Te Kuiti to Taumarunui

• Start: 7:45 @ km 873
• End: 19:55 @ km 903
• Hiked: 30 km

Today we trekked along the Mangaokewa Reserve Track, the Mangaokewa River Track, and some road walking as well. There were a few designated camping areas on trail, but they were not where we wanted them to be; either making our day too short or too long. So, we decided to do our first free camping of the trip. Up until this point, we have always stayed at designated campgrounds, with trail angles or when in a city, the occasional Airbnb. The more TA hikers we meet, the more we realize how many of them are free camping.

The trails were nice for our feet; the gravel roads, not so much. We passed a donation campground where we were able to have a snack, a rest, and filter some more water. This was a very nice spot, we were thankful, and we made sure to leave some money so that the upkeep can continue. Today we also made it to the 900km mark.

Our free camping night was beautiful. We popped into a forest just off the road, pitched our tents, made dinner and passed out.

• Start: 7:30 @ km 903
• End: 17:45 @ km 936
• Hiked: 33 km

We woke up after a good night's sleep ready for the day ahead. We planned to begin the Timber Trail (a developed cycle way) and had heard this was a pretty chill section of the TA. But before we could begin the Timber Trail track, we had a shit ton of road walking to do. Oh, spoiler alert: it sucked. But we pushed through and made it to a car-park area where we could eat snacks in the shade and refill our water supply. The sandflies must have read a memo that Mathias was coming to town, because they were out and ready to welcome him. Luckily, he broke out his sleeping bag liner for protection.

The Timber Trail (or the short portion we did today), did not disappoint. It was a welcomed treat to not have major elevation gain. That's the thing about the trail though - if it's not going to kick your ass with elevation, or mud, or roots, or water, then you think, "Well, why not just go further?"

The day was hot. Did Mathias bathe in the shallow river while Leah filtered water? Perhaps.

We made it to our 'campsite' for the night and although it was New Years Eve (One of Leah's favorite holidays), we were passed out before 9 pm.

• Start: 6:40 @ km 936
• End: @ km 965.5
• Hiked: 29.5 km

Happy 2020! We left the shelter earlier-ish and headed off to the summit of Mt. Pureora. When we arrived we were overtaken by feelings of joy. What a magical mountain morning mood; over the clouds and with a clear view to the Tongariro crossing with Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings). What a beautiful start to the new year.

Jules and Sarah were there as well and we all got to rejoice in this special occasion. We hung out our wet tents and the wind helped take care of the rest. We thought about having breakfast and coffee up there, but decided to head back down to a more sheltered (and warm) area. The decent was a bit underdeveloped. There was a sign that said: No longer maintained by DOC. We thought, 'How bad can it be?' Surprisingly, not too bad. It was very muddy, and overgrown... but this is the TA; nothing we haven't seen already. We got down and rejoined the Timber Trail, we celebrated with breakfast and coffee.

We passed a few nice suspension bridges along the path. These felt very secure and well maintained (a bit different from some we have heard about later on the trail). As the Timber Trail is a cycling path, we were passed by friendly bikers along the way. They were impressed with us, and we were impressed with them. We also met Mathieu, a french guy hiking the TA as well. He had a pretty fast pace and we figured we would probably not see him again.

The heat was intense, and the intensity was increasing as the day moved on. We stopped in the shade and ate some spicy Ramen noodles (which upon reflection was probably not the best choice on a hot day). After the shade and snack, we were back out with the sun beating down on us. It sometimes feels like you are being wrapped up with a thick blanket and thrown into an oven; it can feel suffocating. Did Leah have a little cry? Maybe.

But then, there was a turn in events: a lodge. We had heard rumors that a lodge existed where you could get pizza and beer/wine. We saw the lodge upon a hill just off the trail. The path that led to the lodge had a sign that said something to the effect that the kitchen was only available to people actually staying there. This was effective through Jan 1. Hmmm... could we make this happen? Leah (and everyone else) really wanted that pizza. So up the path we went. Luckily we arrived before normal dinner hours and the people at the lodge were super nice and said we could come on in and order. Success! Everyone ordered their own pizza (did I mention we're always hungry?)! Multiple glasses of wine and beer were consumed and enjoyed by all. Oh, and Sarah found a foam roller; which of course made Leah's day even better!

With a nice buzz to help us forget about our aching feet and bodies, we said farewell to the lodge and headed off to Camp Epic just a few kilometers down the track. Camp Epic did not disappoint; big beautifully clean hot showers and modern bathrooms. It felt fancy (for a campsite). Then off to bed we went. Early night. Great day.

• Start: @ km 965.5
• End: @ km 1006.5
• Hiked: 41 km 😮

It was a pretty cold morning; which can make it a bit difficult to emerge from your sleeping bag- but you do it, because you have a big day of hiking ahead of you. We took advantage of the free breakfast; multiple bowls of granola. The girls took advantage of the free breakfast on an even more impressive level; they had a massive stack of sandwiches made and ready to take with them for the day. Haha! These vegans! Mathieu put us all to shame when he prepared himself a big plate of toast, eggs and coffee. We were just too lazy, I guess.

Now, yesterday had been a hot day... but today was a really fucking hot day (yes, the f-word needs to be used to describe how much it sucked)! We took advantage of the shelters along the track- having our snacks, and a micro nap or two, in the shade. At one point there was cell reception (on a hill top - directly in the sun) so we all jumped on our phones and tried to plan for the days ahead. We were melting; completely drenched with sweat... but you just keep on going. And that is how we made it to the 1000 kilometer mark. Wooo Wooo! The girls had been just ahead of us, made a beautiful sign, and waited for our arrival.

As we continued on toward Ongarue, we often passed through narrow stretches between lush green mossy rock walls. It really was a beautiful sight, and reminded us a bit of some of the walks we did in Madeira. With 3 kilometers to go, Leah lost it. But then pulled it back together and went on. (Mathias periodically loses it too at times in his own way as well...just sayin') We made it to Bennett road where a campsite had been purpose-built for Te Araroa by a local family, with plenty of space (flat space) to pitch tents, a kitchen area and a toilet. We were (and are) thankful!

• Start: @ km 1006.5
• End: @ km 1036.5
• Hiked: 30 km

After a good night’s sleep, we headed out towards Taumarunui. The day consisted mostly of road walking, but it wasn’t too bad. We were positively surprised that we did not end up on the highway. Big win. We also knew that this would be a short (≤ 30 km) day, so that made things easier. The views were nice; passing lots of green hills, sheep, cows and some horses. 

When we got into Taumarunui we first went into McDonald‘s, because Mathias needed a bathroom and this was the best and closest option. We learned that in New Zealand they call it Maccas. Almost like Mecca the whole city. ;-) We had a sundae, a milkshake, fries and an iced coffee. Wonderful what you can enjoy guilt free when you hike all day. Well, Leah still felt guilty... and judged herself immensely. ;-) Leah skyped with her family and her heart was warmed.

After that we did the resupply shopping at New World. We had plenty of time we thought, because the shuttle from the kayak rental company (where we would stay tonight), would pick up our bags and the shopping an hour later. Unfortunately, it was the first day of shopping after the New Years holidays and everyone from the area seemed to be in the store. It was packed. Julia and Sarah had to hold the shuttle for us because we ran 10 minutes late. It still worked out. 

After that we did some more shopping at the bottle store and the pharmacy and tried to pick up our second pair of shoes from the post office. Unfortunately they were still on holiday hours and were closed when we got there. That was a little annoying because it meant we had to try again on the next day and go back to town for it. 

We had some yummy Thai food with the girls and then walked the last four kilometers to the kayak place along a small country road. The kayak place turned out to be huge. At least 30 cars were parked there and tons of people were getting ready for various adventures. We were here to plan and book our kayaking trip that will start in seven days going down Whanganui river for a total of 5 days. This section is part of the trail and (at least parts of it) not walkable. So we booked that and resorted all of our shopping into two bunches: a bunch for the next hiking section and the other bunch for the kayaking (taking place in 7 days). It was nice that we didn’t have to worry about the weight of the river kayaking part and so we were able to pack some different (and heavier) foods and also wine and beer. 🎉

Oh, and Leah's feet are nasty.