Te Araroa: The Northern Forests Part 2
29.10.2019 Day 9 (25km)
With one foot on either side of the muddy ravine, I prayed that the terrain would hold as I swung myself over. If it didn’t, I would end up with a broken leg, or worse. It had rained all night and morning, leaving the track slick and dangerous. Ben and Tobi encouraged me from the other side; their longer legs had given them a slight advantage when they crossed over. It wasn’t our first sticky spot that day and it wouldn’t be the last. Later on, Ben would literally have to pull me up a slope of sheer mud.
The beginning of the walk had been phenomenal! Rather than aggravate my feet, the river water had soothed them, so I plodded merrily along. I was ignorantly blissful in regards to what awaited us downstream.
After the river, I changed out of my water shoes and put on nice dry socks…that lasted for about five minutes. The first obstacle was a wall of mud, which I took head on. The guys were smarter and went off trail to get around it.
Honestly, I don’t know if I would have made it through that section alone. The others were my emotional support the entire time. It took several hours, as our pace was about 1.5kpm (less than a mile an hour).
It was two and we still had twelve kilometers to go; then it happened. I was in the lead when I came upon a long staircase.
“Stairs!” I screamed, tears of joy filling my eyes. “Stairs!”
Ben shouted back asking if I hurt myself.
“No,” I called, giddy with joy. “There are stairs.”
After that I was actually able to enjoy the forest. Unlike Raetea,in the Omahuta and Puketi forests I didn’t feel any animosity emanating from my surroundings. Instead I felt love and peace. It was an old forest, full of memories, of life and death, and new beginnings.
There was a nice surprise waiting for us at camp; the hut had been left unlocked, so we had a kitchen and enclosed sleeping space. We set out our things to dry in the afternoon sun, which had chased away the rain clouds. I felt myself relax as night fell.
Day’s Highlights: I got my trail name. Yogi, because I do yoga every single day after hiking…and I’m from Big Bear 😉
30.10.2019 Day 10 (26km)
Today was draining. I think the moment it became so was when we accidentally found our way onto an island surrounded by chest deep bogs. We had gone a bit too far and missed our turn, but instead of backtracking, we elected to cut across a sheep field. This lapse in judgement cost us a good 45 minutes. Tobi decided to cross the swamp…that’s how I know it was chest deep. Ben hopped a fence to get to a narrower part. Sam, another American who had joined our group a few days before, and I retraced our steps to the last trail marker and continued through the appropriate route.
Lack of sleep might also have played a factor in my disposition. I haven’t had a rest day yet. Only one more day of hiking and then I’ll take a break.
Near the end of the walk, after the pastures, bogs, country lanes, and road walking; we came to a river path. It was so peaceful, reminding me of fairy glens and fantasy stories. If the entire day had been so nice, I doubt I would have felt as I did at the end.
Yet, even with the weeping blisters, achy muscles, ankle pain, and lack of sleep, I’m loving every minute of it. It’s all just a mark of what an amazing adventure I’m undertaking.
Day’s Highlights: Real bed tonight, feet starting to toughen
31.10.2019 Day 11 (23km)
When I went to sleep last night, I worried about whether or not I would make it through today. Fortunately, I slept deeper than I have the entire hike and woke with the energy required to get me through to Paihia.
Picking up where I left off, the TA went through a fern forest surrounding Kerikeri and out to a long road. I’ll be honest, not the biggest fan of road walking…perhaps that has to do with my history of being hit by a moving vehicle. Lucky for me there was a sidewalk, at least most of the way.
After some hairpin turns (without a sidewalk), the trail turned onto a gravel service road through timberland. Bike tracks crossed the way, though I never saw any mountain bikers. The sun and clouds took turns ruling the day, keeping temps mild and pleasant. I inhaled the scent of pine, absorbing the familiar crunch of pine needles under my feet. Other than a few birds and the occasional TA hiker, I was completely alone with my thoughts. It was a nice change; up till that point I had hiked with someone every single day.
It was a short lived solitude because when I stopped at the edge of the forest for lunch, Nicole and her new friend Sabina caught up with me. It had been a couple days since we last saw each other, so we filled the remainder of the hike with catching up, telling stories, and laughing.
They planned to kayak the next section of the trail in lieu of taking the ferry across the bay. Initially, I wanted to save money, but the idea of spending the morning off of my feet was enticing.
Day’s Highlights: I MADE IT TO REST DAY!!
