Te Araroa: Mud and Mental Breaks
23.11.2019 Day 34 (23km)
My trekking pole sunk in past the first joint and would have kept going if I hadn’t jerked it back. Knee deep mud, one misstep and I would get stuck, lose a shoe, or both. The climb up Pirongia was a peaceful forest track, with a relatively gradual climb, and a few steep bits that forced me to toss my poles ahead and scramble up with my hands.
I was at ease, entirely in my element, alone in the forest. It was only after the hut at the summit that things got a bit muddy. At first there was a beautiful wooden boardwalk that kept me above the messy earth. That ended leaving me with a lot of root hopping, ground testing, and following other people’s detours around pits of doom.
I’ve been thinking a lot about it and have realized that doing the TA is like falling into the Bog of Eternal Stench from the film Labyrinth. I doubt I’ll ever smell nice again. I mean even after a shower and washing my clothes with three different detergents AND vinegar, there is still a faint unpleasant scent. Definitely burning my clothes when this is all over. Those pools of mud in the Pirongia forest only amplified the sensation of being lost in Jared’s maze.
I fell but once, fortunately it was on solid ground and my pack graciously saved my butt and tailbone. I did however slam my good knee against a rock, so it has acquired a lovely purple hue.
The day concluded with a bit of road walking, surprisingly I was in an amazing mood for most of it. Perhaps it was hitting the 700km mark, or maybe just realizing what I’m doing, walking across a country.
I stayed at Jo and Tony’s place, a couple that has opened their yard and kitchen to TA hikers. I pitched my tent amongst the wandering chickens before settling in for a delicious home cooked meal of fresh rolls, butter, beef mince, and cabbage.
Day’s Highlights: The feeling of incandescent happiness that followed me throughout the day.
24.11.2019 Day 35 (33km)
I can feel the heat of summer bearing down on me. This morning started off so foggy it felt more like rain. It wasn’t until I made it into a muddy forest and through some pasturelands that the sun decided to say, “Hello.” Well, not “say,” it was more like the sun was SCREAMING hello.
The terrain was quite hilly, with steep, uneven declines, and rugged patches of earth. Near the latter part of the day there was a decent river crossing; I took a moment on the opposite shore to enjoy the fragmented sun through the trees and the cool trickle of water.
Then the track turned to a clay horse trail that had been matted and shaped during the last rain. I turned back into the bush for a while and saw a wild pig. A moment later the smell of it hit me so hard that I wrinkled my nose. The pig remained on my path for quite a while, always slightly out of sight. Eventually, it realized it would only get rid of me by leaving the trail.
I decided to stay at the Caver’s Hut in Waitomo where I met some really cool people and got a bunch of inside info on the cave tours.
Day’s Highlights: The mud wasn’t an all day affair.
25.11.2019 Day 36 (20km)
I decided to take advantage of my location and go on a blackwater rafting tour with The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co. Really it’s more like a lazy river cruise, but it was entirely cool! I selected the three hour tour (cue Gilligan’s Island theme song) through glow worm caverns, where we jumped off waterfalls, crawled through little tunnels, and floated beneath a ceiling of blue stars.
Then the real work began. I had a good distance to cover before the next town, but I was pretty certain I could knock it out in a day. A warning was in effect about aggressive bulls, so I took a detour along the road, bypassing the pastures where they grazed. From the highway I could see two muscular beasts locking horns and found myself grateful, for once, of the road walk.
The detour brought me back to the trail through a dry forest, where spider webs were not in short supply. Then up into the grassy farm fields looking out over the rolling hills and bursting with violet foxgloves. Most of the time it was easy to tell where I was headed, however there were a few points that led me to question my course. One of them was in a paddock of curious heifers. A TA arrow led me over the stile to join the animals…but there was no other arrow in sight. Slowly I walked uphill, scanning the horizon for any signs of a marker. The animals escorted me, sniffing my pack, and trotting up beside me to get a better look. Two-thirds of the way through the enclosure I finally spotted a dull orange mark confirming I had gone the right way.
The earlier detour had caused me to miss out on my only water sources for the day, so about 4km from Te Kuiti I ran out. The sun was boiling and the rest of the trail was through hilly, poorly marked pastures. One note on the section stated that the person had gotten lost for over two hours due to inadequate signage. The alternative, follow the country road directly into town and skip the pastures. It was equidistance, but there was zero chance of my getting lost along the way and prolonging the journey.
Less than an hour later I was drinking a Gatorade outside a petrol station and congratulating myself on the wise decision to take the road.
Day’s Highlights: No deaths by angry bulls, though I did cross one area with a solitary bull who watched me like a hawk as I nervously crossed his paddock.
26.11.2019 Day 37 and 27.11.2019 Day 38 (0km)
Part of me doesn’t like taking two zero days in a row. The issue is when I’m mentally exhausted and only take one day, it’s never enough. I’m always too busy doing stuff to actually relax. I spent three hours at the library, another hour at the market, forty-five minutes washing clothes, gear, and my tent, and then thirty or so repacking food. There went day one. On the morning of my second rest I was sad to see my new friends push on; it was tempting to go with them. However, I did enjoy a longer yoga session, playing guitar, and vegging out in front of the TV. Also the people who own Hunt’s Backpackers are AMAZING and the view is beautiful!
Day’s Highlights: Sleeping in until 8:30 and delicious locally grown strawberries.
28.11.2019 Day 39 (0km)
I was halfway ready this morning: bag packed, clothes on, and in the middle of making breakfast. Extricating myself from the bed had been difficult but not impossible. It was when I went to wrap my knee with KT tape that my determination faltered.
My hand shook as I picked up the roll. I looked at my knee, still swollen, and it was as though it were screaming in protestation. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
After looking at the calendar, I realized that I had been telling people my knee got injured two weeks ago, for the last two weeks. Which meant my knee had actually been hurting for over a month. It was time to give in and listen to my body.
Day’s Highlights: Started learning a new song on guitar
