Fourteenth week on Te Araroa: km 1,922-2,014
Day 93: Tongariro Holiday Park to Owhango: 37 km
Welcome back to the TA! We just finished the Tongariro Crossing yesterday and camped next to our fellow TA NOBO (Te Araroa Northbound hiker) last night. This morning we were up early again and ready to hike!
We said goodbye to our NOBO friend and started down the road. It was a pretty busy road for 6 km and then we got to a 4x4 track! It’s my favourite type of road walking, still out in wilderness with very minimal traffic.
Starting off our day on a busy road
Looking back at Tongariro
The route looked largely the same today. Like walking through a green tunnel. I still look around in awe at the giant ferns and many various plants native to the region. I’ve become a bit of a birder. I get excited when I spot a new type of bird.
Transitioning to an ATV track
Fording one of the river crossings
Always in awe of the giant ferns
We did have to walk through the river twice today. Once in our hiking shoes and once in our sandals. We are very careful now to dry our feet out as much as possible after crossing a river. We are hearing of many fellow NOBOs getting trench foot around the same stretch of trail we had issues on the South Island. There’s a pretty big group of NOBOs several weeks behind us.
We have heard about many sections of the TA before getting to them. This next stretch we are embarking on we haven’t heard anything about. I have no idea what to expect!! Maybe more roads like today? We will see!
Day 94: Owhango to Taumarunui: 25 km
Such a peaceful sleep by the river. We wake up with thick condensation on the inside of our tent every single morning. The air has often been misty or foggy. It feels impossible to dry anything out, so all of our gear is beginning to have an undesirable scent. Even our tent sometimes smells musty.
Sunrise from camp
Camped near this beautiful river
This dank existence mixed with the difficulty of staying on top of hygiene while hiking is starting to weigh on me. We had a couple kilometres this morning to get to town. It was easy road walking.
Once in town we went to Owhango Adventures, where we had sent our resupply packages. The owners weren’t there so we went to the Blue Hill Cafe. I felt so self conscious of how dank and smelly we were. But I also felt very happy with how delicious the food and coffee was! As I was finishing my coffee Brian went back to Owhango Adventures and secured our two packages. I meandered over to meet him there and we got some food resupply and my new pair of shoes!! Just the pick me up I needed!
Walking through town
Setting out on the road through farmlands
The next bit of hiking was between the two towns. It was all road walking. Rural farm land. Not much to report except on and off rain and cute sheep. We made it to camp early at 5 pm. It’s a local business that is allowing us to pay for camping. They have a good set up with toilets and charging outlets.
I called my insurance provider today to get guidance about a black spot in my vision I’ve developed over the last week. They approved a visit to a general physician. We made a plan to go to the local health clinic in town here first thing tomorrow morning. I’m really hoping this spot in my vision isn’t serious, but I can’t help but feel worried about it. I’m just happy we are close to a clinic and that I have travel insurance.
Day 95: Camp to Taumarunui Hospital: 5 km
We walked straight to the hospital this morning so I could get my eye looked at. The doctor recommended I see an optometrist. He said he wasn’t too concerned, but that a specialist can better assess the situation. There are no optometrists in Taumarunui.
I spoke with my insurance and they urged me to go to a city where I could be seen by an ophthalmologist if needed. So we set our sights on getting to the nearest city, Hamilton. The buses were sold out so we have to wait until tomorrow. I managed to secure us one of the last motel rooms in town.
Taumarunui
Day 96-98: zero days in town
I managed to get a full eye exam at an optometrist in Hamilton and they diagnosed me with eye floaters. Which was a relief, since they are common and not a problem. I’ll follow up with them in a week.
We squeezed in a visit to Hobbiton, since we had to wait an extra day to catch the bus back to Taumarunui. It was so amazing!! I had the best time!
The first Hobbit Hole on our tour!
The Baggins Hobbit Hole
Day 99: Taumarunui to start of Timber Trail: 25 km
It felt so good to get back to trail!! We didn’t start until 3:30 pm because of the bus schedule, but I honestly didn’t care. It felt so good to be walking again!
Road walking out of Taumarunui!
Felt so fresh I didn’t even need a break
The 25 km today were all on road. First on a busy paved road, which eventually transitioned into a quiet gravel road. Our legs felt so fresh after 4 days off! We didn’t take any breaks and just flew into camp. We did the distance in 5 hours.
We hiked the last few kilometres in the dark with our headlamps on
Hopefully next week will go smoother! We have another 7 days of walking ahead of us to walk into Hamilton. The plan is to do it in a continuous stretch. Can’t wait to share with you how it goes in next week’s blog post. See you then!
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