Again my legs will be chasing my mind and my dreams; following a winding path that heads along beaches, through dense forests, over high mountain passes, through rivers and valleys, mud and marshes.
Again I will wake up, pack up, walk, make camp, eat, sleep then do it all again for about 3 months. My life will become simple.
In a few days I will be heading to Bluff, at the very bottom of New Zealand to start walking the South Island part of Te Araroa. I will be heading North so I will be a NOBO this time and walking only 1,300km. https://www.teararoa.org.nz/
Two years ago I walked Te Araroa 3,000km from Cape Reinga to Bluff south bound (SOBO) so the idea of long thru hike is not new to me.
I have spent the last couple of years in lockdowns, doing some short term Accounting contracts and spending lots of time with my latest lot grandchildren, Indie – 3yrs and Finnley, who is just 14 months old. I will miss them very much as the time I have been able to spend with them has been precious. I hope they don’t forget their Granny!
Finishing at Bluff March 2020
However the trail will be different this time. Most of the time the sun will be in my face, rather than at my back, I will struggle up the tracks that were easy downhills last time and I may spend more time on my own as most people walk SOBO. I think this will be the biggest challenge for me. Last time I had a sense of security knowing there were other walkers ahead and behind me most days. But Covid has changed the way people do Te Araora so I may be surprised.
Kay, a lady who walked most of Te Araroa last season, is planning on joining me from Queenstown for 2 or 3 weeks as she missed that section. Also my daughter, Cara, is coming to walk with me from Nelson to Havelock in March. And my friend Jan may pop in somewhere for a bit as well.
This time my aspirations are:
to lose all the weight I put on since finishing TA last time
not have to use my PLB to call a helicopter to rescue me
meet interesting people
and not get lost.
I have given Garry orders to buy the Weather Gods a few more drinks to ensure I get good weather like he organised for me last time.
So for those of you who can’t or won’t ever do a long walk like this you are very welcome to come along for the ride virtually. I will only post once a week or so and hopefully I can brighten your morning tea break! Last Te Araroa I found that knowing you were all out there waiting for my next update sometimes was the thing that kept me going on a hard day. So keep up the comments and encouragement as this old Granny sure needs it!
The weather just isn’t right for tramping at this time of the year. There is still snow at low levels, lots of rain and wind and the resulting high rivers. Therefore I have given up the idea of doing Te Araroa NOBO for now.
At the stage of my last post I was heading into the Taraura Ranges but the weather wasn’t going to be good. I made the right decision not to go s there was 2 rescues of people who were stuck by the ferocious winds up there. One was lucky to have his dog to keep him warm as rescue had to wait two days until the wind dropped.
My little adventure in the wind up on Colonial Knob was okay as it was rolling farmland with places to shelter. The worst that could have happened was for me to be blown across a paddock through cow and sheep shit and getting caught up in a gorse bush. There were plenty of sheep in sheltered areas happily munching away on the grass. They weren’t flying through the air! I could have joined them in a sheltered area and put up my tent for the night.
Back to Palmerston North to stay with another daughter and son in law, and spend time looking after my grandchildren . I have got through all the jobs on their list except paining the bathroom, but they are okay for me to take a few weeks to complete that one.
I toyed with the idea of flying up and over Auckland to Kaitaia and staring Te Araora again from Cape Reinga as early October is a good time to start up in the winterless North. There would be quite a few others staring this week too. Auckland is in a Covid-19 lockdown, hence the need to fly over the city. Most people seem to be starting with the hope that the Auckland borders will be open by the time they arrive.
But an accounting job had come up that for 6 weeks so I start work on tomorrow 4th October at the Rangitikei District Council. I may as well earn some money and fill in my time until I can start the Te Araroa NOBO of the South Island after Christmas. The borders to Australia may be open again by the time I have finished so I may be back on track to do the Bibbulmun Track in 2022.
Therefore you won’t be hearing form me for a while. I know that us accountants get excited by excel spreadsheets, debits and credits, Funding Impact Statements and Statement of Changes in Net Assets/Equity, however I do also know that most other people don’t.
After another fun night with Phillipa and her friend I was ready for another 22km walk along the west coast with some company for the day. Pip and Jane are walking Te Araroa South Island SOBO starting before Christmas this year. They have followed my SOBO blog and are all kitted out and excited about the adventure to come. I am sure they will love every hard damn step of it!
Also along for the walk was Linda, a landscape gardener, who was involved in planning the original track through the area with Geoff Chapple. She must be proud to see the trail being used by so many people now.
It was a chatty day as you would expect with 4 women together for about 8 hours straight. We walked along paths adjacent to the beach most of the way with a small section on the actual beach. That was enough to remind me that beach walking is not so much fun with a full pack on my back.
We came across some locals whitebaiting. There is is a short season each year where we can catch these wee fish in nets, usually in estuaries. They are a iconic New Zealand delicacy. People have favourite spots which are closely guarded and defended.
Coffee before we start
Rest break at the Paraparaumu wetlands
High tracks in some places
Scooping up the catch
Whitebaiters
The plan had been to head into the Taraura Ranges the next day with Lois but the weather was not looking good. It is an acceptable risk to be in rolling farmland in a gale but definitely not safe to be on a mountain range in a storm for 5 days. However Lois and Rohan met us along the trail and we joined them for a much deserved beer. over the beer or 3 we decided to try again for after the 25th, 2 weeks away. The others caught a train back to Plimmerton then I was picked up by my friend Trevor and taken to stay with him and Maxine in Paraparaumu for a few days while I tried to hatch another plan.
They were pleased to do their bit for society and take in a homeless, jobless tramp and feed her up with good nourishing food before sending me on my way back home.
It was 2 hour bus trip back to Palmerston North, all masked up, listening to my e-book “Batavia” about a shipwreck in 1629 along the Western Australian coast. I had downloaded this to set the scene for my walk in Australia. I definitely would not have wanted to come across any of the mutineers from that ship. They turned into thieves, rapists, murderers and brutes in their fight for survival and over the treasure aboard the ship. I hoped the resident Australians would have been a lot less scary. Those who survived had eaten a lot of the funny looking “cats” that hopped around on large feet and had babies in their pockets.
Today was a fine sunny day. Just my luck to have no wind on the day where I was walking on the flat all day. I was pleased with my 22km walk: legs felt good, feet were okay and I enjoyed the freedom from any other pressures. I also enjoyed a pie from a little shop at lunch time.
I was now following the coast on tracks beside the seaside and then inland along beside the motorway.
Te Araroa Trust has built a track high above the motorway but this was closed due to recent storm damage so the busy road was to be my company for the day. The photos below shows the track up on the ridge above the road. It would have given me great views this time had I been able to get up there. Instead I watched the people all streaming out of Wellington on the first Saturday after 3 weeks of lockdown. At times I was walking faster than the traffic was moving. Ha ha
The most exciting thing I saw was a truck driver peeing on the rocks while waiting for police to escort his broken down track. I stopped for a break and sat down right above him. I am not sure who got the biggest fright! No photo!
I was off at 7.30 as I had a 22 km day, with a stop at Johnsonville to have a cuppa with a friend.
Lois had given me instructions on a bit of a short cut which I got thoroughly wrong and it took me an extra 1.5 hours to get to my friends place, only about 5 km away. I was a bit grumpy with myself by the time I got there and have vowed not to take shortcuts again. What is obvious to a local is not to me and the closer we are to town the more tracks and trails there are in the parks meaning more places I can take a wrong turn.
Anyway a couple of chocolate biscuits, a coffee and a good natter saw me on my way again. This time in Rhona’s car to the local mall to pick up some ankle supports for me from a $2 shop. In my rush to leave I had forgotten to get new ones.
There was about 8 km of road walking to do so I easily got talked into a ride to the next trail head that would take me throughout forest up to Colonial Knob. I had walked this long section of road last time with Anouk and her parents and remembered hiding in a bus shelter to eat our lunch out of the wind. No need whatsoever to repeat that if there is an alternative.
This was when I began to get texts from friends and family saying that it was quite windy where they were. Lois and I had looked at the weather forecast last night and, yes, there was going to be some wind up there but it is always windy on the exposed farmland around Wellington. It is not called Windy Wellington for nothing. I assured my daughters that I would be okay as I was on rolling farmland hills and not a dangerous mountain.
I took a photo of the entrance so I had a time stamp (11.15am) and I was off up hill along a recently maintained track. I put on an audio book about a shipwreck and marched on. After about 45 minutes I came to 3 way junction with no signage so decided to keep straight. This took me out to a forestry road which did not match my app. So I turned around and went back to the crossroads. At this stage I had quite lost my bearings in the sunless day and thick bush meaning I did not know which way was North.
Spicer Forest entry 11.15 am.
Come on Karen, figure it out!!! Read the trail notes…”go right” it said, so off I went engrossed in my shipwreck story. An hour and 45 minutes after I left the entrance sign I come to another sign that looked very familiar. I opened up my photos to see that I was back where I started. Grrr. Turn right if you are going SOBO does not mean turn right if going NOBO.
1pm and I am back at the same sign.
Damn hopeless person!! So my options were to admit defeat and walk back to town or continue back where I had just been. Option 2 was really the only way I could save face so off I went again up the lovely cleared track.
This time I made the correct turn and stopped for my first trail lunch in the shelter of the trees just before hitting the tops. I think the reason I tramp is for plastic cheese and salami on crackers. It is real a shame that red wine is too heavy to carry.
My favourite lunch.
I could hear the wind roaring through the tree tops so knew I was in for some fun up there.
I came out from the trees to find it was really windy but I wasn’t on a mountain ledge so decided it was safe enough to carry on. If I was blown over it would be into gorse bushes, cow pats and down rolling hills.
So I pushed on in the clouds and wind enjoying the adventure much more than I would enjoy a day in the office. But as I got higher and into the more exposed areas I was getting knocked around a fair bit. I would rest in a sheltered area then make a run across the next exposed area hoping I would make it in one piece.
I was blown over a few times but managed to reach the highest point of the day where there was a cellphone tower and a shed to shelter behind get my heart rate back to normal.
I decided to keep going and hoped I would get down to the bush line without getting blown away for good. But I didn’t get far before I was knocked over and swepy across the path like a bag of rubbish only able to stop myself when I was up against a large prickly gorse back.
I lay there for some time trying to decide which way to go. Forward or back to the safety behind the cellphone tower. Go back to what I knew as I didn’t really know what was up ahead. I tried to crawl on all fours got blown over so ended up inching my way along the rocky path on my side, getting battered about and pushed closer to the edge with every move. Eventually I was protected from the wind by the towers.
I had decided I could easily put my tent up and spend the night there and wait for the weather to clear in the morning. So I sent messages to a few people to let them know my plans. Phillips was expecting me that afternoon so I didn’t want her to worry. Lois picked up my message and rang me to say that there was a track down the other side away from the wind, that would get me down and out on the road to Porirua as planned.
So I gad some food and fluids and took off into the clouds and wind again. Soon I was bit lower on the sheltered side away from 5he brunt of the storm and feeling much safer. I did get knocked over a couple more times, once my cellphone went tumbling away but soon I could see the city below so I felt relieved.
I came out by the local tip and had about a 4km walk to the railway station where I would catch a train on to Plimmerton first the night.
So I put my thumb out and my got picked up by a landscape gardener with a car full of cocoa kernels which smelt slightly better than I did.
I had an enjoyable evening with Pip and Jane who are planning to walk the South Island part of Te Araroa this summer.
Hostel bunk beds are usually metal and they squeak and creak everytime you move so I spend the night trying not to wriggle too much. My room mate has had 2 weeks alone so she will not be used to the noises of a room mate.
I woke to a beautiful sunny day and headed up through the Botanical Gardens for another short 12km day to stay with Trail Angels Lois and Rowan in Ngaio. Trail Angels do good deeds for long distant hikers such as providing a bed, or a place to pitch a tent, transport etc.
And I am on my way
Lois is going to join me for the 5 days through the Tararua Ranges which is good as that part of the trail is up high and very exposed. I always say I need to have a witness if I fall off the mountain so that my story can be told.
I had plenty of time to kill so I stopped and enjoyed a coffee in the sun at a Cafe in the Rose Gardens watching others enjoying freedom after lockdown.
I wondered if I could take this all the way to Cape Reinga.
Again I managed to lose the trail as there are many paths through the gardens and I gad trouble finding the correct turns for Te Araroa. Last time I found that I was most likely to lose the trail when I was close to a town or city as there are more options that up in the mountains or in the bush.
The signage and trail notes for Te Araroa are designed mainly for people going South so I found it not so easy going North.
Spring is here
Gardeners busy with the roses
I followed the Northern Walkway finding one part where the track was closed because a bridge was washed out. I remembered that the bridges here were just over wee creeks and designed to keep the city slickers fancy shoes dry. So a climbed around the barrier and headed on finding a wee creek to step across. I felt a bit naughty doing this but carried on to climb under the next barrier and back onto the track without anyone seeing me.
I was surprised to see that everyone was wearing their masks even outside in the gardens and bush tracks. I suppose they know that our Prime Minister, Aunty Cindy lives in Wellington.
Looking back to Wellington.
I spent a lovely time with Lois and her family in Ngaio. Lois walked the South Island part of Te Araroa last summer and has been section walking the North Island over the last few years. They have also been Trail Angels for a number of years so we had lots of stories to share with each other. Our lips didn’t stop moving all evening.
Funnily enough Lois also had to be rescued when she got lost in the Longwood Forest just as I had the year before her. However she had cellphone coverage and was able to phone for help and was found by a group of SAR (Search and Rescue) on foot. I was winched out by helicopter.
Freedom again so I was out the gate like a cut cat. I enjoyed my stay with a cute wee grandson but I had left work for a bit more adventure so I was out the gate like a cut car as soon as we moved Covid levels.
Delta level 3 meant I could be on the move however buses and trains were still not running out of Palmerston North. To start my NOBO (Northbound) I needed to get to Wellington which is the Southern most end of our North Island.
So I called up my friend, Maxine and asked for a ride. I was pretty sure she would be eager to get out of the house after 2 weeks locked down and I was right. That got me half way and then I caught a commuter train, then a bus to Island Bay to start my walk.
Starting Te Araroa this time was nowhere as exciting or scary as when I began my SOBO in October 2019. This time I knew what I was in for, physically and mentally, I knew my gear was good and I knew the route.
I found it quite hard wearing a mask as my glasses fogged up meaning I couldn’t see much at all. I had trouble seeing enough through the fog and was fumbling to find money, so I was told not to bother, it was a free trip. Quite a good way to have a free ride.
I really respect all those people who have lived and worked with masks for the last 28 months.
I don’t like those masks but they are a necessity.
Starting was a bit of an anti climax as it was blowing a Wellington gale and there was no one else at the park to witness my start. Maybe that was a good omen as it was also blowing a gale when I started last time.
I was pleased to get away from the coast line and begin to walk up and over the first of the 2 mountains for the day, Mt Albert. Soon I was passing the line on the road telling me I was safe from a sunami so that was good. I followed the Southern Walkway up and over Mt Wellington along the high fence around the zoo then down to Oriental Parade and back through the centre of our capital city.
I managed to lose the track a couple of times so there goes my theory of knowing the route.
No animals to see over the fence to the zoo.
I was surprised to see everyone was wearing masks on the street and keeping their distance. There is no Covid in Wellington but being the home of our Parliament everyone is very compliant here. Noticeably no one else seemed to be wearing glasses and constantly having to wipe them as I was.
Second Mountain for the day, a walk through central Wellington to The Beehive (Parliament Buildings)
I had booked in at the Waterloo Backpackers and am sharing a room with a Japanese girl who got stuck here alone for the 2 weeks of lockdown so she was pleased to have some company.
Dinner out with my lovely granddaughter, Hope, has completed a good day for me.
As I cannot get into Australia due to Covid restrictions I have had to change my plans. Tomorrow we move to Delta Level 2 which means I can start doing something with my 10 months away from working.
So I will begin by walking Te Araroa NOBO (North Bound) from Wellington. I plan to back in Palmerston North by 25th September to help celebrate my Grandsons first birthday.
It will be 235km of hard work as I have not been doing much exercise and am carrying more extra weight on my body than I carry in my pack.
Bags are packed and I am ready to see what adventure awaits us all.
As planned I finished my 14 month contract position at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. There I have learnt a lot about Revenue, Reporting and Analysis for all the different transport related taxes in New Zealand. My repertoire of accounting knowledge now includes Road User Charges, Regional Fuel Tax, Fuel Excise Duty, Clean Car Discounts, Tolling, Driver Licensing and Motor Vehicle Licensing and Registration. All great knowledge to have gained but basically useless in any other field of work. This was my first real Public Service role so that was a learning curve for me. It is undoubtedly different!
I have learnt about that people can prepay, post pay, not pay, repay, under pay, over pay, mispay, don’t pay, can’t pay, won’t pay and pay twice. That all creates quite a lot of work for the finance department.
I worked with people from all over the world, with different personalities, strengths, work ethics and foibles. I had a good team of bright young accountants to lead who showed up how much I am slowed down in my old age. I have also made some new friends along the way.
But it is time to go off an another adventure and I was all ready to leave on Wednesday. However New Zealand has gone into a strict lockdown because the Delta variant of Covid-19 has got through our borders. We have had a great run over the last year living our life as normal, unlike many countries. So I suppose we can’t complain about the snap lockdown as we need to all get vaccinated before life will really get back to normal (whatever that will be in the future). I have been fully vaccinated since early June and was ready to go to Western Australia which has tracked along a very similar path to New Zealand. I have a G2G Pass which allows me into WA with a 14 day self isolation clause. My son has a decent sized upstairs area for me to isolate in away from the rest of the household. They can put my meals at the bottom of the stairs and I can sneak down to pick them up, just like a stray dog. However, I cannot get on a plane out of New Zealand yet. Tickets re booked for 1 September and I just have to wait and see if that comes about. Locked down until midnight on 31 August.
Our All Blacks pulled out of a game scheduled for Saturday in Perth so we have upset the Aussies so I hope they don’t take it out on Kiwi Granny who just wants to come over to visit her family and walk one of their great walking tracks.
In the mean time I am jobless and homeless as of tomorrow as my tenants take over then. This had always been the plan as living with what is on my back is something I do every now and then and quite enjoy. I will be staying with my youngest daughter, her husband and 11 month old grandson. This will give me some good time with them before I go away but I hope lockdown doesn’t last longer that they can put up with me. My eldest daughter had me for 4 months of the last lockdown as I had just finished Te Araroa when Covid-19 hit. I will do some much needed training for Bibbulmun Track by pushing the baby in the pram around the neighborhood with my pack on my back. That should do the trick!!
My bags are packed and I am ready to go but I may not be leaving on a jet plane too soon.
Hit the Subscribe Button if you want to get notification of any new posts. I will need to know that there are people out there waiting to hear about my encounters with poisonous snakes and spiders, ticks and mosquitoes, kangaroos, pigs and dingoes. I will be walking during the Wild Flower season so will try and keep the gardeners happy too.
I have booked flights to Perth, Australia for 26 August and plan to start the 1,000km walk on 1 September. My son, Cameron, will walk the first week with me which I am very excited about. Hopefully my teenage grand daughters, Bec and Elle, will join me during their school holidays at some stage.
I am bringing some gear over for them to use so will need to pack carefully so as not to go over the weight restrictions. My gear list has not changed much from what I took on Te Araroa as I had that working well.
The first week of walking will be a shock for my poor body as I have put back on all the weight I lost on the Te Araroa and I have lost a lot of fitness and strength also. However I am sure I will be okay and end up fit and strong by the end and back to looking like the photo below.
