Roads, roads, roads

My sister Elinor is an Angel – not only did she accommodate, feed and drop us back on track, she then returned from her home with Rob’s rain jacket which he had left behind. My pack cover provided a temporary shelter from the rain that fell all day!

We road walked to Turakina with one unpleasant bit along the main highway, then it teemed just as we arrived and we were soaked by the time we made it to The Old Coach House, built about 1860 and in need of some tender loving care. But we had a lovely room to stay in.

Back roads, the wild Turakina beach and forest tracks took us to Bulls in a near marathon day of 40 kms. No need to say we were both near dead on arrival. We collapsed in a motel behind the Criterion Hotel and staggered across the road for a great feed at the Rat Hole in the other pub. I wondered if I should still speak to Rob after he noticed a glamorous looking woman and turned to look at me and asked “What have I done to you?”

Quiet back roads took us to Feilding and next day it felt like yet another long walk to Palmerston North. Rob stopped often to scoop up worms from the tarmac and place them gently on the grass verge.

We found our way along the lovely Riverside Walkway for kilometres until reaching the Motor Camp. We ventured out later for fish and chips and had to run all the way back with them in a heavy rain shower. I stuffed the package down my jacket and it will forevermore smell of fish and chips – but it kept them hot and dry!

Misinformation on track closures and the lure of a somewhat enticing rugby world cup semi-final meant a change in plan, and we missed Burrton’s Track and instead road walked the length of State Highway 57 between Palmy and Shannon.  The road kill count was phenomenal and included pukeko, mallard, grey teal, chaffinch, goldfinch, blackbird, magpie , stoat, possum, rabbit, hedgehog and dog.

We stayed in the Club Hotel and descended to the bar in good time to have a beer and join the crowds to watch the game on the huge TV screen. But the barmaids were closing up as everyone had gone home! We managed to buy a bottle of beer and headed back upstairs to the guests lounge where we hollered and cheered all alone to our heart’s content at a wonderful performance by the AB’s. Cory Jane is a legend.

From Shannon we finally, after days and days, got back on a real tramping track, the Mangahao-Makahika track. Ross Campbell from Owlcatraz kindly drove us up to the start of the track – our payment goes to the Shannon Progressive Association – and off we set. As you can imagine after all the rain, the track was wet, slushy, boggy, muddy – all those damp descriptors. In minutes my knee was dripping blood, we were covered in mud but we were happy. No cars, yay. The streams were higher than normal, but no problem. We enjoyed some fairly spectacular views over the Horowhenua and as far as Kapiti from the lookouts up top, and descended to the trail end in good time.

We then had a steep haul up our second track of the day, the Arapaepae, which took us into the back of Levin. As usual, it started to pour with rain as we approached town, and by the time we got to the motor camp we were soaked! And exhausted – it was a 25km day on tramping tracks, so hard work, and we got to camp well after 5.00 pm.

Time for a day off and hoping for some better weather for our attempt on the Tararuas. I’m really looking forward to the climb to 1400 metres.

Watch this space!

Day 9:  Wanganui to the Old Coach House, Turakina. 28.2 km
Day 10: Turakina to motel, Bulls. 39 km
Day 11: Bulls to Feilding motel. 21.4 km
Day 12: Feilding to Palmerston North Holiday Park. 26.2 km
Day 13: Palmerston North to Shannon hotel. 33.3 km
Day 14: Mangahao-Makahika track to Levin Motor Camp. 27.1 kmDay 15: Rest day - Hooray!!