Goats in sheep country

1 May

Mangaokewa Shelter to Te Kuiti

KM 886.5

Distance: 24.1km

Elevation: ascent 501m; descent 642m

Steps: 35,700 (+6,100 running errands)

Time: 7:30am - 4:00pm

When we set off this morning, we had in mind that it would be a short-ish day, thinking we only had about 17km to do, and fairly easy, with only about 500m up and down. 

The trail laughed long and hard at these thoughts.

We'd heard that this section of trail was a bit overgrown, and it was at times. But it was more that it was basically (and at times, literally) a goat-track, above a river that is very much eroding its banks. In fact, here is Vaughan taking a picture of some 50+ goats who we're pretty sure were grading us on how we did going down this hillside. (We're also pretty sure they gave us a low score.)

Where at one time there may have been a nice track over the river, it is now a nightmare of scrambling up and down soft soil slopes to detour around washouts and tree falls; as well as constantly dealing with gorse, blackberry brambles, and bush lawyer - all of which will scratch skin, hook clothing, and tear at any surface they touch. Oh, except where there were mud puddles created by stock walking through feeder streams (ahem. yes.) or otherwise marshland that was unavoidable (see earlier references to pokey, grabby plants).

Tracks can be challenging by design - these tend to be fun, if you are fit and prepared for them. Tracks that are challenging because they've been neglected, however, are less fun. 

It wasn't all horrible - but due to the challenging nature of the track we didn't get too many photos. Early on, we passed through a grove of eucalyptus trees, shedding their bark for the season.

And we also found what appears to be a kaka feather - so pretty!

We also found what is probably the most over-grown cabbage tree in New Zealand (yeah, we'll just go ahead and claim that one).

So rather than reaching our destination, the town of Te Kuiti, for lunchtime (which was mentioned in a very over-confident moment the night before), we instead had lunch a little less than halfway along the route. Luckily for us, someone had taken the trouble of bringing in a picnic table!

(There is a farm track just behind me as I took this photo. But the farm track is not the walking track. More's the pity.)

A few kilometers after our lunch stop, so around 1:30pm, the track finally changed to become the 'gentle, rolling river-side track' that was originally intended for this walk. We both feel really bad for anyone doing this part of Te Araroa going southbound, because they would be feeling very confident about their progress, having a wonderful easy trail, until it suddenly degrades. At least we got the easy track for the afternoon, when we were getting tired.

We made it out to a carpark, took our shoes and socks off, rinsed them in the river, and sat for a while. Once we got the shoes back on, we realised that the pedestrian bridge over the river that has hazard - do not use signs on it was meant to be our next move. Sighing, we undid any of the sundrying we had just given our shoes and socks, and forded the river (it was not even mid-calf, but it was high enough to get our shoes and socks thoroughly re-soaked).

From here, it was an easy walk into Te Kuiti, the sheap-shearing capital of New Zealand. Truly. There's even a statue.

We're staying at a hotel at the far north end of Te Kuiti, pretty much where the TA leaves town. It's very cushy, and we even got given some candies for our stay (they lasted about 2 minutes)

We had planned to run laundry and shower; then go out for dinner (beef burgers, yum!), and then do grocery shopping, as well as pick up an extra warm shirt for Eliza, on the way back to the hotel. We left as soon as our clothes went into the dryer, and made it to the restaurant, where we had a delicious meal, and planned our food shopping for the next section. We barely made it to the shop to pick up a bush shirt for Eliza before it closed at 8. No worries, the grocery store is open until 9. Well, that is during the summer - starting on May 1st (yeah, today), they move to winter hours, and close at 8. Foiled! And then on return to our hotel, we found the laundry room locked for the night. Argh!

Luckily, the very friendly manager saw us return and came to specially open the laundry for us, so we are reunited with our things (And in the ensuing conversation he may have been convinced to walk the TA himself one day). And we can do the grocery shopping early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is truly a shorter day, taking us to Waitomo, the first of about a 5-day section over Pirongia and into Hamilton.