SATURDAY 21st JANUARY - HOT, HOT, HOT!

I was contentedly gliding my way down Puhoi River by 7am. The river birds were busy hunting for their morning feed as I slid by, trying not to disturb them. I had been awoken to the sound of mewing peacocks, some villagers new pet, and could have been in the mood to get my revenge on all bird life but, mostly unaffected by the previous nights excess, I was happy to just be a quite spectator. There were meant to be kookaburras on this stretch but I only saw herons and cormorants pecking at the shores. Sadly the river was joined for several stretches by the drone of highway 1 punctuating the stillness of the morning with its commuter conveyor belt. Lost in the rivers flow I completely missed the boat ramp I was getting picked up from and I almost got to the open seas before I realized and paddled back. The owner met me with my pack so I could carry on down the coast. He had done this with the other handful of people that had done this walk including Geoff, the trailblazer, a few years earlier.
          
A couple of small tracks and I hit Highway 1 briefly to cross a river before skirting round the coast to hit Orewa. I could tell I was nearing Auckland due to the volume of traffic and once I got to Orewa beach those escaping the big smoke filled its sands. Further down the beach there was a big kite surfing contingent using their big parasols to cut their paths through the surf. I sprawled under a palm and ate the remainder of my Bohemian Blue and crackers while my tent dried. I was happy to have got this far and it was now my fifth day in succession. I was getting into this tramping lark after all.

A nasty and unavoidable highway 1 stint saw me puff my way into Fruit World to get a snack and some dinner supplies. I allowed myself the luxury of some fresh vegetables as my pack was feeling light and shopping done I rested in the shade of a huge shipping container. It was too hot to continue and despite being off the highway, tarmac has the unpleasant tendency of blasting its stored heat in your face. You can’t escape the heat of the roads and once away from the sea there is no breeze to chill you sweat.

Cat nap out the way I walked down to Stillwater to find the start of the Okura coastal track. I was aiming for Okura, a town at the top of Auckland North Shore, but on chatting to some walkers coming the other way I found out it was not much of a nightspot. They did, however, mention a beach half way along the track that had toilets and a water tank so I aimed for there. It was a nice well-signed track skirting the coast and upon arriving at the beach I found a perfect grassy spot next to an old brick cottage to camp up. As the sun set I was busy tucking into my carrot and onion noodle curry when I looked up to see a possum staring at me intensely from the cottage chimney. After the initial shock I just stared back into its beady eyes. It seemed unperturbed by my presence and, climbing from the chimney, headed off on its nocturnal hunt. Packing all my food into my tent so not to encourage it I lay my head for an early night. I was going to get to the city tomorrow and it was exciting to be finishing the first leg despite having got little more than a third of the way to the end of the walk. It was a milestone and one I was happy to finally have achieved.
 
SUNDAY 22nd JANUARY - CITY DREAMING
 
The rising orb of the sun cast its first rays on to my face and I stood stretching up for my sixth straight day on the plod. After three weeks of almost solid sun I was starting to take the weather for granted. I hadn’t even checked the weather forecast for the last week I was getting so nonchalant.

The track on from the beach hair pinned its way through the bush, buttress roots curling their way round my ankles trying to trip me up. The still jungle air was cool and the morning light had barely penetrated the canopies greedy branches. I was briefly startled when a dawn jogger hurtled out of the darkness towards me but he disappeared as soon as he had emerged and I soon regained my composure. Finishing the track and hitting the main road I hitched up to Long Beach and joined the Te Ararore North Shore Coastal Track, the latest track to have been opened only about a month earlier.

Following roads to Browns Bay I decided to stop and treat myself to a French toast breakfast. I deserved it although it is all too easy to justify treats after a few hard days tramping. Some people at the next table inquired about my walking poles with an elderly parent in mind. Did it look like I needed them that much!! From my gluttony break I left the signed track to walk along the coast, rock hopping between the closely spaced beaches. Low tide was right over midday but not wanting to walk on pavements I carried on. I kept wanting to swim and cool off but I kept seeing Shellfish Warning signs stating, “treated effluence in discharged along this shore which may briefly cause the water safety levels to drop below recommended levels.” It’s ok when you’re ignorant of it but I kept out of the water in the knowledge that I could be reunited with a past meal.

Upon reaching Devonport I found a beach shower to cool off under and ten fell asleep in a park for a few hours. My afternoon naps were getting to become a bit of a habit but I had to supplement my lack of lie-ins somehow. Glowing with pride I caught the Devonport ferry across the harbor to the city. I had made it back here eventually after my stunted start and I was feeling in fairly good shape for it. My feet were blistered but my morale was high as I daydreamed my way up Queen St towards my regular cheap Chinese and Internet café. I hadn’t missed them but I was going to enjoy the cities conveniences before the time came to move on again on my hakoi’s next phase.

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