Te Araroa Trail Blog Day 26: Ambury Regional Park to Totara Park

29 kilometres of road walking through the middle of the city lay ahead of us today, and I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it.

We roused ourselves at about 6.30AM aiming for a 7.30AM departure. But before long we were dithering making breakfast and drinking tea and it was well after 8AM before we left. Paul had already left before us.

Looking towards the toilet block and camp sink at Ambury Regional Park campground. Our pitch was through the gate in the far right of the photo. Ambury Regional Park is vast and expansive, plenty of room for the animals to coexist with campers.  

I snapped some quick photos of some of the animals before we donned our packs and left Ambury Regional Park on our way to our end destination at Totara Park in Manukau.

A pair of lambs and their mother graze in their enclosure. I don’t know why, but I want to name her Daisy. The cutest of the bunch, a pair of calves waiting patiently for feeding time. A turkey patrols its enclosure at Ambury Regional Park. A peacock searches for food on the trail in the early morning hours.  

Back on the coastal pathway we walked a short way before coming to the Watercare Coastal Walkway. This track led us around this side of the Manukau harbour and all the way through to a road walk section into Manukau. 

Hiking along the watercare gravel road in Manukau, a very boring section of trail.  

The pathway was an awful gravel road and it just seemed to go on and on and on. There was nothing stimulating to look at, and so we found ourselves to be bored out of our brains.

About an hour into the walk we turned right just before a bridge and walked a little way next to some sort of aqueduct or waterway. After a kilometre or so we spotted Paul on the other side. He saw us too and started gesturing wildly at us. Having deduced that one of us was very wrong about where the trail went, we checked our maps, and sure enough found that we were supposed to be on the other side of the river.

Hiking alongside a makeshift canal towards the Puketutu Island reserve on the Watercare walkway.  

After backtracking to the bridge, and following Paul down the other side of the waterway, we finally came to a car park where we sat down for a short rest here. To our surprise, after only a few minutes Willem emerged through the gate behind us!

We thought it was strange to see him again, as he’d pushed past us to Devonport when we’d stopped in Takapuna and we thought he would be well ahead of us. Instead, he’d had two rest days in Auckland and was now planning on hiking close to 40 kilometres today to catch up. As he left we wished him very well for the long day ahead.

It was time for us to get moving as well, and when we started off again we were straight into the Ohumataua Stonefields. This site of agricultural significance to Maori is a surviving example of stonefield crop growing. Early Maori settlers would use volcanic stone from the surrounding environment to warm up the soil and extend the growing season for staple vegetables such as kumara (sweet potato) and taro.

The rolling grassland of the Otuataua Stonefields reminded me of something from a kiwiana cafe painting.  

For me, though, it was a beautiful place. The grass fell in sweeping waves and it reminded me a lot of some of the kiwi artwork you often see decorating the walls of kiwi cafes.

Conscious of the ongoing protest at Ihumātao, I was aware that at some point today we would be diverted from the official trail route. As we came to the end of the stonefields there was a gate off to the left which was locked shut. There was a gap in the railings and so we hoisted our packs over and then clambered through. I was a little worried that perhaps the fence was locked because the protesters had shut off the trail here, but we had no choice: as far as we could tell, there was no other way around.

Looking up the road towards the blockade of the Ihumatao protest.  

We wandered up a little track for a few hundred metres before emerging onto Ihumātao Quarry Road. We could see the blockade straight away, just up the road. I’d fortuitously seen a post from another hiker on Facebook a few days ago (no longer available), so I knew we would be redirected through an avocado orchard to our right, so I checked his screenshot against Julia’s map to make sure before we took the detour.

Taking a detour into an avocado orchard to avoid the Ihumatao protest closure.  

If I liked avocados, I probably would have taken one off one of the trees (signs at the gate seemed to indicate we could do this). They looked beautiful.

Can you spot any avocadoes?  

At the top of the orchard we came out onto Ihumatao Road, which marked the start of our walk through the main grounds of Auckland Airport. We’d already agreed to stop for a cuppa and some lunch at the shopping centre, so we marched on down the road with this goal in mind. It was hard walking for most of the way, the road once again being narrow and very busy with industrial trucks that would shoot past and almost blow us off the road. 

The sketchy road walk from Ihumatao Road to Auckland Airport was made harder by the presence of industrial trucks. Turning off onto a pedestrian pathway towards Auckland Airport.  

When we finally arrived at the main road opposite the shopping centre we discovered massive road works. Instead of just being able to cross the road we had to walk probably another 500 metres further down past the roundabout to cross at a place where, technically we still weren’t supposed to cross, just so we could get to the cafe on the other side!

The shopping centre at Auckland Airport, complete with a supermarket and selection of cafes.  

After the ordeals of the morning, at the cafe we both bought a pie (mine was mince and cheese and Julia’s was bacon and egg) and a cup of tea (Julia had coffee).

Demolished – clean plates and empty cups after our lunch stop at Auckland Airport.  

We set off again down past the aircraft training school, and as we rounded the corner we saw a Dunkin Donuts! We opted to splash out on a midday dessert and I blissfully knocked back 6 donut holes in all different flavours, whilst Julia had two proper donuts. 

Now on the main road into Auckland Airport (State Highway 20B) we walked past the Erebus disaster memorial.

Fresh flowers adorn the Erebus Disaster Memorial at Auckland airport.  

One of New Zealand’s worst air disasters, an 11 hour sightseeing Air New Zealand flight to Antarctica tragically plunged into the side of Mt Erebus’ frozen slopes killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew. We stopped at the memorial for a couple of minutes, and I was surprised to note that it had been the 40th anniversary of the crash the day before – 28 November 1979. I couldn’t help but stop and reflect in silence for a moment, thinking of all the people who lost loved ones on that horrific day.

We walked over the main bridge on the airport road and stopped to watch some of the planes at the scenic lookout.

One of the busiest sections of trail, this pedestrian walkway across the Auckland Airport bridge avoids a stream of airport traffic. A plane takes off from the main runway at Auckland Airport. A domestic plane takes off from Auckland Airport on its way to another major centre.  

By the time we pushed off again, I noticed it was starting to get hot. As we walked down the remainder of the airport road (still very busy and noisy) I found myself starting to flail in the heat. We took a right turn onto Prices Road shortly after and there was absolutely no shade.

At the end of the Prices Rd road walk we hit this beautiful green area in rural Auckland.  

After walking through a park for a short spell we found ourselves on an exposed river walk. It was demoralising to reach these sections, which you build up in your mind’s eye to be shaded and cooler than the surrounding cityscape, only to realise they were just the same as walking on the road. 

Puhinui Creek on the hike between Auckland Airport and Totara Park. A rare area of green amongst an ocean of concrete.  

We saw a sign leading through an industrial area towards the next section of road walking but I was too hot to go on, so we stopped under a tree by the river for a little while. I was getting worried about my water again. Making the mistake of thinking there’d be plenty along the way again I had only brought 1L with me from camp.

Once on the next road walking section, the heat became unbearable and now it was aggravating the heat rash on my legs too. I’d put sunscreen on this morning to make sure they were at least protected from burning, but of course sunscreen does nothing to stop the burning from the rash itself.

By the time we reached the Z petrol station on Roscommon Road I was in quite a lot of pain. We refilled our water bottles in the toilet before setting off again but every step now was in an easterly direction and that meant that the afternoon sun was now constantly at my back and directly on my legs.

Hiking along Wiri Station road with the sun right at my back, but distracted by the amount of rubbish piled up on the side of the road (unusual for NZ).  

Each time we stopped I had to ask Julia to stand between me and the sun to cast a bit of shade on my legs. We reached another stream and I was contemplating dunking my legs in before I saw a sign that said the water was not safe for human consumption. A little further up the stream we found a large patch of shade and I could do nothing else than stop to rest for a little while. I poured some of my precious water over my burning legs. It gave some tiny bit of relief for a few minutes, but not more than that.

The return of the heat rash, which has now almost completely taken over my legs.  

Julia told me we had about 2 kilometres left to walk. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of being able to soak in a cold shower.

Entering into Auckland Botanic Gardens.  

A little further down the road we came to the Botanic Gardens and then (finally) Totara Park. To my dismay, there still wasn’t really much shade as we walked through the grounds of the parks. I tried to walk a zig zag line to make the most of as much shade as I could find, but it was pointless. The pain now was intense. I had tried to rub some more sunscreen into my legs, just in case it was actually sunburn and not heat rash that I was feeling. But after a few swipes of my fingers I had to stop. The pain was so bad when I touched my legs I almost vomited.

Our accommodation for the evening was The Gardens Bed and Breakfast in Totara Park, so once out the other side we knew there wasn’t far to go. Expecting it to be further up the road, I was surprised when Julia veered off to the left towards a private driveway. When we got to the end of the driveway, it seemed to be just a normal house. We stood outside, unsure if we were in the right place. As I checked my emails for the booking confirmation, the door opened.

A small Chinese lady stood in the doorway, and beckoned us inside. We bent to take our shoes off and she indicated where to put them. She said her English was not very good, so used mostly gestures to communicate with us. We dropped our bags on the doorstep as she showed us to our room, then the shower, toilet and kitchen and told us that breakfast was from 7-9AM. Then she pointed towards the kitchen counter where some tea cups and tea and coffee were waiting for us.

I gratefully accepted but I was in agony. With cups of tea in hand, our host pointed to the table and offered us to sit down, but I tried to make a polite excuse and said I needed to shower.

I felt decidedly out of place regardless. Both of us smelling intensely from the heat and effort of the day, we stuck out like sore thumbs in this huge house with solid wooden floors. The high ceilings were accentuated with carved coving, and a splash of colour throughout. The house was almost uncomfortably quiet, and we were surprised not to immediately see any more guests. It later thttp://amburyurned out that Paul had decided to stay here also, and due to his earlier departure and our slow pace, had arrived much before us. With limited accommodation options through this section, those hikers not wishing to push long days (unlike Willem) didn’t have much choice but to stay at this Bed and Breakfast.

Having made my escape, I grabbed a towel and made a beeline for the shower. I didn’t even bother turning it to hot. I stood inside with the tap turned to as cold as it would go for at least five minutes. If I hadn’t been so conscious of water usage, I’d probably have stood there for longer than that. It was a sense of relief unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and the first time I hadn’t been in pain all day.

Once done, I quickly washed the sweat and dirt off, shampooed my hair and then towelled off. We’d already found a potential place to have dinner tonight, a nice little Italian restaurant called Volare just down the road, so once Julia was also clean we made our way down the road.

Happy to be pack-less and heading to dinner at the end of a long and hot day hiking.  

On the way, we stopped at a local dairy, where I decided to pick up a bag of frozen vegetables to ease the burning on my legs later.

The restaurant was very posh, and almost immediately upon entering we were banished to the upstairs eating area.

Despite their embarrassment at their two newest diners, the food was amazing. I ordered a delicious caesar salad for dinner, and Julia had tagliatelle Bolognese. We sat and ate, and drank water with lemon juice for probably an hour, drinking in the events of the previous day.

My beautiful chicken salad at the Volare Italian restaurant. A well earned meal after a tough day.  

It was just after 8PM by the time we arrived back at our accommodation. , and I sat around with my legs on the frozen vegetables for a while. Julia and I were sharing the queen bed, and she was exhausted, so I sat in the lounge area whilst I took care of some errands. Despite the $80 per night price tag, wifi coverage throughout the house was very limited, which was a little disappointing.

When I eventually made my way to bed, it was an uncomfortable night of sleep. My legs were so sore that they kept waking me. Occasionally someone would move around outside our main room (which opened onto the driveway) setting off the security light which flooded our room.

Thankfully, Julia had agreed to let me have the window open to help bring my temperature down a bit, but during the night I also noticed our host outside the window trying to close our windows from the outside! Happily, she was unsuccessful in the attempt, as I don’t think I could have mustered the energy to open them again.

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