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**Due to an issue with phone backups on this section, I lost many of my photos between Cape Reinga and Auckland. As a result, many photos are missing and some of the ones I managed to recover and post here are damaged.**
The tent was so close to being dry when I woke up this morning and I inwardly murmured a short hoot of excitement! I’d been trying to upload some of the photos and videos from my phone to an online file sharing service to free up some space, but once again a lack of reliable internet connection had meant it had failed.
I was running dangerously close to capacity now, and it was a constant weight on my mind. What would I do once it filled up? I had a distinct thought I would have to make some kind of emergency trip home.
Whereas it is possible to purchase wifi or internet access at many campgrounds along the Te Araroa route, on average it will cost a minimum of $5 to $10 for just 500mb of downloads, nowhere near enough for someone like me who might rely on it to upload precious video files.
The phone data coverage network is equally unreliable and expensive, with coverage very limited on the trail and it usually costing a minimum of $10 to add an additional 1GB of data to your already $20 per month prepaid phone plan.
The ablutions and kitchen blocks at the Mangawhai Heads Campground.
I took care of cleaning myself before breakfast, then went back to my tent and started packing up. We had a long beach walk today, and wanted to be gone by 7.30am to make the lowest tide possible. Not only would this make it easier walking down the beach, but we also had two major river crossings today.
Ever the child, Julia hops onto a surfboard in the Mangawhai Heads playground.
Part of the small shopping centre at Mangawhai Heads, complete with most of the options hikers need.
At least 15 kilometres of our already long day today would be along the beach on our way to Pākiri, our destination for the evening. First we had to walk to Mangawhai village.
A sign for the local cinema showings at Mangawhai village.
It was about 5 kilometres or so to the village centre, and all of it was along a busy road which was noisy. At least we had a half decent path to walk along though!
One thing that struck me was how comparatively affluent this area seemed in comparison to the areas we’d passed over the last couple of weeks. We walked past signs for cinemas, and large modern houses which were well kept.
The comparative luxury of the Mangawhai holiday town atmosphere.
Mangawhai village was really lovely, and on my recommendation we all made a beeline for AJ’s Bakery & Cafe for a pie. This was the first bakery that I’d visited on trail (having skipped the equivalent at Mangamuka when I skipped the Northland Forest section). I thought long and hard about buying a pie, but I couldn’t help but think about all the food in my pack (resupplied only yesterday), as well as my supposed gluten free diet, so opted not to.
Reaching AJ’s Bakery & Cafe, Mangawhai and treating myself to the first pie of the trail!
Julia and John got a pie and each a chocolate milk and we took a nice little break whilst they finished theirs. All of a sudden I was overcome by a massive sneezing fit! There was either something really allergic nearby or the pollen levels were really high today. The fit lasted for a good five minutes before subsiding.
Hikers Stop Here – Mangawhai Bakery.
Once we’d finished our morning tea, it was still a good long way to the beach along the main road. We came to a bridge which had been reduced to one lane because of roadworks. There was a pedestrian sign that pointed left up and over a steel bridge, but I didn’t realise so instead squeezed down beside a big iron girder. My mistake was pointed out to me by a mildly amused construction worker when we reached the other side.
The next road was a gravel one, and perhaps the least pleasant gravel road we’d hiked so far. The speed limit was 100km/hr and most of the numerous cars that passed us seemed content to aim for this speed, whipping around blind corners and making us jump.
A very dusty (and quite long) gravel road walk between Mangawhai and the beach.
Shortly after reaching this road I realised I was desperate for a pee. I ducked off of the road behind what I thought was a relatively sheltered spot out of the main view of traffic. But then I saw two cars coming. It was a race to pull up my pants before they drove by, and I only almost made it but my shorts ended up damper for their efforts.
It took a little while to get down to the beach, some of which was down a forest road, but eventually we arrived.
The short forest road leading down to the Pākiri Beach road walk.
The beach was bordered by a small forest of pine trees and we took the opportunity of sitting down under them to have a snack and something to eat. A lady was already there with her horse float and was walking her horse. It was a beautiful creature. I decided to elevate my legs up a nearby tree for about 5 minutes before we got going again.
A short exposed gravel road section before reaching the main expanse of the beach.
Once on the beach, we saw that we had to walk to a bluff (Te Ārai point) which we would then have to climb up and over. It took about an hour to reach the point.
The golden dunes of the Pākiri beach walk, a scientific reserve area and protected for nesting birds.
Heading towards Te Ārai Point on the Pākiri beach walk.
As usual, the track led straight up (rather than around at sea level), and we noticed that the Latvian girls, Guna and Agita, had already arrived before us and were now sitting on a small bench. Seeing as how we had left them behind at camp that morning, we could only assume they had hitched the road walk section. Julia seemed quite perturbed at this, not so much that they had hitched, but because when we asked them they’d seemed to avoid the subject as if they were trying to hide something from us.
In my desperation to avoid the hill climb in the (now) blistering heat, I tried to see if a flatter track I’d spotted that went directly around the headland would get us to the beach on the other side. Alas, it didn’t. Up and over it would be!
Looking back the way we had come, with the dim mass of Bream Head still visible in the distance (one of our last days with this view).
The sun was hot, although the climb itself actually wasn’t too bad, and neither was the track which was grassed over the whole way. There were some great views too.
Stopping for a quick photo op on Te Ārai Point, with our final destination not quite visible along the far reaches of the beach in the distance.
When we reached the top, we noticed that the trail markers had almost disappeared, and even checking our electronic maps didn’t seem to reveal where we should go. We took a track to the left and ended up going down a steep hill. We thought we were on the right track until we reached the bottom and saw that it was just a viewing platform. I couldn’t believe it. We’d have to climb back up the steep hill we’d just walked down!
Guna and Agita followed soon after and we told them our mistake. They headed back up the hill. As a last ditch effort I asked John if there was definitely no track down to the beach. He bush bashed for a second or two and then came out and said he saw a track down, but we would have to be careful.
When I got to where he was, I could see why. The ‘track’ was nothing more than a slightly worn route down the side of the cliff to the beach below. It was precarious and very steep, and was covered in the kind of fine dirt that your feet can easily lose traction on. After a few moments of trying to balance without slipping, and inching at snail’s pace, I decided things might go better if I sat on my bum and slid down.
No sooner had I sat down, I felt the gravel slip out from under me and before I knew it I was in an uncontrolled slide heading straight for the edge of the cliff. Luckily John was just ahead of me, and in some extreme feat managed to grab hold of me before I took us both over the cliff. Even once caught, with his hands helping me, I struggled to get my legs under me to stand up. Once I was standing, thoroughly freaked out, I turned around to head backwards down the hill for a little way.
Starting the longest east coast beach walk yet, on our way down to Pākiri.
In the end, it probably took us fifteen minutes to descend 50m, and it probably wasn’t worth the effort (or the danger). But all I cared about was that I hadn’t had to climb back up the hill.
Once on the beach at the bottom, Julia and John decided they would stop for a spot of lunch. I, on the other hand, was quite happy to stop at the first river crossing which was only an hour or so away. I sat with them for a while and left just before they did. I’d spent most of the small break I’d taken watching the seabirds diving to catch their dinner (or lunch?) for the day.
Even though we’d tried to time it right, the tide was still high down the beach and the sand was soft. I think it took a little over an hour to walk the 5 kilometres or so to the first river, but the time dragged painfully.
When I arrived, I saw that although the river wasn’t very wide there was a deep channel running through it and I had to figure out a way across. I walked a little further around and found a narrow place to cross that wasn’t very deep. I took my shoes and socks off and waded across. I then took the opportunity to let my feet soak in the cold water for about five or ten minutes before sitting down to have some lunch. When Julia and John joined me, we took a break for a little while before readying ourselves to head off again for the next estuary.
Julia, John, Troy & Jordyn hike down the first section of the beach walk to Pākiri, towards Te Ārai point.
It was a harder walk to the next one, despite being less distance. The tide was almost fully up by now, and we had to walk almost the whole way on the soft sand. It’s like climbing a mountain: your legs get just about as fatigued from this kind of effort as they do from climbing uphill all day (possibly more). By the time we’d been walking for an hour I was in agony again and I let myself shed a few tears. I was finding it mentally tough to keep pushing on when I was constantly experiencing pain and discomfort of one form or another.
Approaching the Pākiri River Crossing at just after high tide.
Eventually, finally, we reached the second estuary. At this time of day it was far too high to cross at the narrowest point. The channel ran very deep and the currents were too unpredictable. The others were still a fair way off, so I spent the next twenty minutes or so testing various points in the water to see how high it was. Eventually I decided not to risk it and sat down on the sand. As I gazed upstream a little I saw a sandbank. The river seemed to be calmer, although wider, further upstream and closer to the Pākiri Holiday Park, which was painfully close, just on the other side of the river. From the distance I thought it looked shallow enough to cross and said to Julia I thought we should check it out. Julia was convinced it wouldn’t be the same all the way around, as was John who had just turned up. They decided to sit it out and wait.
The Pākiri Holiday Park on the opposite bank was calling to me. I wanted to be over there so much! My feet were desperate to be clean and rested, and we’d arrived still relatively early in the afternoon (about 4pm). I eventually decided to wander over to the sandbank, just to make sure it was too high to cross. Julia came with me searching for somewhere discreet enough to go to the toilet.
Julia and John on the ocean side of the Pākiri River, as I attempt to cross.
I started to cross the water. It was ankle deep for a good long way and the sand underneath was so soft in places I would sink in up to my ankles. I got almost all the way across before shouting to Julia that I thought it would be alright. There was still a deep channel to cross, but I didn’t think it wouldn’t go any deeper than my groin.
We went back to grab our packs. Guna and Agita had appeared by this point, so we told them where to cross. I watched them as they went, guinea pigs again for my effort, just to make sure it didn’t go any deeper. It didn’t.
Following their route, we got ourselves across. It was surprisingly cold at the deepest point, but we managed to avoid getting the majority of our clothing soaked. On the other side we made a beeline for the site office and booked ourselves in. It was $15 for a tent site or $35 for a cabin.
I pulled up just shy of pleading with Julia to share the cabin with me, but she was resolute in her decision to camp. I couldn’t face the thought of carrying a wet tent uphill again tomorrow, so I opted to take the cabin and let the lady at reception know to tell John he was welcome to share with me when he arrived (once again he’d stayed behind to have a swim in the ocean). The office had a nice little supply store as well, and they even had gas canisters… the first ones I’d seen in a small town on trail so far!
The cabin was really nice, with two bunk beds and a queen bed. There was also a large fridge to put my food in for the night. I left the queen bed for John because I knew he was suffering with a sore foot.
My clean and tidy bunk room at the Pākiri Beach Campground.
As I was milling around the cabin getting myself organised, I noticed that there were the telltale signs of another hiker in the cabin immediately next door. A pair of well-worn shoes sat outside on the deck, and as I walked past the sliding door I spied a pack inside. Laying out on the bed was Paul, the hiker we’d been leapfrogging since Nīkau Bay! I had a small chat to him, and in the process realised that the holiday park were quite happy to rent out each cabin for $35, not just $35 per bed. There were still two or three totally empty cabins just in our row! I felt a fool for telling them John could stay with me. I’d had an opportunity to have the entire cabin to myself, and blown it!
Julia and I had decided that we wanted to go for a swim. It had been such a hot day, and the water looked so good! We headed back down to the river we’d just crossed, and dipped our feet back in. Immediately we recoiled. Having decided it was far too cold (or perhaps we had cooled off too much), we stayed for a minute or so more, and then went back to our campsite. I grabbed my gear and went for a shower. It was 50c for 4 minutes, so it was the most expensive and quickest shower on trail so far, but I found more and more I was really appreciating the opportunity to shower at the end of a long day hiking.
It was soon time for dinner, so I boiled up some water and found a spot to sit in the TV room. I found the process of lounging around in front of a TV for the night especially relaxing, and it was nice to feel like a normal person again for a little while.
After dinner Julia and John came to join me and we did some planning for the days ahead. By now we were coming to a section where accommodation is limited and required some advance planning. Our 12 kilometre traverse up and over Mt Tamahunga the following day would likely take us the best part of the day, so we sent a text message to a trail angel on Govan Wilson Road (just the other side) to check they had room for us to stay. The following day would also be a long and arduous one through Dome Forest, with the only real option for accommodation with a trail angel at the Nanekoti Homestay. I called the lady who ran the homestay, who seemed a little frazzled. She was very interested in the details of our party and how many we were, but eventually said it would be ok for us to stay. That would leave us with a relatively short day into Puhoi the following day, where we decided we might even stay at the pub.
Whilst the others took themselves off to bed for the evening, I made a call home to Mum, before heading to bed myself.
prefer to watch?
Watch the full video from this section of Te Araroa below.
