Fifteenth week on Te Araroa: km 2,014-2,263

Day 100: Start of Timber Trail to Piropiro Campsite: 42 km

Welcome back to the 3,000 km long Te Araroa from end to end of New Zealand! We are now just over 2,000 km into the hike and really starting to hit our groove.

After taking a few days off to get my eye checked out, we are back on trail and super happy to be out here. Last night we camped at the start of the Timber Trail next to a farm.

The farm animals near the camp site were unbelievably loud. It’s honestly hard to explain. They were mooing and calling out continuously all night long. They woke us up dozens of times. I felt pretty tired this morning. 

The start of the track was extremely promising! Nice and smooth with gradual climbs that we didn’t even notice! Our plan is to do the 80 km Timber Track in two days and it seems very realistic to us now. 

Rainy hiking on the smooth track

A little scared to walk through the tunnel

We passed several bikers going the opposite direction to us. About every 10 km there is a little shelter to take a break in. We walked, ate, talked, put our ponchos on when it sprinkled rain, and then took them off again. 

The trail looked the same all day with a few swing bridges to mix it up. It made for easy miles and it was a good day to get back to doing 40 km days. We arrived at Piropiro campsite at dusk. It’s a huge grassy field. We set up and quickly got everything in the tent as it started to rain. 

Enjoying the lush forests

Lots of swing bridges like this one

Day 101: Piropiro Campsite to Ngaherenga Campsite: 36 km

It’s a monsoon!!! So much rain today. Thankfully the trail was straightforward with minimal hazards and a very easy grade. We were able to wear our full rain gear and not overheat. 

Along this stretch of track (the Timber Trail) there are small shelters every 10 km or so. These seem to be for taking breaks and escaping the rain when needed. They are not big enough to sleep in. They look a bit like old bus stop shelters. We decided to hike shelter to shelter today and dry out a little bit on our breaks. 

Considering it was consistently raining all day with no surprises, I actually found it quite enjoyable. I was able to get into a rhythm and the kilometres clicked by. We did 3 breaks in the various shelters. When we needed water, Brian simply collected it as it poured off the roof. 

We crossed paths with a few bikers braving the rain and headed in the opposite direction. Some seemed much happier about the conditions than others. 

We arrived at dusk at the end of the Timber Trail and set up in the DOC (Department of Conservation) campsite there. We pitched during a brief break in the rain. We cozied up and fell asleep to the sound of raindrops on the tent roof. 

Our tent is so small in the campsites

Day 102: Ngaherenga Campsite to Mangaokewa Private Campsite: 37 km

Today was a day of road walking to connect to the next forest track. It started off simple and uneventful. The kilometres sometimes tick by quickly, while at other times it really drags. We were happy it wasn’t really raining, just a few showers every now and then. 

Road walking my poncho

In late morning we had just stopped for a break amongst some gravel piles in a side of the road pull out. I had put my poncho back on because it was sprinkling again. We strapped our poles onto our packs since we had no use for them hiking on the pavement. We were walking along the road and approaching a house on the corner. The two dogs were loose and ran down the road at us. As the larger of the two (it looked like a pitbull) ran towards me I realized it was not going to settle for just barking at us. Brian kept walking and I slowed down, hesitant to walk towards the charging dog. It lunged at my thigh, narrowly missing, and plunged its teeth into my poncho. It took a big bite out of it and I yelled at Brian that it had bit my clothing. He immediately did everything he could to scare it off and it hesitantly gave us a 2m radius as we got past the house. 

Feeling shaky after a dog charged me

I was rattled. I felt I had just gotten lucky that I had my poncho on and it didn’t get my leg. I had to sit and calm down. I patched up my poncho. I usually always have a trekking pole in my hands for this exact reason. But I had started strapping both poles to my pack when road walking since we hadn’t been charged by a dog yet in all of New Zealand. I felt defenceless without them. We decided we absolutely have to have a readily accessible pole at all times moving forward.

When we arrived at the little camp spot set up by the landowner our trail friend was there. He had a similar experience with the same dog, so we were able to talk it through with him, which helped. 

Rolling hills as we approached camp

Our tent with our trail friend’s tent in the background

Day 103: Mangaokewa Private Campsite to Waitomo Village: 36 km

From the camp spot we entered into farmland and river walking. It was quite beautiful, but very slow going. We had to negotiate blackberry bushes and overgrown sections. It was still extremely enjoyable!

Leaving the farm

Negotiating a very steep slope, typical of the TA

Lots of cool rock formations along the way

We entered the town of Te Kuiti around midday. We ate lunch at the pub right on the train platform. It was glorious! We probably lingered too long. By the time we finished shopping at the store for our resupply it was already 5 pm and we still had 15 km to do. 

We pushed forward through the farmland and watched as the sun set early. The clocks changed last night. Now the sun is setting an hour earlier. 

We hiked through farmland quickly to maximize daylight

Crossing a swing bridge at night

We spent two painstaking hours hiking in the dark with our headlamps on. It was raining on and off. I found it incredibly difficult. I was tired and scared. I kept trying to remain in a good head space, which became increasingly difficult.

By the time we reached our hostel, the Kiwi Paka Backpackers, I was shattered. We got into our room at 10 pm. I immediately showered and then could only manage to eat a little bit of bread before falling asleep. Brian wasn’t even back to the room from his shower yet.

Day 104: Waitomo Village to a Trail Angel house: 33 km

Thunderstorms shook our room last night. I had to force myself to get up in time for breakfast at 7 am. It was worth it. The hostel hosts provide an awesome spread and I ate every last bite. 

The very start of our day leaving the hostel

Rainbow!!!

From road walking to beautiful forest track walking

The day started out lovely. We did some road walking and then some beautiful trail walking. We saw feral goats, which is a pretty common experience here in New Zealand. It started to rain again right when the track deteriorated. We had to push through overgrowth for several kilometres. I was just starting to feel demoralized when we passed a SOBO TA hiker who was happy and focussed. It lifted my spirits. 

The rest of the day was a mixture of old road, new road, and some farm walking. I was very focussed on drying out my feet every chance I got. The signs and symptoms of trench foot have returned after so much rain. My feet have been constantly wet since the Timber Trail (started on Day 100) and they are starting to degrade. I found it hard to think of anything other than taking care of my feet. 

Finding tiny patches of sun to attempt to dry my socks and shoes

Our final 5 km of the day were on a gravel road after the sun set. We took a while to turn our headlamps on since the moon was bright. At one point I thought I saw a light glistening in the forest. Brian and I remembered there are glow worms in the area. We walked towards it and discovered a cluster of glowing glow worms. It was  a magical moment. I stared in awe. It felt like I was in the movie Avatar. 

Making the final few kilometres to the trail angel house

Hiking with headlamps is a lot easier on road

We stayed tonight at a trail angel house. They have a very hiker friendly set up. It was raining again so they let us stay in their extra room. We washed our socks. We ate our noodles. We had a cold beer. It was glorious.

Day 105: Trail Angel House to Trail Angel House: 31 km

The way our itinerary worked out, we were hiking from one Trail Angel house to the next today. We climbed up and over our final official mountain of the trail. It was pouring rain again as we climbed.

Hiking through lots of farmland

I must admit, with my feet in pain from trench foot, and my poncho getting saturated, I was finding this morning very hard. We reached the hut at the near-highest point of the day and went in for a dry lunch break. One of our trail friends was there taking a rest day to wait out the rain. It was lovely to catch up with him and hear how the North Island has been going. It was the boost I needed!

As we got ready to make our afternoon push to camp the weather cleared. We made the summit and had a stunning view through the parting clouds. The descent was a little easier than the ascent with less mud. We made the distance at a continuous pace. 

Hiking up and over our final mountain of the trail

Stoked to reach the summit

Our final kilometres of the day were on road. The sunset created the most beautiful colours in the sky. I think maybe the most beautiful sky colours I have ever seen. The trail angel picked us up where the trail junctions with the road to take the short side trip to his house. They showed us the bunk room they were in the middle of building and let us use the kitchen and bathroom in their B&B. It was rustic. I was happy to be out of the rain though. 

Day 106: Trail Angel House to Hamilton: 34 km

The trail angels hosted us in their house for breakfast. We had a quick one knowing we had a lot of ground to cover today. We thanked the trail angels for a great stay and then walked back to the junction we had been picked up at last night.

It always feels good to get on the trail again. The TA follows a local trekking path that mostly led us through farmland. We climbed up to start and got some beautiful views up in the highland paddocks. The sun is out today and my feet couldn’t be happier about it! We took an early lunch up in the paddocks and I hung my socks on the fence to dry in the sun. 

Easy farm track walking

The sun is drying everything, including my feet

After dropping down out of the farm we were on road for 90% of the rest of the day. We wanted to get to Hamilton tonight so that we could have a zero tomorrow. It was very motivating. 

We stopped at the Villages Cafe in Whatawhata. We had a delicious meal while watching their two sheep graze. From here we road walked, did a few kilometres of rough farm walking, then started to reach the outskirts of Hamilton. 

We walked past a group of young teenage boys who were so excited to follow me on TikTok. We walked through some bike paths. We walked on old rail grade trails. We walked past Burger King and had to go in. And then we walked through the downtown square and to our hotel. We made it!

Day 107: zero day in Hamilton

I have my follow up optometrist appointment tomorrow. Today was packed with chores. I bought myself a new hiking shirt and sports bra. Brian picked us up a stove and pot set. We replaced some gear patches, socks, and Brian’s shoes. I sent off a postcard to my Grandma. It was a very productive day. Tomorrow we hit the trail again! 

And that part of the story will be next week’s blog post. Thank you so so much for reading!

Much love,

- Story