Day 13-15 | km 322-385 | Giant Kauri, Camp Fires & 'Grandma's' Home Cooking

This section of the trail I regrouped with some cool as girls I’d crossed paths with a few times earlier on the trial; baffled by how I’d run past them into the distance yet always seem to jump out the bushes behind them…did you ever hear the tail about the Hare & the Tortoise? Slowing down allowed the time to make some wicked friends, be OK with the fact that tide times would dictate my next few days and by playing tortoise, missing the second tidal crossing meant I would meet the role model kiwi Grandparents and have an afternoon of cake and animal cuddles. Cant really complain at that….

But first Tane Moana - the largest remaining Kauri on the east coast of Northland, and what a majestic beast! With a girth of 11 meters and height 28.6 meters, there’s no blowing her down in a storm!

I also noted some strange happenings in the surrounding bush….

A trip across the estuary from Ngunguru courtesy of James led us to his little paradise campsite of Nikau Bay. I first met James 3 years ago when Jamie and I moved south from Kerikeri to Auckland. It was New Years and with all campsites booked up James still managed to squeeze us in next to the chickens, in what we felt was ample space yet he insisted on making us Gin & Tonics to apologize. Thats just the kind of guy he is, he’ll go above and beyond for everyone…including my little camping community that night. James set the camp fire going, gave us all a tide time tutorial of estuary crossings we’d encounter the following day and announced there would be bacon and eggs for breakie before we all set out at 630am, what a rock star!

The morning after the night before, crutches anyone?

In an attempt to charge through the second estuary and beat the incoming tide I nearly manage to nearly ‘Steve Irwin’ myself with a Sting Ray…and with sea water rising it’s time to admit defeat and reconsider plan B…

Me and the girls head to Tidesong, James echoing in our minds about Roz and Hugh being the Grandpa and Grandma of all trail angels wit h the best the TA could offer. We all felt pretty excited to check it out, did we possibly miss the tide on purpose in the hope of home baked goodies…maaaybe… here we are waiting for our cake and cookies.

Hugh & Roz, south Auckland sheep farmers in a previous life, moved north to set up a B&B - Tidesong. When Hugh needed a Kidney, Roz came to the rescue and following the gift that I’m sure money cannot buy she then embarked on hiking the TA herself with Hugh recovering in a camper as he drove the country with her, raising money for people in need of new kidneys. My heart melted at their love story. Roz then appeared with a little bunny who’d been attacked by a Tui, although rabbits really are classed as pests in New Zealand Roz’s kind & caring nature couldn’t help but rehabilitate the bunny!

After setting up camp in their specially made garden TA trail camp site I later returned to ask if there was anything I could do for them, any gardening or house chores - instead I was met with more offerings of cake! I graciously declined still full from round one, but they agreed I could help feed the sheep. Hugh discovered his sheep (a small flock of 15 compared to their previous life in Auckland with a flock of 3000!) LOVE Mangrove fruit, in fact he had learnt this a long time ago from areas of sub-Saharan African where they feed sheep Mangroves. Hugh informs me it stops sheep and cows passing gas…could this help slow global warming??

The following morning Hugh leads us across the muddy Mangroves and waves us on our way…

I’ve ran from the west shores of 90 mile beach to the eastern sands of Ocean Beach, and what a journey so far!

I felt like the ancient Maori trail of the Whangarei Heads Te Whare track KICKED ME IN THE NUT BUTTER!!

Pulled straight from the DOC website the history of the Te Whara track is quite interesting and maybe understandable why the track is so hard when an old lovers quarrel has played out upon its shores!

‘Te Whara was the principal wife of the rangatira (chief) Manaia.

It was here that Manaia first met Puhi-moana-āriki, an early ancestor of the Ngāpuhi iwi and cautioned him with the words “Kei whara koe e Puhi i ngā tai e hāruru ana” (You may meet with disaster from the tides that thunder there).

Manaia’s wife is said to have slighted Puhi and was turned into stone. She stands as the projecting up-thrust rock at the eastern-most point of Bream Head, known as ‘Te Wahine iti a Manaia’. 

Te Whara Track follows the ancient footprints of Manaia; a track that is at least 700 years old.’  

Ooooooh my goodness, once again familiar territory I got slack on note reading and didn’t even think to check the elevation. Having ran the ‘Wild Kiwi’ event a few years back I thought I had the terrain down, forgetting the event I had done was the easier 8km, not the longer event that actually went up and down the highest peak of Te Whare. Having already hiked 21km that day already, taking on that beast was nearly a step too far, I arrived to my friends Noomi and Josh’s in Reotahi Bay ready for a shower beer and bed time! xxx

Meet Josh & Noomi’s duck - check out James Veitch Is A Terrible Roommate - I cant wait to try this on Jamie hehehehehe!