Te Araroa: Northern Trail Magic

1.11.19 Day 12 (0km)

My body was so grateful for a rest day. I slept in, resupplied, and hung out in the hot tub at my hostel, Centabay. It was definitely worth the extra day of walking to take a break in Paihia. Although the town was smaller than Kerikeri, it was absolutely beautiful, with beach views and the calming hush of waves. 

2.11.2019 Day 13 (17km Kayaking, 15km hike)

Today was magical! I had heard about trail magic before I started the trip, people going out of their way to be kind and help arriving when you need it most. Well, today was my first experience with it. On route to the kayak hire, I stopped for a cup of coffee at a cafe I had visited on rest day. The women working asked about my pack and how far I planned to travel. When I explained the TA, they were flabbergasted! What was more, before I left they offered me a free muffin to “give me an energy boost” later in the day. I couldn’t have been more grateful. 

There was a large group gathered at the kayak hire when I arrived, some new faces and some old. We all chatted amiably as we were shown to the kayaks and pushed out into the bay. I was paired with a woman who had never been kayaking before and she was utterly TERRIFIED! I kept telling her to breathe, relax, enjoy, she was going to be fine, and not to worry. Every time she got a bit tense I would gently chant, “right, left, right, left,” until eventually she calmed down and began to thoroughly enjoy herself. Before I knew it, we were flying through the water. 

The ocean was a lovely clean turquoise. Sea birds flew by our group, though we didn’t come across any dolphins as the group had a few days prior. Break was taken on a tiny island, before heading into a maze of mangroves and back to dry land. 

There was a bit of gravel road walking through farmland before the trail melted into a river. Yes, once again the river was the trail. Four kilometers isn’t that far, but when you are navigating through a river with wet, uneven surfaces, it takes quite a while. Still the pristine scenery captured my heart as I fell out of time and embraced the beauty of my surroundings. 

At 16:30 we reached a wooden shelter in the forest; our options were to stay for the night or push on 7km to a family home that permitted tenting. Still energized from the kayak and river walk, I made my way over the last river crossing, changed my shoes, and carried on. 

Al and Sue offered $15 to pitch a tent or $15 to sleep in a bed with a sleeping bag. It was kind of a no brainer. I seriously feel like I’ve been spoiled over the last few days. 

Day’s Highlights: EVERYTHING!

3.11.2019 Day 14 (19km)

Although the day began with a road wak, which as I’ve mentioned, I’m not a fan of, it was actually quite lovely. We stopped at a beach picnic area for a snack and watched the waves lazily flow onto the grey sands. I could have stayed there all day were it not for the sand flies. So we continued up the trail…literally up. 

A few factors made the climb a bit more challenging than normal: it was bloody hot outside, shade was limited, my knee was killing me, and there might have been a wrong turn into a cattle field. The terrain was a series of steep, leaf littered inclines, promptly followed by intense root-laden declines. Then just when I thought I had reached the end…I went left when I should have gone right and found myself walking next to a pen of aggressive bullocks, kicking up dirt and snorting at me as I went. It wasn’t until I was halfway down the hill that I noticed the smooth dirt road on the other side of the paddock. Oh, well…it’s not like I was tired or anything. 

A small grassy camping area with a water tank had been set up by a local farmer. It was early and I wanted to push on, but the next 13km were on private land, no camping, and there was no way I could make it that far. Instead I set up my tent and spent the afternoon lounging in the sun. 

Day’s Highlights: The ocean view and getting to lie down at the end of the day

4.11.2019 Day 15 (25km)

Trail magic is an amazing thing! This morning I woke up with my left knee swollen to high heaven and killing me. I decided the best thing for me would be to hike a bit on my own and work on mentally cheering myself up. So I quickly packed and headed up the incline at the end of the grassy camp, silently willing my body to cooperate. 

The cloudless views of the ocean from the sheep pastures were cinematic and moving. Perhaps they contributed to the tears that filled my eyes upon reaching kilometer 300. I had an overwhelming urge to call my Babi (grandmother) and tell her what I had accomplished; I could imagine her exclamations of amazement. I could call, but she wouldn’t pick up the phone, a ghost can’t hold the receiver you know. I bit back the sour taste in my mouth and attempted to swallow the rock in my throat as the path transitioned into a shaded forest. 

Babi was with me every step of the way; living on with each beat of my heart. I couldn’t touch her or hug her, but I could feel her. 

The serenity of the forest allowed me to fall into a rhythmic pace, drifting away from sadness and into a mild trance. A few of the descents made me cringe but otherwise it was smooth sailing. 

Then the 200m climb appeared. I had been expecting and dreading it, but it had to be done. Ben had caught me up at this point and together we huffed and puffed our way out of the shadows and into the dry heat of early day. Just when my lungs felt ready to burst the trail leveled and gradually descended through a pine forest. 

We took a break at a dairy in Whananaki, chatting with Gia, Dom, and Nadia, other hikers that had joined the regular crew. A long bridge took us over the estuary where kids jumped off into the crystal blue waters. One of them set a wave of water up to soak Ben. Gia and I almost fell over laughing. The hike continued along the coast, so that the light sea breezes and shush of the waves were our constant companions. 

The sun was brutal and by the time we descended out of the hills we could think of nothing but cool beverages. We had just finished swapping stories about post-hiking beers when I man called from his balcony, “BEER?” I couldn’t believe it…there was absolutely no way he had heard us and yet somehow he knew exactly what we were after. 

Hubert and Rose invited the three of us (Ben, Gia, and I) to join them on the porch overlooking a surf spot in Sandy Bay. They presented us with ice cold beers that filled us with content. Before long Sam came strolling by, Rose told Hubert to go grab another beer and the conversation continued to flow.

They were such a pair of characters those two: so loving, generous, and carefree. They really knew how to enjoy life and share their joy with the people around them. As the sun continued its slow descent Dom and Nadia appeared, and like the rest of us were invited to the party. Rose told us where the bathrooms were and offered us hot showers, insisting not to worry about the towels. She would do a wash in the morning. Hubert said he would move his truck so that we could set up our tents in the yard and not have to worry about the rangers bothering us overnight. Then the couple brought out a smorgasbord of food and told us to eat to our hearts content. 

We stayed up far past hiker midnight, collecting one last person, Carolyn, a girl from the States I had met a couple days prior. Rose passed around a helping of homemade protein balls, which she referred to as “My Balls, you have to try My Balls,” and glasses of homemade Kaluha. 

I fell asleep that night full of food, drink, and love. It only occurred to me later that Babi had always been a Kaluha fan; she would have enjoyed that wonderful night. 

Day’s Highlight: Rose and Hubert