Tātou Araroa — Episode 6: Living the Bream
Progress: 434.9km - 14.46%
Ngunguru to Mangawhai Heads;
A Tale of 3 Crossings
Tides play a big role in your day to day planning around this section. Nothing worse than hitting an estuary or river at the wrong time and waiting for hours for the tides to do their thing.
Our route out of Ngunguru was generously supported by Geoff Haywood who dropped us past the first crossing and into the town of Patea North. Like many tranquil and picturesque towns we pass through they are almost unknown to all but locals, and it feels like the population are very happy to keep it that way. Geoff walked us across the footbridge and we were off again on our own.
The next section featured the tidal Taiharuru Estuary walk, not just a crossing but a 1.5km stroll in knee deep water edging passed mangroves and finding sandbars as a reprieve from the sucky mud base. We crossed the main flow of the estuary an hour before low tide and made good progress in lower (Bill)/ upper (Sarah) thigh deep water. All was well till the black molasses like mud in the final few steps before the bank,which sucked our feet in below the boot line and acted as tar collecting the various grasses from our next section rising out of the estuary.
The wholly inaccurately named Kauri Mountain (it’s 250m high and has zero kauri trees) was next, a steep climb rewarded with great views, especially southward towards Whangarei Heads, the following days mission. The mountain dropped down onto Ocean Beach and, once our post-90 Mile Beach PTSD calmed down, we traipsed the 7km to the campsite in the evening sun.
The next day was a big one, over 1300m of climbing (and 1300m of descent too) taking the form of the Te Whara Track. After a slow start to the morning, likely subconsciously in knowing the challenge ahead, we made our way up the ridgeline. The view looking north to Ocean Beach and Kauri Mountain, our defeated foes, grew more spectacular with each metre climbed. A steady but at times cardiovascularly torturous ascent bought us to our first high point. From this point at 437m up you could see 4 dimensions, the depth, height and width of all the stunning physical features afforded to you, but also you could see time. You could see as far as Patea and Kauri Mountain (the day before) but also way into the future; Bream Bay laid before us to the South and with it the town of Waipu (2 days ahead) and Pakiri Beach (5 days ahead). To see a week in a view is both affirming and humbling simultaneously.
We continued to walk the ridgeline with further strain and visual reward for another four hours before descending 800 steps into Urquhart Bay. A 5km road walk to finish the day bought us to our Trail Angel for the night 1.3km from our boat connection the following morning.
An early start was on the cards for our big day across the Whangarei Harbour and along Bream Bay to Waipu and the much anticipated Pizza Barn. Peter, our skipper across the glasslike harbour has been shuttling hikers across the water since the trail’s inception in 2011. He’s a keen fisherman and all round good bloke, even foregoing payment as he was "going scaloping anyway, buy a round on me"
We made our way through the town of Ruakaka and onto the beautiful beach on that stretches along Bream Bay. As beach veterans we skillfully identified the hard sand and pressed on at 6km/hour pace. Before turning off the beach we passed the 400km marker and then began a trademark nightmare road section. Including our best "dad jog" (performing all the correct mechanics of running without any increase in velocity) across a narrow bridge.
Finally, we made it into Waipu. Waipu has a strong connection with Scotland due mainly to Samuel Marsden, a Scottish explorer and Reverend who was integral in the early years of European influence in the area and after whom many places in the area are named. They celebrate this history with different clan's tartans hanging from each lamppost and their annual Highland Games in January.
We however had only one purpose in Waipu and that was the Pizza Barn, her generously stacked pizza and tremendous craft beer had taken on a mythical air since the beginning of our journey and to make it there signified a achievement we felt potentially impossible before we began. Despite the huge expectations, boy did they deliver. Their beer battered fries and bacon, venison, sausage and pepperoni "Globetrotter" pizza hitting many spots. Their award winning Paradise Pale Ale could not have been more aptly named.
Following this feast, a sluggish and slightly wobbly journey to our home for the evening at Waipu Cove Campground and following that, hibernation for the night.
We awoke sluggishly again this morning, appreciating it had now been nine days without a rest, or to use trail lingo, a zero day. Nethertheless we persisted and climbed a logging road up from the Cove which, as seems to be staple in this area, delivered wide panoramic views of the whole coast and it’s many islands. The road turned to unsealed road to forest path and ducked into the trees. As we emerged Mangawhai Heads and her trademark golden sand dunes came into view. As is typical for Te Araroa, nothing is easy so we had a toe and calf shatteringly steep descent followed of course by a climb, a steeper climb and then a farmers field so steep we had to zigzag to reach the top. These exhausting climbs in the midday sun were soon forgotten as we crested the hill and joined the magnificent Mangawhai Coastal Pathway and the turquoise and emerald hue of the waters below. We skipped our way down to the beach below along this stunning cliff top track and left the beach to arrive at our current location at Mangawhai Heads Campground.
Without a doubt our favorite section of the walk so far, a combination of the views, the great campgrounds, the challenges and cuisine are hard to fault.
Trial Angels
DonnaMaree in Whangarei Heads. For the generous hospitality including beef brisket, mash and a tremendous and well needed salad!
To Ross, who we bumped into as we left Mangawhai Beach today who asked "are you walking the trail?" Upon our response asked if we were raising money and if he could donate. We replied enthusiastically in the affirmative and five minutes later an email from Givealitttle showing his donation. It is small interactions like this that make so much difference to weary bodies.
Next Up
Auckland bound! We've finished the "Northland" section of notes now and we're entering the Auckland region tomorrow. We have walked an entire region of New Zealand.
Rugged Pakiri Beach tomorrow, up and over the Dome Valley on Saturday, dropping into Puhoi on Sunday then a gentle bag-free stroll down the coast to Stillwater with friends on Monday bring us to 4 (FOUR) lovely rest days in Auckland!
Last but not least…..
Thank you again to all those who have donated so far. We’re so very humbled by your support. Every cent counts in the struggle against mental illness so anything you can spare will make a huge difference so some of our most vulnerable people.
If you can, you can donate by clicking HERE
Check out Episode 7 HERE