Te Araroa: Kerikeri to Mangawhai Heads

Day 8 (12/17/23): 19mi, +2014ft // 31km, +614m

Kerikeri to Russell Orongo Bay Holiday Park

I left Kerikeri around 7:30AM, having had the best zero day the day before. I walked back to the point at which I’d departed the trail to walk into town and continued on along the river walk, picking up where I’d left off. I wasn’t entirely sure what I would do when I reached Paihia, would I walk to Opua? Or take the first ferry to Russell?

The trail took me along a winding road on a sidewalk (a mercy), and I admired everyone’s mailboxes as I walked. We don’t have mailboxes in Crested Butte; you could say I had a bit of mailbox envy. Each one was unique, most looked like tiny houses, all were surrounded with flowers.

My next stretch of trail was meant to be single track, through the Waitangi Forest; however, extensive logging had left the land haggard and ravaged, the trail no more. So I walked a gravel road instead.

Next came a bit of a walk through a fancy looking golf course, several sports cars wizzed by me as I walked. And by the time I made it to the ferry station in Paihia, I was certain I wanted to cross the bay and leave this place behind me. It was Mayhem in town, the most tourists I had seen anywhere, and I was acutely aware of my already blooming body odor and smelly pack.

I purchased my one way ticket, used a restroom, and then got settled on the upper deck of the ferry. I gazed out across the water, admiring its turquoise hue and the many rocky islands which rose up, penetrating its mesmerizing surface.

I rubbed my low back, noting that it still ached, even after all these months. I suppose I wasn’t exactly giving it the rest it needed to heal, though.

The ferry began its course to Russell and I enjoyed the breeze off the water. When we disembarked on the much quieter, other side, I took a break and spooned peanut butter into my mouth, watching the seagulls and ducks beg for scraps.

The rest of my walk was hot, sweaty and uneventful. When I got to the Russell-Orongo Bay Holiday Park, I was relieved to see the swimming pool, and even more relieved when the woman who checked me in said I could use it.

Later that evening, snuggled into my tent, a duck tried to land on top of its peak unsuccessfully, and seemed to glare at me pointedly when she slid ungracefully off its side.

Day 9 (12/18/23): 23.5mi, +2221ft // 39km, +677m

Russell to Whangaruru Holiday Park, Oakura

I woke up and packed up, making my way with all my things over to the kitchen area. I set up shop, making my oatmeal and coffee and exchanged a few pleasantries with a man and a woman who had been camped next to me last night.

When I sat down to eat, a very dignified looking rooster posted up next to me and proceeded to greet the morning, repeatedly.

My morning walk took me along another rather dangerous feeling road, with loads of blind turns and a fast speed limit of 100km/h. But after that road, I was given the gift of a much quieter tramp along a gravel track through a reserve. It was just me and the shady trees, I even found a spectacular water source that was crystal clear, pouring from the side of a mossy rock face.

After the shade, though, I rejoined pavement and the walk became brutally hot. The sun was like an angry eye, beating down on me from where it was positioned directly overhead in a sea of electric blue. I trudged beneath its heavy gaze, listening to an audiobook, trying to remain vigilant and watch for traffic.

I reached the turn off for Oakura finally and walked the extra 3km to get to the Holiday Park there, Whangaruru. The instant my gaze alighted on the dairy I knew I needed ice cream to make it the distance.

Afterwards, I walked and admired the amazing scenery. The beach was gorgeous, white sand, guarded on either end of its crescent by rocky crags. The shore I stood on was covered in red crowned Pohutakawa trees. I was I awe of my surroundings and immediately felt my detour was worth it, just to see this bit of stunning coastline.

I was already walking, what was a few more kms?

Day 10 (12/19/23): 25.2mi, +3048ft // 42km, +929m

Oakura to Whananaki Holiday Park

I wrote in my journal on this day, “Today I hit an emotional low, but now that I’ve eaten a meat pie and drank a chocolate milk I feel much better”.

The morning started off brilliantly with an amazing sunrise over the ocean and an easy road walk. Then the day took a sharp turn when I entered the bush on the Helena Ridge Track. It was dewy, overgrown and full of spiders. I bashed through palm fronds and ferns at face height, swiping my eyes and nose constantly to clear the sticky webs from them.

At a certain point I stopped and took my pack off to find a snack—sour gummies have been a favorite from the bulk bins at the grocery—when I noticed something perched on the upturned base of my umbrella. A spider.

“Ohhh no,” I said to it, and attempted to blow the nickle-sized, black and yellow arachnid off its seat. It didn’t budge, so I did something rude, I flicked it off. The spider did not appreciate this and stood next to my pack on the ground, reared up on its hind legs, and pumped its tiny fists at me.

Was I losing it?

Once I was out of the forest I took a deep breath. I had a detour coming up entirely on roads around the second leg of the forest track, to prevent the spread of Kauri Dieback disease, or maybe it was just because of a land dispute, I can’t keep track anymore for all the detours I’ve taken.

And I have to say I was relieved at first, to walk the roads, away from the spiders. And then it got hot and my feet started to hurt from the constant pounding on the pavement.

I listened to an audiobook for distraction and did my best not to get hit by a car on the windy road that had little to no verge to jump into away from traffic. I was close to Whananaki, and yet so far. When I finally saw the sign to the Holiday Park, I felt a bit defeated. But as I mentioned before, food and hydration were an easy cure.

Day 11 (12/20/23): 17.7mi, +1868ft // 29.5km, +569m

Whananaki to Ngunguru (Tutukaka Holiday Park)

I didn’t listen to any audio today, I just sweat to the beat of my own thoughts. I was a little disappointed. Last night at the holiday park I’d met 3 hikers, Rhys, Jonne, and Mikkel, from New Zealand, Holland, and Denmark respectively.

They’d found passage across the Ngunguru River for tomorrow and had said they could include me in their plans, pending that there was enough space for me at the Trail Angel’s house, because we’d need to stay the night in Ngunguru in order to take the boat the next day. Well, turns out there wasn’t space for me.

I resolved to just walk the detour, which added 25km to an otherwise 5km crossing.

The walk distracted me, it took me high up into verdant green hills and gave me a view of the coast which was studded with twisting branches and crimson flowers of Pohutakawa trees.

I walked determinedly for Ngunguru, willing up the enthusiasm to push on directly from there, since there was no where to stay, no holiday park or campground besides Mila’s which was said to have an aggressive dog, and walk the detour today, meaning I would have to walk 50kms.

It didn’t sound appealing to me.

I stopped at the Salt Air Cafe and called my parents to chat, when I saw a WhatsApp message from Jonne, she and Mikkel were going to stay at the Holiday Park in Tutukaka if I wanted to join and catch the boy in the morning.

It was a plan! I was stoked A) that I was being included and would have coming tonight, which always feels good and B) that I would get to avoid unnecessary road miles. My feet said a silent thank you.

I hitched a ride the 4km to Tutukaka and was told on arrival that the prices had just gone up that day. Many holiday parks allow TA hikers to camp for $15NZD/night, this one was $30.

Holiday parks have showers (usually $.50-$1 for 2-7 minutes of hot water), a laundry room, a communal kitchen and common area, outlets to charge electronics, and grass to pitch your tent on.

When Jonne and Mikkel arrived we spent some time making a plan for the next day and then I went to bed.

Day 12 (12/21/23): 23.5mi, +2219ft // 39km, +677m

Ngunguru to Ocean Beach Campsite

We met Rhys, who’d stayed with the trail Angel, at the dock at 7AM, as James had requested. He would be ferrying us across the first river, then explaining how we would cross the next two.

James had worked out an arrangement with the landowners, an easement of sorts, so that TA hikers could cross the Hora Hora river. Both the Hora Hora and the Taiharuru were both tidal rivers and had to be timed for low tide or close to.

We were all of us not paying the best attention, apparently. The bend in the road James is gesturing to in the photo, we blew right by, putting us an hour behind schedule.

The Hora Hora was easy enough though, as our mistake put us there at exactly low tide; I was nervous about the next one though. It was a 3km crossing, and we still had 11km of road to walk before we got there, the tide rising as we did so.

When we got to the shore, I voted we try, even though we were late. Everyone agreed and off we splashed, contouring the shoreline for 2kms in ankle, then knee, then thigh deep water. I started a stingray and watched it shoot away from my feet.

The actual crossing was about 1km long, and looked intimidating. It just looked like a massive bag of unknowable depths with a few TA markers on posts across its width. We moved forward slowly.

At its deepest the water came above my hips getting the bottom of my pack wet (all of my stuff is in a trash bag inside so none of my gear got wet). We made it to the other side and into the thick black mud the mangrove trees love so much.

Being barefoot made the most sense.

The day ended with one more walk along one more beach, Ocean Beach, and then to camp. It was a gorgeous beach and walked barefoot the 9km in the sand.

That night I slept well, the next morning we’d have a big climb up into the mountains just visible in the distance from the start of the beach.

Day 13 (12/22/23): 20mi, +3442ft // 33km, +1050m

Ocean Beach to Uretiti DOC campsite

I left the campsite as the others were still packing and eating breakfast, eager for some time alone and knowing this next section would be tough.

I climbed steeply up and away from the beach, enjoying the way the incline forced me to work harder and breath faster. If I made it to Waipapa Cove, my planned campsite, I would be striking out on my own again, but it was a long way away.

There were some ridiculously steep stairs, their construction in this environment amazed me, just like in that canyon the week before. Up and over several peaks, into the fog, through many a spiderweb, and then back down the other side to Urquharts Bay.

I road walked on some gorgeous neighborhood streets, draped with flowers and shady trees—all with slow speed limits—until I reached the boat ramp (beach) at Whangarei Heads. I needed a ride from there, across the harbor, to Marsden Point.

I’d read on FarOut that it was easy to get a hitch with a fisherman, but this was not the case. On a Friday morning, no one seemed to be coming or going. I called Blair, the water taxi, since his number was posted on every signpost leading to the beach.

Well, Blair was not thrilled I didn’t call ahead. I told him I wasn’t in a rush at all, but he still chastised me the whole way across the bay for not giving him 24hr notice. I paid him the $40NZD and practically ran from his boat, warning him there were at least 3 more hikers behind me today.

I called Logan as I walked the beach to Ruakaka. At some point, so wrapped up in our conversation, I missed my turn off the beach for the grocery store. Once we said our goodbyes, I decided to exit the beach where I was because it looked like there was a road not too far away.

My adventuresome attitude took me onto the grounds of a power plant, trespassing, no doubt. But I had walked freely in, so why was I now staring at a 6ft chain link fence topped with barbed wire, keeping me from getting out?

Panic settled in my bones. I found one part of the fence with a taller gap beneath the deathly sharp wire, and climbed like my life depended on it. At the top, the chain link teetered, and I pitched forward, stubbing my toes when I landed. Shew. Adrenaline propelled me to the grocery store faster than I’d walked earlier in the day.

As it turned out, I didn’t have it in me to walk all the way to Waipu Cove, the day just hadn’t been smooth enough to fit in the extra miles. So I stopped at Uretiti, 9 miles earlier, and Jonne and Mikkel met me there.

It was raining when they arrived a few hours later, it seemed like our weather was turning wet as predicted.

Day 14 (12/23/23): 22mi, +3087ft // 36km, +941m

Uretiti to Mangawhai Heads Holiday Park

I woke up and walked to Waipu as quick as I could, spurred on by the promise of free coffee at Logan MacLean’s Cafe. The coffee and cheese, onion & jam toasty did not disappoint! From there the day unfolded rather easily.

I walked several gravel roads and then a short bit of steep single track trail through the woods. When I reached a campsite with a picnic table, I decided to dry out my tent from the nights rain.

I ate snacks and listened to an audiobook as I did so, it was only noon and I’d covered more than half my miles for the day.

It started raining again late afternoon, as I walked a rather exposed, but well made track along the side of a steep hill. The views of the ocean and upcoming beach walk were stunning.

When I made it down to the beach, the rain stopped and I marveled at the two-toned sand; some of it was pure black, and that closer to the breaking waves was start white.

The walk to the holiday park was quick and I was happy to get there, set up my tent, and then write I my journal for a bit before Jonne and Mikkel arrived. At least for now we seemed to be on the same hiking schedule and I was happy for the company.

The next day would bring more beach walking and a few more tidal river crossings, which sounded a bit daunting. We discussed our plan over dinner before I bid them goodnight and went to curl up in my tent.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/ivey_smith