stream portion in Omahuta Forest. I shared the grasses with a healthy batch of millions of sand flies all of which wanted in my tent. Miniature Piranhas, they had teeth and they attacked in mass!! I was glad to get out of there and wading the next 4 hours through a stream and then a river was soothing to my feet recently stripped of their epidermis!

The trail gets quite overgrown in areas like this one making route finding and hiking more challenging.

Day 10 hiked 24km with a fellow I met on the trail. He injured his ankle and as a result we both ended up hanging out at the first aid station which was also the house of a ranger and his wife, a delightful couple who run a campground but invited us into their house for the evening. In the forest surrounding their house we heard a pair of mating Kiwi Birds calling each other. I went out walking to try to see one. The ranger's lived there for 4 years, hears them all the time and has never seen one. Kiwi birds are illusive and nocturnal and apparently seldom seen.

dbBrad infront of a big tree with lots of moss!

Day 11 hiked 22km and arrived at Keri Keri.



4 kids getting dropped off for school in Takahue.

Yesterday was day 12 and I ran errands and ordered a new camera and walked around some but trying to let blisters and achy knee rest.

dbBrad on a stick near Mangamuka

dbBrad in front of an off grid cell tower power station.

Day 13 is today and I'm off to pick up my new camera and hike to Pai Hai. I'm supposed to be there to meet two women thru hikers who started a day behind me and have caught up. We will Kayak tomorrow across a bay to resume hiking of the Te Araroa trail.

dbBrad under a log that used to be a very, very big tree.

dbBrad, Te Araroa Trail, 2011



dbBrad, stumped!