Every Little Bit Helps

November 17/10 . DAY #34 . 22 KM .

Another day. Another dollar. Spent. Alex and I have found our place for the night in the middle of Mangawhai Forest. Ninja camping, as some call it. It's been a day of trekking, internet and simply trying to survive this heat that New Zealand will soon describe as summer. Even when we started out at 6:30 a.m. this mornign and the sun had barely risen enough to clear away the morning fog and dry up the dew, we were hot and sweaty.

Fortunately for us we were able to make a rather lengthy pit stop in Mangawhai Heads to catch up on internet and such indoors. As nice (and pricey) as that was, it sucked that we then had to head out of town at 2:20 p.m. in order to make some distance and find a free spot to camp. It was difficult not to notice how we were walking during the hottest part of the day. Not to mention that we were doing it with heavy packs on and normally we'd be setting up camp in preparation to actually be enjoying the heat.

On our way out of town we met a local who offered us a lift and a place to stay, but we politely declined - as is our way. It would be cheating otherwise. As it were, he bumped into us later on in the day and gave us a hand drawn map, directing us along where he assumed we were going. It was amazing to me to think of how he must have seen us. I don't know what he had thought as it seemed strange to me to assume that we wouldn't already have an idea of where we were going and what we were doing. Apparantly we looked as though we needed help and he figured he'd be just the guy to help us out.

As it were, his hand drawn map was not needed as soon after we followed our intended route off the main roads towards the coast where we have been able to set up camp admist the Mangawhai Forest. Nothing like going to sleep among the smell of pine trees to put a smile on my face!


November 18 . DAY #35 . 24 KM .

Every little bit helps. Or at least that's what I've come to think through Alex and mine's decision to do what we're doing. One step at a time and we will make our way across New Zealand. One person at a time we hope to inspire to go after their dreams. Anything is possible. One dollar at a time and we will be able to help out the Turusuala Community Centre in Solomon Islands. And now this.

A day or two ago Alex and I started talking of how we could better help promote environmental sustainability through our trek. It's all good and well that we're doing our best to stick to the trail and leave all camping areas as we found them, but we wanted to do more. We wanted to do more than promote the idea of alternative travelling - of showing the world that everywhere's within walking distance if you've got the time.

And so we decided that we would find a way to do something that might actually make a difference. Through the past month we've noticed quite a lot of rubbish along the way. Rubbish along the road. On the trail. Stuck in bushes. Floating on the ocean waters. Essentially - we've seen bits and bobs of human products EVERYWHERE. Up until today there hasnt' been anything we felt we COULD do about it. We're already carrying the maximum weight we want to on our backs and sometimes don't even have an opportunity to throw out our own accumulated rubbish for days. And so we've simply been passing by all the soda bottles, empty chip bags and used napkins, commenting on how bad all that is for the environment and hoping that someone would come along and take responsibility for it.

But the other day we had a thought. What if we were to MAKE it our responsibility? What if we were to pick up one piece of rubbish each per day as we trekked along? One piece isn't a lot. It's just one. But it's also one more than what we HAVE been picking up thusfar.

And so today we excitedly set off to find our one piece of rubbish that we could help out in making its way to the trash can. As it were - we happened to be passing through Pakiri which had rubbish bins, so Alex and I ended up doing 2 pieces each. It took us 2 seconds and we ended today knowing that we had made a difference - even if it was a small one.

But what if everyone did that? What if everyone took responsibility for picking up one piece of rubbish - even just once? We all look to the side of the road and comment on how horrible it is to see all the stuff strewn about - what if we all quit talking about it and did something?

In looking ahead - Alex and I have an estimated 4 months (give or take a few days) journey left on our hands. If we can clean up 1 piece of rubbish each for each day during that time, that's an estimated 240 pieces of rubbish no longer working their way to killing our environment. There isn't much wrong with that.

And what if everyone just did a little bit? A world doesn't change overnight. They say it takes a community to raise a child - what does it take to make a difference in our world? One step at a time. Every little bit helps. Every piece of rubbish cleared up. Every dollar given to someone in need. It doesn't take much. What can you do?


And that's what this portion of our journey has turned into. Challenging ourselves to do more for the world around us. Each one of us is part of this world and it's each one of our responsibility to take care of it. And so Alex and I challenge everyone reading this to find some way to help out as well. Each day has turned into an adventure to find that piece of rubbish to pick up. Sometimes we find nothing and so the next day we pick up two pieces. Some days we go through towns and such and have developed the habit of just picking up what we can as the rubbish bins are right there. And sometimes it's advocating our cause to other people who are too lazy to actually throw out their rubbish in the bins. And it feels good.



Feeding the lambs at Sheepworld

 From that day onwards, we worked our way towards Matakana which turned out to be one of Alex's and mine favorite places we've passed through to date. Complete with many cafes, a beautiful river and amazing people - well - Matakana makes a grey rainy day beautiful. After a lengthy lunch break at the Black Dog Cafe, Alex and I worked our way to Dome Valley (November 20/10) where we were in for a nice surprise at Sheepworld Caravan Park. Much thanks to Ian at Sheepworld who set us up in a small caravan for our stay. There Alex and I took a day of rest to enjoy the indoors as it rained outside. When the skies cleared up we were able to go and check out the Sheepworld tour where we learned all about what it takes to care for a herd of sheep. As part of the experience I even got to try my luck at shearing a sheep!


November 22/10 . DAY #39 . 27 KM .

Tramper discretion advised. That's what all the Te Araroa Trail signposts SHOULD say. Alex and I got lost today. Not like LOST lost per say - it's more that we dunno what happened to the trail. It completely disappeared. And so - instead of turning around and heading back, we decided to make camp on a secluded patch of farmland and try our luck at the trail tomorrow. Hopefully then we'll be able to make it to Puhoi. Happy tramping.


November 23/10 . DAY #40 . 11 KM .

Chatting it up with a local in Puhoi

Made it to Puhoi and here we got stuck. As many of the locals do I am sure. We got here in the morning (after finding our route - a critical orange arrow directing us in the appropriate direction had been taken down) and found the local shop with everything we could possibly want. Including a one Judith Williams.

Judith happened to be a friend of Inge (Ora Ora Resort) recommended to us. So we called her. By the time she found her way to us and we chatted while Alex and I polished off a fresh enclair each - we were reluctant to leave. And so we didn't.

And here we are - at the local historical pub where we've pretty well spent the rest of the day - catching up on postcards, book reading and the such as the rain poured on outside. And we're okay with that. Tomorrow we plan on heading down the Puhoi River by kayak.


Puhoi turned out to be yet another favorite place within our journey around New Zealand. The people. The sights. The complete atmosphere. It was easy to see how one could just come there and never leave again. And that's almost what happened. By the end of our day in Puhoi, we had endless amounts of offers from locals to come and stay overnight at their places. We declined each of them as we were set on sleeping in our tent. But then one local came and stated that we were welcome to stay at the local community centre play place. We simply couldn't turn down an offer such as that and ended up cozying up in our sleeping bags surrounded by massive collection of toys.



Kayaking Puhoi River

 The following day (November 24), we were set to head down Puhoi River by none other than kayak. Thanks to Puhoi River Canoes and Kathy and Cody who set us up with our individual kayaks and sent us on our way. 10 KM of weaving down the lazy river and we had arrived at Wenderholm Regional Park. It was such a unique part of our journey and was great to give our legs a bit of a rest. We couldn't have done it without Puhoi River Canoes as during this part of the journey along Te Araroa Trail, there simply isn't another option to get past Puhoi as the state highway isn't currently walkable.

And so from Wenderholm Regional Park we trekked, all the way to the south end of Orewa Beach. It was here that Alex and I began to adjust to being back in civilization - certainly not as overwhelming as what we knew the city centre of Auckland would soon be, but it was still a bit of a shock to the system as we had been a full 40 days outside major civilization (other than a few periods of trekking through small towns/communities). Away went the hiking poles and we made our way to a local caravan park for the night.



About to cross Weiti River

 On November 25 we found ourselves needing to cross the Weiti River to continue on the trail. As we walked towards the local yacht club, a man called us over from his balcony and informed us he would gladly take us across the water. After a quick cup of tea with Gunter, he brought us to the yacht club where we piled into his dingy - Alex and I cautiously perched on the edge still wearing our heavy packs. The vision of us tipping overboard flashed through my mind and I pushed it away as Gunter started the motor and slowly maneuvered the dingy to deeper waters.

Once across, Alex and continued along the trail through the bush until we came to Browns Bay. Alex and I knew almost immediately that we were in trouble. There was no caravan park in sight and everyone we stopped to ask where the nearest one might be didn't know. All we could see is residential area, local communities, schools, malls and everything in between. We had arrived to the outer edges of the Auckland mass population. And there was no clear indication of where we could stay. The thought of ninja camping appeared impossible. And so we found ourselves at a local realstate agency.

When we walked in (wearing the same clothes from the past few days and carrying our massive packs on our backs) the receptionist jokingly asked us if she might be able to find us a home. We laughed and said we were just looking for one for the night. When we explained our situation and asked if they knew if there was a caravan park nearby, the realtors replied that the nearest one was almost 20km away. Definitely not within walking distance as we had already gone 30km at that point. But then one of the realtors, Shane, spoke up to say that we could probably crash at his place if we wanted. The only catch was that his "place" was actually unfinished and the builders were still in the process of finishing it. But it was closeby, Shane didn't have a probably with it and, best of all, the location was right along the coast on Te Araroa Trail. So we said yes.



Our room for the night (Browns Bay)

 After getting aquainted with the building crew, we dropped off our packs and set out to explore Browns Bay while the construction crew finished for the day. Later we settled into one of the unfinished rooms overlooking the ocean and got down to the buisness of dinner and sleep. It was a good day.

The following day we woke up as though it was Christmas. It was the day we were due to make it to Auckland's city centre. We were almost there and we were both so excited we could hardly stand it. After a lazy breakfast down at the beach (with fresh strawberries for the oatmeal), we were off and going as fast as our legs could go. As we went our way down the coastal walk, we ran into a few locals out for their morning exercise and within about 10 min it seemed as though everyone there knew what we were doing and continued to shout words of encouragement at us, offer us places to stay and ask questions about what we were doing. It was a little surreal in that sense to still have the feel of a laid back small town where everyone knows everyone and yet know that we were reaching the brink of one of the largest cities in the world. Go figure.

By midday we had reached the Devonport Ferry Terminal and estatic doesn't even begin to describe the feeling of knowing we had finally reached Auckland. 43 days from when we began and we had made it. Catching the ferry to cross to the city centre of Auckland, I found our journey's adventures to date flash before my eyes and I stared in awe at the skyscraping buildings ahead of us. We had done it. We've come so far and yet we have so far to go. The adventure of a lifetime continues and I can hardly wait to see what's around the next corner.



Made it to Devonport

The Amazing Race

What once began as a struggle to get up every  morning at the crack of dawn and strap a pack to our shoulders that threatened to either topple us over or squash us into the ground has become the adventure of a lifetime. Our very own "Amazing Race."

Since leaving the comfy and homey surrounds of Ora Ora Wellness Resort in Kerikeri our lives have turned into a surreal adventure of which Alex and I can no longer anticipate what we'll face around the next corner. And we're loving it.



Me walking during sunrise in Paihia

 (November 5/10 . DAY #22 . 25 KM) As we navigated our way through Kerikier on route to Waitangi Forest, both Alex and I began re-adjusting our topped up packs. Having arrived at Kerikeri with almost no food/water remaining, this morning we about tipped over when securing our packs to our backs. Our next planned top-up town is Waipu which is about 8 trekking days away. As it is - the rain clouds have cleared for us and the sun shines down. Today was a good day.

After such a great start to our leave from Kerikeri, it came as a slight surprise when Alex crashed and burned just the following day. After having a few weeks of little to no sleep, Alex's body shut down to the point where we had to make November 6 a very short day and reroute to a nearby campsite for the remainder of the day where Alex was able to catch up on sleep and I enjoyed a peaceful afternoon in the sun.

It was the following day that we got our "game faces" back on. No more BS. Alex and I were tired of having setbacks causing us to take extra rest days. And so we cranked out 33km, doing nearly half of Russell Forest before deciding to camp near the wooden shelter on the track. We were back on track and it felt amazing. But before our confidence could get too high, there was the day of prickly bush disaster. November 8/10.

Our goal was to get to Helena Bay (27 KM away), but we first had to make our way throught the second half of Russell Forest. A forest track was nothing new to us at this point, but Russell Forest proved to be one to remember.

We had been trekking for a few hours already, threading our way through some native New Zealand prickly bush (I don't know the proper name for it) which tends to grow as much sideways over the path as it does upwards. Again, prickly bushes were something Alex and I were accustomed to, having numerous scratches to prove it. But then we came around the mountain to come face to face with a mini landslide.

A few trees, dirt and rock had broken loose from the mountainside higher up and created a massive mound over the track. So we decided to climb up over it, only to find ourselves attempting to balance on loose soil on a nearly vertical side of the mountain. As if that weren't enough, one wrong step and our weighted down packs threatened to pull us straight down over the landslide to a deadly fall in the deep valley below. Joy.

But we pressed on. Kind of. It was more or less like we took one step off the landslide only to find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a prickly bush jungle. The bushes were taller than us with branches so thickly overgrown on the trail that the only signs there WAS a trail to walk was if we looked down at our feet to spot the narrow strip of hard packed soil. We had no choice but to go forward.



Alex and I totally tired from a day of trekking

 A mere 30 long minutes later and the prickly bush jungle spit us out at our trailhead. We had made it - all scratched up and bloody - and it felt good. All we had to do then was get to Helena Bay. Alex and I did that with no further incident and managed to find a secluded campspot overlooking the ocean. Life couldn't get much better with a quick dip in the ocean (and getting startled from a giant sting ray) and a hot Back Country Cuisine meal.

The next day we trekked our way to Whananaki North Holiday Park which was like finding heaven on earth. Situated right on Te Araroa Trail the lovely ladies that run the park offer discounted rates for all us long distance trekkers doing Te Araroa Trail, making it an absolute ideal location to rest the feet after a full day of trekking. To top it off, the holiday park has a swimming pool and awesome kitchen facilities - not to mention it sits at the backside of the local grocery store! Needless to say, Alex and I only wished we had more time to stay there. As it were, we packed up and left at first signs of light the next morning.

And the kindness of New Zealand's local people continued to amaze us the following day when Alex and I trekked onwards to Ngunguru (35 KM).

(November 10/10 . DAY #27 . 35 KM) Today was a good day. A day filled with laughter and giggles. A day when everything was bright and cheery. A day where the sun shone so much we relished our moments in the shade. A day where Alex and I made it from Point A to B without so much of a hiccup. It was a good day - a really good day.

And part of that was due to the kindness of a local in Ngunguru by the name of Wendy. Alex and I had to check into a campground, stock up on some groceries and possibly find somewhere to use the internet to check for any updates on the trail ahead. We had found none of that and were instead having the natural debate of where we should go for Plan B.

And then Wendy came along. We asked here where the nearest campground was (our map indicated that there was 2 to choose from) and she informed us that there was no more campgrounds in Ngunguru. Upon seeing our crestfallen faces, she then suggested that we simply camp in her garden instead. We gladly accepted and proceeded to her home where we have been able to set up our tent alongside the garden patch of fresh veggies and even a banana tree! As if that weren't enough - Wendy opened up her downstairs floor so we'd have access to our own private shower and toilet. To be able to get clean 2 days in a row (yesterday at the caravan park) was more - much more - than Alex or I had bargained for!



Curious cows

 November 11 went rather smoothly, the only significant thing to point out was that Alex and I had started to become something of an entertainment for the cows as we passed by them. Many farms in New Zealand have cattle grazing, but when we pass them they stop to watch us go by - even running up to crowd the fenceline in order to get a closer look. Weird.

The next day our goal was Peach Cove and the DOC hut that was there. Only problem was that it was 35 km away and Alex and I were tired from the get go. We didn't know if we could make it, but we wanted to so badly as we aimed to make use of a proper rest day the following day. And so we walked.

Shortly into our journey for the day we came to an estuary where we were told we had to walk on its shoreline before crossing it on the other side - low tide only. Fortunately for us, the tide was out. And so we walked, careful of where we stepped as the damp sand made for some muck that our boots would sink in if we didn't watch our step.

In and around the mangroves we weaved and close to an hour from when we began we reached the crossing point. It was here that we took off our boots to wade through the small river exiting out of the estuary. The river was thigh deep. Once across, we found the sand to be increasingly more difficult to navigate through as we'd sink up to our knees in the muck before our feet hit the sharp rocks and shells below. It was here that I began to doubt our ability to make it to the shoreline again.

But we made it. Barely. By the time we cleaned our feet and nursed the wounds made from the jagged and rocky estuary bottom, put our boots back on and set off again, the entire estuary was full of water. Apparently we hadn't been heading through it at lowest tide. We were mere minutes away from the tide catching us right in the middle of it all. Close call.

From then on, we refocused our energy to just getting to Peach Cove. We climbed mountains, crossed farmland and roadwalked our way to Ocean Beach. Once there we walked along the shoreline until we got to our last big challenge - just one more mountain to go. And it was a big one. Sitting at nearly 500 metres above sealevel, we had to do the entire thing before we could get to Peach Cove. We were tired and just wanting to put our packs down. But we wanted our full day off at Peach Cove more. And so up we climbed.

And eventually we arrived at Peach Cove and the hut - all sweaty and muscles trembling we collapsed in a heap on the hut's sundeck. We had made it and didn't have to move for an entire day if we didn't want to. And we barely did. The next day we spent our time between the hut and cove's private beach, swimming in the ocean (avoiding jelly fish) and basking in the afternoon sun. We even managed to sleep in... until 6 a.m. and it felt amazing! By the later afternoon, an entire trekking club from Auckland had arrived and Alex and I sat around getting to know everyone - some whom even had brough homemade brownies, cheese and crackers to share with everyone (THANKS GUYS!!) - we were in heaven!

The next morning we were off and set up to the ridgeline again (a supposed 840 steps) to make our way to Marsden Point. Only catch was that to get to Marsden Point, we had to snag a fisherman and hitch a ride across to the other side of the harbour. Both Alex and I had never tried hitching in a ride in a boat before, but figured we'd give it our best shot. We ended up at Little Munroe Bay and tried our luck with the first fishermen we spotted, but they said their boat was too small to take us and were going the other way anyway. They told us to hang tough though as we were at a popular spot and surely someone would come around that could take us. About half an hour later a boat pulled into the bay and we flagged them down and asked them of our strange request. The two fishermen looked at each other and then back at us and said that they'd do it. Turned out, they were a couple of commercial fishermen and had just come from Marsden Point, but thought nothing of going back there to drop us off again. We were elated and promptly waded into the ocean to get onto the boat. Off we went!



Dinner of crayfish from the fishermen

 When we got to Mardsen Point and tumbled out onto the dock, we thanked the fishermen purfusely and they responded by chucking a crayfish onto the dock with us - they said we could have it for dinner. Not knowing what to do with the live fish (looked more like a lobster to me), we wrapped it in a plastic bag and stuck it in the top of Alex's pack until we were ready to set up camp and eat him. Craziness!

And so off we went, again in amazement at the kindness of New Zealanders we had encountered along the way. Eventually we made our way to the north side of Ruakaka River where we set up camp in the sand dunes and proceeded to cook our dinner.

November 15 started off with a bang, not only was it our one month anniversary of trekking Te Araroa, but we had to start it by crossing the Ruakaka River. Alex managed to choose an ideal cross point of which the water only reached her thighs, but I didn't fare so well. I had gone further upstream, thinking this would be better, but as it turned out, I ended up in the middle with the water threatening to go up towards my belly button. Fortunately there was no major current with the river and I was able to make it across and then we continued our way into Waipu.

We made it to Waipu by about 10 a.m. and were just walking down the main street to the hostel when we ran into none other than Dirk, who we started the trek with back at Cape Reinga. We had split ways in Ahipara and so it was a surprise to meet up with him again so soon as we weren't exactly sure as how far apart we were. It turned out that Dirk was staying at the same hostel (the only one in town) and so we agreed to catch up later. Alex and I headed off to the hostel only to find it to be not so much a hostel as a home away from home. The Waipu Wonderers Backpacking Hostel was absolutely fabulous, and it wouldn't be the same if not for Steve and Elaine who run the place. It turned out to be one of my more favorite places to date as Alex and I caught up on grocery shopping (thanks for the ride to the store Elaine!), did laundry and even made a massive celebratory meal in according to us (Dirk included) having trekked for a month now! It was awesome and I fell asleep in my own bed dreaming of all the good times yet to come.



Alex and farmland early morning

 November 16 Steve and Elaine watched Alex and I leave as we set off to continue our journey. Our packs were weighted down again with our new load of food, but it felt different. It felt normal. It felt as though we could conquor whatever came our way. Well - that was until we were walking along the track and came around the corner to face none other than 3 llamas who seemed as startled to see us as we were to see them. I never remember reading about that in Te Araroa's notes! Needless to say, Alex and I made our way past them alright and have since arrived in Mangawhai Heads where we prepare for our journey onwards.

It's amazing to think of the adventures Alex and I have had to date. There is no reality TV show following us. There is no specific challenges that we have to accomplish other than making it to Bluff. There is no incentive we get to do this other than the complete satisifaction that we did it. For us. For Solomon Islands. For a world that could be a better place if we all do our part. One little bit at a time.

Mind Your Step (PART 3 of 3)

NOVEMBER 2/10

DAY #19 . 29 KM . SONG = "I Will Survive" . WEATHER = Mix Sun and Cloud

Today Alex and I woke feeling refreshed and ready to go. What could go wrong? We were clean from the river the day before and had had an awesome nights sleep. We were well on our way and trekking for a good few hours until around 10am when we came to a fork in the logging road. Then it all changed.

The clouds hang low early morning

It was there that we made a study of the map and guestimated that we should be veering to the left side of the fork rather than the right. There were no road signs on our map or the actual roads indicating where we were. There was no one around to ask which direction we should go. There wasn't even any indication of how far we had come. And so we went left. 

Shortly after that we came to another fork in the road and things started to get confusing. It was difficult to tell where exactly we were and which of the roads was the main one. We wanted to stay on Jacksons Road until Mangapa. Fortunately, at this time, workers in their big trucks started to roll on passed us so we waved a couple down to ask for directions only to find that none of them knew where Mangapa was. But they "thought" it was to the left of the fork we were at. And so we went.

Things started to just not feel right shortly after that and so we began asking more people, trying to frantically figure out where we were. The only definite answer we could get is that we were walking on the road that would take us North to Pupuke which would eventually lead to the SH 10 and Kahoe. This was not what we wanted to hear as we were supposed to be finding a fork in the road near Mangapa to head East to Puketi Forest.

There was a farmland nearby with the main house on the side of the road and so I went to ask there if they knew where we were, only no one was home. We were stuck. Alex and I didn't know where we were and if we should continue on or turn around. Things were not looking good and it was already nearly 11am. 

We sat on the side of the road, figuring all we could do is wait for the next person to come by and ask them where we were and hope they could give us a definite answer. Soon after, a big truck came rolling by and we wave him down. We told him our situation and right away he was able to clear up something. Mangapa was not an actual place as in a town - it was more of an area of land. And we were just passing through it. Secondly, he confirmed that the road we were on would just simply continue North to the highway and that there was no turn off to go East into Puketi Forest. To go East, we needed to backtrack to the last fork in the road (that everyone else told us went "nowhere") and take the other option. He convinced us.

We were only too happy to accept a ride from the worker as it would have taken us another hour to get back to the fork in the road - which meant in a blink of an eye, we were being dropped off and we waved goodbye. We were now on track.

Alex and I took the new route which happened to be Mokau Ridge Road. It was the only road around that actually had a label on it and it matched neither our map or our trail notes from Te Araroa Trust. Go figure. Regardless, we went on trusting the last worker who's confidence inspired us to go on.

Shortly after, we came to a group of loggers at the top of a hill who continue to help direct us through the maze of logging roads. They found it amusing that we were wandering around lost in their roads they found to be so clear and didn't exactly understand what we were doing there. Alex and I tried to remain positive about our situation, but it was difficult and I could find myself fighting feelings of pure defeat and the fear that we would not figure out where we are by the time we had to set up camp.

Eventually we were sent along one road of which the workers stated this would take us ALL the way through to Puketi Forest. We just had to get to the gate at the other side. Easier said than done as we still didn't know how far along the gate was and we weren't confident any longer that we were 100% right to be on that road. But we had to put trust in something and so we walked.

A few very long hours of walking on a road that never seemed to end, we gratefully made it to the gate. The loggers had appeared to know something afterall. We got through the other side and then came around the corner only to find ourselves faced with another fork in the road and no clear direction of where to go. There was only one thing we could do. Take off our packs and each pick a route to explore for a few minutes and then meet back at the fork. And so we did. I went left and Alex went right. 

I went up a hill for a while until the road began to turn around the corner. It was there I could see glimpses of a DOC sign. I was so elated that I ran to the sign, not caring that my feet and body were tired from the walk thusfar. The sign stated that it would be 6km to hit Wairare Road (where we wanted to get to) and that there was two trailheads nearby. I knew trails generally have a small map at the beginning of the area and so I went to scout them out only to find that a campsite or the Puketi Hut (our original goal of the day) were nearby and we were, in fact, on the right route. I literally ran all the way back to Alex.

We decided to skip the rest of the road walk and take the trails for a change of pace where it would only be about an hour till we could set up camp, and most likely near a water source as a river would be nearby. It felt as though a weight had been lifted. We had been going for so many hours on the hope that we were even going the right way. To find out where we were and have a clear direction for tomorrow was more than what we could have ever imagined.

Needless to say, we made it about 1.5 hours down the path and were so exhausted we set up camp in the middle of the pathway and are heading to bed now that we've had our dinner. It's only 6pm. I only hope no remaining trekkers are on the trail to discover our tent blocking its path. 


NOVEMBER 3/10

DAY #20 . 30 KM . SONG = "Oobla-dee, Oobla-da" . WEATHER = Sunny and Windy 

In hopes to cover as much ground as possible today - we were up and going by 6:15am. Not too shabby, but considering it was raining at the time and we were still deep in the bush of Puketi Forest, the need for headlamps to direct us was essential. Regardless, we were on our way and set and determined to make it to Kerikeri. We were ready for this portion of the trek to be over. 

The first couple hours we pushed hard to get to Puketi Hut. Through mud. Up hills. Down steep drops. Across rivers. Scrambling river banks. Rain, sun, wind. It was all there. And just over 3 hours later we finally were able to reach Puketi Hut. It was such a beautiful sight that we felt the need to celebrate. And so we went to the loo. There was even toilet roll to use and so we were estatic (we ran out nearly 3 days ago).

From there we walked our way along Pungaere Road and were all too happy about that as it meant we could quickly get some KMs done with and we wouldn't have to watch every step we took along the way. And so we walked. And walked. And walked. It was a beautiful feeling to know where we were and where we were going after the events of the last couple of days and Alex and I relished in it. 

Eventually we were able to make it to Waipapa which meant we were nearly there. After a quick stop at a gas station for a chocolate bar, we were off for our final push. An hour later we had made it to Rainbow Falls. As I had walked to this point when we were previously in Kerikeri while Alex's foot healed, I was excited to know where we were. Only 40 more minutes and we could be at Ora Ora Resort to say hi to all the lovely people who helped us out when Alex's foot was injured. Alex and I agreed would should at least do that and then we'd head to somewhere to camp for the night.

Alex and I make it Kerikeri's Rainbow Falls!

Soon after, we walked up to the back gate of Ora Ora Resort and let ourselves in. It felt as though we were coming home. Neil was working in the garden there and was surprised to see us. But after a short conversation he surprised us to say that Inge (who owns the resort) had set aside our villa from our previous week for us to use when we passed through Kerikeri again. We not only had a place to stay, we had a roof over our heads, hot shower, spa bath and a REAL bed! We were estatic as this was more than what we could have hoped for.

And now, after a good foot soak, bowl of soup and some catch-up conversation with everyone at Ora Ora Resort, it's time for some well deserved sleep. It feels good to have made it. Part 2 of Te Araroa Trail is complete.



And now - after a day of rest (yesterday) Alex and I plan to head out again. Our destination being Waipu. It's been lovely here in Kerikeri - particularly being able to see everyone at Ora Ora Resort who have started to feel like family. I can only imagine where this next portion of our adventures lead as we are now armed with a pack stocked of food, new maps (thanks to Cookie!!), and more toilet roll. My foot appears to have healed up, as is Alex's so I can only hope that the adventures will lie in what we will see rather than things we injure along the way. But hey - as Alex and I keep telling each other - it's all part of the adventure! :D


** Feel free to check out more of our video clips on YouTube of our trek thusfar at: ONELIFEAdventures

Mind Your Step (PART 2 of 3)

OCTOBER 30/10

DAY #16 . 21 KM . SONG = "Red Dirt Road" . WEATHER = Mix of Sun and Cloud

Today started with great success as Alex and I were FINALLY able to wake up, eat brekky, pack and get a move on under an hour. As a personal best time, I set off with the feeling that the day could only get better. Farmer John (whose property we were camped on) had informed us the yesterday that we could get back to the trail via the back of his property as that was the way the trail used to go before the DOC rerouted it due to people getting lost trying to navigate through it. He informed us that he could usually tell which people would be able to make out the trail and he thought we were it. That was good enough for me to hear so I was curious to see this morning if we would be able to prove him right.

But - first we had to actually get to the back of his property. It wasn't as though he just had a house. John was a farmer. He owned LAND. Big difference. A little walk to the back gate was about a kilometre before we got there and when we did, their wasn't one gate. There was three. Using the skills of deduction (as learned through watching many episodes of Sesame Street as a kid - "which one doesn't belong?") we figured it was the middle gate we needed to go through. As John had personally given his permission for us to be going this route the night before, we figured he had probably forgotten it was locked, and so we climbed over it. 

Sure enough, shortly after, we began seeing our treasured orange triangle trail markers and we happily trekked our way through more of John's farmland as we still weren't quite at the very back of his property. All was well until we came around the corner to face a cow who was standing in the middle of the path. The cow stared at us as we came closer, our hiking poles clicking on the dirt ground. The closer we got, the more uneasy the cow became and it started to make these painfully dreadful noises as though it was dying - its eyes getting really wide and wild. Alex suggested we just stay strong and walk on by it. And so we did - sidestepping it as we passed - I made sure my eyes never left the cow as I didn't get the feeling it was too happy about us being on its territory. 

Just as we passed it, we took one look backwards and saw the cow start to put its head down real low and paw at the ground in a manner not unlike a bull. Both Alex and I eyed each other and then looked ahead at the next gate that we had to cross through. Like a bad dream it seemed as though that gate got further with every step we took towards it, all too aware that this cow was showing every indication of charging at us. 

I held my breath as we reached the gate, catching glimpses of the angry cow in the back corner of my eye as we fumbled to untie the knot in the rope holding the gate closed so we could get to the other side safely. No sooner did we close the gate and turn around that we turned around and found ourselves face to face with about 20 cows, one who was already beginning to show mannerisms as the gaurd cow we left behind. I told Alex she could be the cow whisperer as she had grown up on a farm and I figured she'd have more experience at this than I would. And so Alex and the new cow had a staredown until eventually it let us move past. 

Alex enjoys the view of John's farmland.

Fortunately the cow incident stopped there and we managed to find our way to the back part of John's farm where we spotted the fallen tree that had been cut up. It was here we were to search for our trail markers that would lead us straight up to the mountain ridge in Raetea Forest where we'd meet our trail again. After a bit of trail searching (hard to do when cows like to trample through anywhich way they like) we managed to find it and up we went. Straight up. 


All sweaty and tired from muddy ground, overgrown trail and vines that seemed to have a sole purpose of trying to trip us up, we made it to the top of the ridge. As excited as we were, we soon realized we were not quite at the top of Mt. Raetea yet. We were only sitting at about 595m. We had to get to 744m. And so up we went. 


By the time we got to the top we were, again, exhausted - but completely dying to see a view of the Mangamuka Gorge. Instead we teadiously walked the ridge of the mountain, trying to follow a trail that appeared to be have walked on maybe once a year and was on the very tip of everything. One wrong step to the right or left and we'd only be too greatful for the overgrown bushes that would hopefully stop us from falling into never neverland. And so we pushed on until eventually we broke through the bush and were able to see out over the gorge. It honestly took my breath away and felt as though we were on the top of the top. There was no higher we could go. We were on top of the mountain and it felt amazing. 


* Check out our video of this final push to the summit at: Ahipara to Kerikeri - Trail Unknown


And then we went down. Kind of. We had to follow the ridgeline of a couple more mountains before we made our final descent towards SH 1. The sound of a car zipping by never sounded so good to my ears. We were almost there. Almost to the end of our forest tramp through Raetea. But then it happened.

We had just taken our last break before the final push and we were excitedly discussing which Back Country Cuisine freezedried meal we'd like to have for dinner when it happened. The root came out of nowhere (as they all do) and the toe of my right boot caught on it. Down I went, but not before I felt the sharp shooting pain blister out across the top of my foot. Not good. 

As soon as it happened, I knew something was wrong. I just didn't know how wrong. I immediately sat down on the root I had tripped over and Alex had me put my head between my knees as the dizziness ran over me. She gave me water and some dried fruit (sugar boost) as I started to feel back to normal. The pain in my foot started to subside, but as we still had to walk and I didn't know how bad it was, I didn't want to take my boot off for fear it might balloon up from swelling. And so I carefully tried putting weight on it. It was sprained, but it didn't feel as though it would be a 2nd degree sprain or anything more major. I was very lucky, but I still had to be very careful. We had a bit of walking to do yet.

As it were, where I tripped we were only about 500m from the highway roadside. Only we didn't know that at the time and within a few minutes it was as though the forest just kind of spit us out and we stumbled onto the road stunned to be there so quickly. We were estatic to be on a flat surface again - especially with the condition of my foot - and so we walked. 


Eventually we got to where we wanted to camp at the Mangamuka Picnic area. We've been going for 11.5hrs today and I am beat. All I can think of is soaking my foot in the nearby river, eating dinner and then passing out. 




OCTOBER 31/10

DAY #17 . 25 KM . SONG = "Just Keep Swimming" (Finding Nemo) . WEATHER = Mix of Sun and Cloud


After yesterday being so lengthy, Alex and I both woke with a groan when the alarm went at 5 am. Neither one of us wanted to make the move to leave the cozy surrounds of our sleeping bags, so I reset the alarm for 5:30 am and shoved my arm back into my sleeping bag to get warmed up again.


By 5:30 am, things weren't shaping up to be much better. Everything hurt - though my sprained foot felt fairly decent considering what had happened yeserday, I felt as though a truck had run me over and I really had no motivation to be going anywhere - much less spend a day of road walking.


Alex didn't seem to be fairing much better than me and it took us a bit to finally sit up. Things eventually got rolling and by 7 am we were making our way back to the highway. We were back on track.


Today happened to be our first majory stretch of road walking and though I was pleased at the knowledge that my sprained foot would do well on the flat surface, the highway brough it's own kind of challenges. First off - the obvious - passing vehicles. It can be difficult on any highway to walk along side of it, but when the shoulder of the road is narrow and the ditch is really deep, things can get interesting when a logging truck comes barrelling around the corner. Secondly, the surface is nice that it is flat and there are no roots to watch out for, but because of that it becomes very hard on the feet to walk on for long periods of time. Finally - the novelty of it quickly wears off. And it did.

Alex makes a new friend on the way

Fortunately for us, we hit an unexpected high point when we came through Mangamuka town. It was there we found ourselves at a general store and made it a pit stop to have a break. Nothing like being able to buy an spontaneous chocolate bar and toasted cheese sandwhich in the middle of nowhere to make our day! Though - I have to say I was more excited to just be able to have a picnic table to sit down at for a bit... made me feel like a real person again. Haha. 


After a lengthy break we eventually made our way towards our goal of Apple Dam campsite. We hoped to begin from there tomorrow in order to try out the dry weather route option through Omahuta and Puketi Forest. Though no one knew for sure what the weather would do, we had been pretty lucky and there had been no major rain for the last week or so. That meant the river crossings for that route should be relatively alright to cross. 


That being said, we have arrived at camp here and it is certainly not Apple Dam campsite. It is the Kauri Sanctuary. Though we suspected it, today we officially agreed that our map might not be the best option for us on this trek. We have been using what is essentially a road atlas to make our way up to this point. It isn't as detailed as topographical maps in the area of terrain, but it has everything there - including the Te Araroa Trail printed right on there for us. Needless to say, we've spent most of our day following the directions we wrote down from the Te Araroa Trust website only to find ourselves on a route that is most definitely not the one we want to be on. But we have a hunch we know the way. Now we just have to get a bit of sleep tonight in order to wake up tomorrow, backtrack and try the route we think it is. Fingers crossed it works out. 

~ All roads lead to where you stand ~

NOVEMBER 1/10

DAY #18 . 24 KM .  SONG = "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" . WEATHER = Mix of Sun and Cloud

There is something about washing up in a stream that just feels so brilliant - no matter how cold it is. And given the day Alex and I have had, it definitely makes for a nice highlight.

We managed to wake up this morning alright and began walking by 6:20am. Our goal was to backtrack down the road to the last "intersection" and choose the other route. According to the way we figured it - this other road would be what Te Araroa Trust (TAT) dubbed "Kauri Sanctuary Road" even though there were no actual sign posts indicating that.

We made it to that intersection okay and I took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth and my gut was screaming to me in fear that it was all wrong. Alex and I pressed on.

About 1km in we came to a fork in the road. And with no clear indication either way as to which direction we should pursue. Again - my instinct was to turn around, but Alex made the point that we should choose one route and at least see if it lined up with our directions. After all, we only needed to go a mere 2.5km to know. 50% chance of choosing the way we needed to go. So we chose to take the right fork.

Sure enough, 2.5km down the road there was a turnoff going south. We needed to go 1km further to find a road to our left. Onwards we went and there was the road that we needed on our left. It was our moment of truth #2. Should we continue down a road that may or may not be the correct one or turn back and do the wet weather bypass along Jacksons Road?

We calculated how much time we'd need to get back to Jacksons Road if we turned around then and then estimated we could afford to explore the new road for 5km before we'd have to turn back if there was no signs of us being on the right track.

The nice bush that felt like a million razers to walk through

All we were looking for was a logging skid. Neither one of us knew what that was, but after trekking across BC myself, I had a pretty good hunch it would be fairly obvious to spot. The logging industry doesn't seem to do anything small scale.

Within half an hour we had found it at the bottom of the so-called road. The road had become overgrown with bush and trees to the point where it was even difficult to know where we were supposed to walk. But Alex and I found our way to the logging skid just the same. The pile of chopped up trees halted us from going anywhere further. According to TAT we were to spot trail markers a tthis point that would tell us where to go from there. There were no markers. No road. No path. No signs anywerhe indicating any other human being had tramped through the area in quite some time. 

Completely dumbfounded and degected we found ourselves facing our third moment of truth for the day. It was an easy one as there way no where for us to go but back the way we came (13km) and do the wet weather route instead. And so back we went - all the while wondering if had simply missed a glimpse of the orange trail markers.

As it were, our way back was primarily downhill, causing us to go faster than our way up. So we figured we'd push it a little further to cut off some KMs for tomorrow and find a nice place to camp for the night.

By 2:15pm we had found the river we were aiming for. Only issue was that anywhere remotely possible to camp was located on a local farmer's property. I went down the dirt road and waved down the farmer who happened to be driving his tractor. I told him me and Alex were hiking past and spotted the river - before I could get the words out of my mouth that we hoped we could use his property for th enight he said that it was no problem to camp, "everyone does it."

Alex and I were elated and happily found a perfectly secluded area by the river. Completely sheltered by trees and grassy hills from all peering eyes (cows included) we quickly popped in the river to FINALLY get clean. Today was day #6 in our journey from Ahipara to Kerikeri and all that grime that had built up was really getting under our skin - literally.

And so now I sit here - fresh as a daisy - next to our private bit of river and I think that today turned out pretty awesome considering our frustrating morning of not finding the way we wanted to go.

~ It's all part of the adventure ~

Mind Your Step (PART 1 of 3)

Well. Part 2 of our journey is finally and officially complete. During our waiting period to see when (or if) Alex would be able to set off trekking again, we had a little healing time at Ora Ora Resort in Kerikeri and once there had an evening where we had a fundraiser with a bunch of locals. It was a lot of fun to get to know some of the people in the area, though difficult to stay upbeat about our trek that we didn't know if or when we'd be able to get going on it again. Even still, it was a good time and Alex and I were even able to fit in a mini trip to Aroha Island Eco Centre where we learned more about New Zealand's efforts to help their national bird - the Kiwi - from being endandored species.

Even with all the fun and relaxing time we were having on our rest days, our focus at the back of our minds still stayed on aiming to get back on track. After a quick physio appointment on October 27 for Alex, we got word that her ankle had healed up enough for her to begin trekking again. Provided that she would agree to stretching it regularly and soaking it in the cold fresh water streams along the way. We were only too excited and I could hardly believe that we had come to the point of finally trekking again. After 8 days of resting, waiting, hoping and wishing, we were on the trail again and it felt awesome.

And now we have made it to Kerikeri. It only took us 8 days to do, crossing over the Mangamuka's (three separate forest ranges) in which we encountered a series of adventures all packed into one that it's hard to imagine what the rest of this trek will have in store. But I suppose that is why we are taking it one day at a time. Anyway - back to the buisness of blogging - here's the day to day going ons of our adventure:


OCTOBER 27/10

DAY #13 . 10.5 KM . SONG = "Go-go Inspector Gadget" Theme Song . WEATHER = Muggy/Cloudy

The trailhead into Herekino Forest.

We made it further than we planned today. All sweaty, but it feels good to finally be walking again. After a total of 8 rest days, Alex and I were finally able to pack our bags and leave Ahipara behind. The physio had given Alex the go ahead to start it up again - though he did warn that she may never fully recover from the injury until the trek is done. At least he gave tips on how to maintain it without further injury.

But - injuries aside - it feels positively amazing to be back on track again. Literally. To breathe the fresh air. To be back on the trail. To no longer simply be talking about what we're trying to do but actually DOING it. Nothing could feel more right at this point in time. 

I'm loving it.


OCTOBER 28/10

DAY #14 . 13 KM . SONG = "On the Road Again" . WEATHER = Mix of Sun and Cloud

Another day of New Zealand's beauty and another day of success by Alex and I. Sure - we didn't go very far today, but we relished in the knowledge that we were able to choose how far we did want to go. Nothing to hold us back and nothing to push us forward. We could go as fast and as far as we wanted. 

Alex and I chow down on dinner at our camp.

And so we have made it to our goal destination of the day. Stepping just short of a gravel road connection, we found a campspot where we're tucked away off the path, but still have incredible views overlooking all the pastureland. It still amazes me to see just how green the grass is here. The saying of how the grass is always greener on the other side - well - this would be the "other side" as I have never seen such a green before. Awe-inspiring.

That aside - the actual trekking experience of today was rather awesome. We got to experience the adventure of New Zealand's bush. Up and down and all around the trail took us. Winding over roots, fallen trees and muddy sections. The bush grew over the trail so thickly in sections that we wished we had some machetes to chop our way through. But, all the hard work aside - it was a perfect trekking day. I only imagine what tomorrow brings!


OCTOBER 29/10

DAY #15 . 9 KM . SONG = "Turn Back the Hands of Time" . WEATHER = Cloudy

Alex and I seem to be walking less and less each day, though our days seem to be getting better and better. Go figure. I only hope it's not a sign of things to come.

Today started out alright and I was all geared to go for a full 8 hour day that would end on top of a 744m high mountain, but when Alex and I got about 1 km into our journey and found ourselves to be walking in a magical wonderland of New Zealand forest - I lost all motivation for continuing on during the day.

We spent the morning simply in awe as we wove our way along rolling hills within a forest so beautiful it felt as though we really were in the movie trilogy "Lord of the Rings." Only we weren't and just happened to be passing through the "backyard" of local farming residents. Anyway - as it were - upon seeing such beauty I was ready to stop right there and set up camp. But it was only about 8am and the sky looked as though it may rain.

Onwards we went, eventually connecting to a gravel road that winded it's way around hills, giving us glimpses of the mountainous beauty all around us. And, as such, Alex and I found ourselves to be getting deeper and deeper into our conversations of life, love and the pursuit of happiness. I, for one, envied the locals that owned all the land around us (near Takahue) and were able to wake up everyday to enjoy such a view.

After we officially passed the small settlement of Takahue I commented to Alex of how lazy and unmotivated I felt. She surprised me in saying that she felt the same way. We agreed that we'd simply try to find a beautiful campsite and make tomorrow a definite lengthy hike. That was, of course, if we could find a place perfect enough for us to pitch a tent so we could enjoy the rest of the day without feeling antsy about leaving. 

Campsite on farmland near Raetea Forest.

And so we lucked out. At the end ofthe road there was a farmer who had watched us walking by his property. He came out to see where we were headed and then offered the suggestion for us to pitch our tent around the corner by the stream. It was part of his land, but he assured us he'd be alright with us camping the night there.

So - around the corner we went and found it to be exactly what we were looking for. Green rolling hills surrounded us as we pitched our tent near the stream. We were even able to start up a campfire. And then we simply sat down to enjoy it. Fire. Birds. Water. Clean clothes. Tea. Rest. Photo opportunity. What more could we ask for?