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**Due to an issue with phone backups at this point of the trail I lost many of my photos from the section up to Auckland. Photos are limited in this post, but I have shared the ones that I managed to recover.**
Arrangements had been made the previous afternoon for our journey down the Puhoi River this morning.
The official Te Araroa route through this section of the trail begins on the shores of the Puhoi River and continues to a jetty in the Wenderholm Regional Park, 8 kilometres further down the river. The paddle is tidal, and therefore must be timed appropriately with the help of the Puhoi River Canoes company.
Hiking down the road in Puhoi on our way to Puhoi River Canoes.
The tide was right at 7.30AM for us so we had to be at the hire company’s location back in Puhoi village around 20 minutes beforehand. It meant an early start at 6AM ready for a 7AM departure from Pip’s place. Despite the early hour, she came out to wish us well before we left, and wanted to offer us a cup of tea again but we were already running late and had to decline.
I threw a couple of squares of chocolate down my neck as a quick breakfast option, and decided I would stop to have a proper breakfast once we got off the kayaks at Wenderholm.
Not easily missed, a large signboard marks the entrance to Puhoi River Canoes.
Julia and I talked about the water as we hiked to Puhoi River Canoes. She’s very nervous around water, especially when it’s noisy (i.e. fast flowing) and she has to cross it. She also doesn’t like deep water. This was a good opportunity for me to open up to her about some of my fears, and to share some common ground. We decided we’d just take it slowly and I made a mental note to keep an eye out for her.
Julia, Kevin and Willem collect their lifejackets from our operator at Puhoi River Canoes.
At Puhoi River Canoes we sorted our bags out ready to be transported to the end of the river for us. At the time we took the kayaks it cost $45 each for a two person kayak which Julia and I decided was the most economical option for us. This pricing may have been a TA hiker special and could now have changed, so make sure to check beforehand with the kayak operator.
A Te Araroa trail marker is artfully placed on a pole near the Puhoi River, the next official section of trail.
We were given a brief instructional session where we were told of the landmarks along the way and how to aim for the right places in the river, as well as a short lesson on how to operate the kayak (it has pedals in the back seat for the rudder. Julia drew the short straw and ended up operating these) and then we were off!
Two double kayaks rest on the bank above the Puhoi River ready for our departure this morning.
Julia and I were in the first kayak but we soon were lapped by the others who caught us quickly. Julia had gotten the hang of the rudder very quickly, and we enjoyed the slow meander down the narrow part of the river. It was really beautiful and a nice change of pace to being on our feet all morning.
Julia and I lighthearted at our first experience on the water on Te Araroa.
Willem (left) and the double kayak holding Kevin (rear) and John (front) paddle ahead of us along the serene length of the Puhoi River.
Another hiker, an Australian Dutchman named Willem, caught us up in his single kayak. We had a nice chat to him as we were floating downriver, during which time he mentioned that he recognised me from my YouTube channel and advised he was also making videos, but for his own personal reasons.
The water of the Puhoi River gleams in the early morning sunlight.
The river widened suddenly and we found ourselves in the widest part of the estuary and the going a little tougher. It was harder to find the fast flowing water and even though we could see the jetty we were aiming for, it was still a long way off. We watched Willem up ahead get himself almost beached on a sandbank, so we steered to avoid it. John and Kevin who were in the other kayak, were having a right time of it. Kevin was doing a shocking job of steering the boat, weaving all over the place having obviously not gotten the hang of the rudder system, and we saw them heading towards the sandbank too. We tried to warn them off but it was too late.
Approaching the jetty at the Puhoi River estuary, with Willem in his single kayak just visible up ahead.
A short while later Julia and I pulled up on the sand just after Willem next to the Puhoi River Canoes van, and hopped out. We thanked the operator who collected the kayak, and started making our plans for the next section.
There was, unsurprisingly, a hill to go over straight away, but the kayak operator told us we would more than likely be able to make it all the way around the bays to Orewa today as low tide was much later on. That was excellent news.
As planned, I enjoyed my breakfast at a picnic table in the Wenderholm Regional Park. I was running pretty low on gas, so I would need to find some more today if possible. I berated myself for not picking up a gas canister the day before at Pākiri, but noted it is always a little difficult to judge these things.
A series of steps engraved with motivational messages marks the beginning of the climb in Wenderholm Regional Park.
Once breakfast was finished Julia, John and I set off at a leisurely pace. The gardens of the park which we meandered through first were gorgeous, and the first part of the track wound up through a beautiful forest. There were stairs to climb (every other one or two containing a motivational message of some kind), which were a bit difficult, but it was a nice little track regardless, with some great views. It was very humid in the forest though.
From our vantage point atop a high point in Wenderholm Regional Park, we can see the mouth of the Puhoi River emerging into the estuary.
From one of the viewpoints, I caught a glimpse of Rangitoto island in the distance. The most distinctive natural landmark in Auckland, this volcanic island emerged from the sea below just 600 years ago and as such is the youngest volcano in New Zealand.
It was a really special moment, and one which hit me harder than I imagined it might. I’d walked all the way to Auckland!
Looking out towards the east coast of North Auckland from a viewpoint in Wenderholm Regional park.
Once we were out of the Wenderholm Regional Park we came down into an estuary just opposite Waiwera. We walked along the shoreline instead of further round the track, up onto the bridge over the river.
Crossing over a road bridge on our way to Waiwera, avoiding another estuary crossing by foot.
After crossing the bridge, we stopped to look at our maps for directions when a man pulled up and told us which direction to head. He checked to make sure we had enough water and told us low tide would be around 1PM, and reassured us that we’d make it just fine along the coastal route to Orewa.
Crossing over the Waiwera estuary (the easy way) on our way through to Orewa beach.
In Waiwera (literally meaning ‘hot water’ for the mineral springs that used to bubble up on the beach), we stopped at the shop to get an ice cream. In the process we chatted to the lady behind the counter and then headed off down the road towards the beach. We walked past the famous Waiwera Thermal Resort, which has been permanently closed for some years now (although staging a comeback!), and has been a real shame for the history of this region.
A shot towards the coast at Waiwera beach, the beginning of the coastal walkway to Orewa.
The sun was getting quite hot now, so it was a good chance to check the sunscreen situation. I was desperate to press on (the tidal situation at the forefront of my mind) but Julia and John preferred to hover for a while. Once down onto the beach we had to face our first traverse around the rocky outcrops of the headlands.
Unusual rock stratification brought on by coastal erosion peppers the hike along the Orewa Coastal Walkway.
It took a little while to get used to, and I was always expecting the rocks to be slippery but most of them had a surprising amount of grip.
Undoubtedly beautiful, a fine day to be rock hopping along the coast on the way through to Auckland’s North Shore.
The towering sandstone cliffs of the Orewa Coastal Walkway present an awe inspiring sight.
We spent a couple of hours sidling around these rocky outcrops which was a lot of fun and a bit of a challenge, much different to what we had been used to up until this point. We would come down onto a beach, and the sand would be quite soft. So much so that we’d be hanging out for rocks again! The rocks got a little steeper and more precarious the further we got along, but I started to find my feet a little easier.
The scenery was amazing.
A close up of one of the sandstone cliffs along the coastal trail.
We walked past a cave, and had a little bit of an explore. Julia and I were not particularly fussed about venturing into the darkness, but John took a quick look on our behalf.
Julia pauses to admire the view from a rocky outcrop on the Orewa Coastal Walkway.
A quick selfie somewhere along the Orewa Coastal Walkway.
There were a couple more outcrops to find our way around and then all of a sudden we found we were on Orewa beach. There was a mass of people and suddenly we were bang smack in the middle of civilisation again! It was the most surreal feeling. Horses ran up and down the beach, and people sunbathed.
Orewa Beach, a hub of activity and complete with horse trekkers.
We walked a couple of kilometres to a nice spot under the trees, not far from the nearest supermarket. John stayed with the bags whilst Julia and I went to New World for some additional lunch supplies.
We spent a good long time in Orewa having lunch (not rationing food for the first time in a few days) and looking out at the ocean.
Taking a laborious lunch under shade at the beach in Orewa.
Soon, we were back on the beach. It was a short walk around to the estuary and from there we walked past the Orewa Beach Holiday Park (a popular spot with Te Araroa hikers through this section, although I’d had my issues with them) and onto a pathway that skirted the remainder of the estuary through to the Silverdale Mall.
Crossing over the small river at Orewa on our way into urban Auckland.
This part of the trail was very hot and I was now running a little low on water. We took another decent break here, and met back up with Willem who had left us behind after the kayak this morning.
When we arrived at Silverdale, I deviated off trail to grab a gas canister at Macpac. I grabbed a bottle of ice cold water before leaving the shopping centre to quench my thirst. The next section would be 15 kilometres to Stillwater and we knew a lot of it would be along road. It was strange walking through such a bustling residential area again with all the traffic after so long of feeling like we had been out in the middle of nowhere. We walked up a street not far away towards a pub, and to our surprise saw Kevin’s face peeking out of one of the windows! He had stopped for a couple of pints and beckoned us in.
Approaching Silverdale Mall, a surreal experience after spending many weeks in the relative ‘wild’ of rural northland.
I wanted to get to Stillwater today, so we stopped for long enough for John to have a quick beer and then we pushed on. Kevin said he wanted to make it to Stillwater tonight but we had our doubts about that!
Te Araroa clearly marked for one of the first times on our way through Silverdale.
Willem had caught us up again and we all carried on up the road together. We came to a main road. There was nowhere safe to walk down either side of it, and it was incredibly busy with traffic. It was the first time I’d felt really at risk on the road and we hadn’t been expecting it. It seemed crazy that there was no mention of this in the trail notes. Luckily it was a relatively short section and we soon found ourselves turning onto Duck Creek Road towards Stillwater. The last kilometres of road walking had really played havoc with my feet and shins, so we took a quick break at the start of the road for me to stretch and take a rest. It was already past five o’clock and there was still a fair way to go yet.
Duck Creek Road was arguably the most dangerous we had to walk on the North Island. A narrow winding ‘country’ road with no shoulder on either side to walk along, it was dangerous not just for us, but also for the drivers who were making their way to and from their homes and trying to avoid us in the process. Blind corners and a very twisty road made it a game of cat and mouse, and we would cut across from one side of the road to the other whenever visibility allowed, and occasionally flatten ourselves against the verge of the road whenever a car got too close.
It took a long time and a lot of effort but eventually we reached Stillwater. Pain wise, I was actually in a much better place. Although today had been a long one, I seemed to be holding up well.
Stillwater Motor Camp appears after a long and dangerous road walk.
We arrived at the Stillwater Motor Camp just before the office closed at 7PM and met the owner, Peter. He gave us a free token for the showers and told us to make ourselves at home in the pool hall behind the shower blocks. We’d heard rumours, and were humbled to find out that he also doesn’t charge Te Araroa hikers to stay here.
The hall, and the rest of the amenities left a lot to be desired, but it was home for the night and the generosity of the camp owners allowed me to see past that. I crashed in a reclining chair that had seen better days, and found myself nodding off as I hopelessly tried to read a book I’d picked from a nearby shelf.
The scruffy confines of the pool hall at Stillwater Motor Camp, with its graffiti’d walls and fetid mattresses, albeit a welcome hiker haven.
Julia went off to shower. I stupidly sat around for five minutes or more before I realised there was more than one shower and there was no need to wait! As I showered in the rather tired shower block, I noticed that the water had a distinct sulphurous smell to it which was rather off-putting.
After showering we began to make our dinner. As I made dinner I made a telephone call home. I’d decided that my best chance of sorting the storage issues I was having on my phone was to arrange for Dad to bring my laptop to me a little further down the trail, or for me to make a quick trip home. We discussed the logistics of both options and left the decision for a few days hence.
My contribution to the artwork at the Stillwater Motor Camp (although embarrassingly fan-girling) was born out of a sense of gratitude to the one who had put the final nail in the inspiration coffin.
It had grown dark by the time we had finished making dinner. Julia was suffering with a bad headache, which I thought was probably down to the exposure to the harsh sunlight (very strong if not used to it) and dehydration (probably a touch of heatstroke). I made her an electrolyte drink and told her to drink it all down before she went to sleep. She went out like a light soon after.
I inflated my sleeping pad and laid it on the floor a little way away from Julia. I’d preferred to use my own mattress over using one of the older ones left on offer in the room, but there were a couple of hikers who were content to sleep on these (seemingly) bug infested nests. John bedded down in our general vicinity as well, whilst Willem and Kevin took up mattresses and sofas in the annex room.
prefer to watch?
Watch the full video from this section of Te Araroa below.
