Whakatane to Waihi Beach

11 & 12 yr olds at Thornton School asked some good questions

Keita & photo of Tyrese

Allan rowed me across the estuary from Pukehina to Little Waihi

Overlooking Mt Maunganaui from "The Mount"

The best laid plans of mice and men, as they say, never run smooth. My planned two day break in Whakatane turned into 3  days, due to bad weather. Then, once I did restart, my planned walk to Matata was cut short at Thornton, once again due to bad weather.

Rebekah from LIC had taken my pack on to the Motor Camp at Matata. However she collected me at lunchtime and took me to Thornton School where I gave an impromptu talk to the 30 or so 11 and 12 year old's. Phil the teacher put my blog up on the screen and I spoke to the photos.
The pupils all seemed to be interested in my walk and asked some good questions. Phil drove me to the camp after school.

The next day I returned to Hamilton for a couple of days then restarted from Thornton and walked to Matata and on to Pikowai on Tuesday 12th November. This day was all on the beach, except for a side trip to the shops at Matata. The shopkeeper advised me I was on the front page of the Whakatane Beacon that morning. That night I set my tent up at the Pikowai Camping Ground and while there received a text from a lady who wanted to take my photo for her nephew. Keita and Julz visited me. Keita's nephew Tyrese (9) is in hospital with leukaemia. In order to allow him to focus on things outside his hospital room she has had dozens of his photos taken overseas, the people then have had their photos taken holding up Tyrese's photo, alongside famous sights. We had our photo taken holding up a photo of Tyrese.
Check it out on Keita Wharewera's Facebook page.

After a poor nights sleep in the tent (the camp is alongside both the railway and the main road, with both in use throughout the night) I spent Wednesday walking along the beach to Pukehina. On the way there were several streams and rivers to cross. One river looked too swift to cross safely so backtracked to a private camp and spoke to two men feeding bread to about 20 eels. They gave me directions to cross the river via a railway bridge.

On arrival at Pukehina, after just 14km for the day, I stopped to ask directions to the camp from Rex and Pat Cameron. They invited me back later for a meal and that evening I joined Pat and another 10 locals to play indoor bowls. Pat and Rex are ex dairy farmers from Tokoroa. They arranged for their friend Allan to row me across to Little Waihi next morning.

Thursday's 35km was one of the longest days walking of my trip so far. Leaving the Pukehina camp at 7.15am I walked 5km to the end of the spit and was met there by Allan, with the boat, and Rex and Pat who brought my pack. Allan quickly rowed me across and I then walked up Newdicks Beach and on to Maketu. I spent some time in Maketu trying to arrange a boat to take me across the Kaituna River. The lady at the local shop was very helpful as was Shane at the Motor Camp. The lady at the Maketu I Site was very unhelpful! Eventually I walked the 7.5km up side roads to the Kaituna River. The second boat I hailed gave me a ride across. It was good easy walking from there, on hard sand, to Papamoa. On the way I met two fishermen Eric & Peter they agreed to take my pack 2km down the beach on their quad bike. I was collected from Papamoa by my friends Pat & Pauline at 6pm.

Another friend of Pat & Pauline's, Hans, dropped me off at Papamoa the next day.  After stopping for tea and cake at Mount Maunganui I walked up and over the Mount, then over the Tauranga Habour Bridge and to the CBD. Pat and Pauline picked me up from there after 22km for the day. As they were going away, I had the use of their house for the weekend.

On Saturday I caught a bus into the CBD and resumed walking from there. Initially through streets to Otumoeti and then by a coastal footpath, foreshore, boardwalks and roads again to Te Puna. After 21km, I hitched back to Tauranga.

Sunday was a slow start as I had to get two buses, including nearly an hours wait for the second bus. The second bus dropped me at Bethlehem from where I hitched to Katikati, left my pack at the backpackers then hitched back to Te Puna. It was 11.30am before I finally started walking. Apart from one 1.5km stretch and the final 4km the 24km to Katikati was all on the main road with lots of traffic. Once I'd cleaned up at the backpackers an old work colleague, Mandy, and her husband John visited me and brought me a a bag of fruit. They were driving to Christchurch early the next day so didn't stop long. The backpackers was full of young tourists who have seasonal work in the kiwifruit orchards and the small kitchen was a hive of activity.

I made it to Waihi Beach in the heat on Monday after 21km, mostly on the main road. Although 6km was on side roads, where I saw many kiwifruit and avocado plantations. I even saw an emu!
At Athenree I turned off the main road and walked the final 4km to Waihi Beach. That afternoon Charissa picked me up and we returned to Hamilton. Yesterday I had a small operation and will return to Waihi Beach and the Coromandel Peninsula on Sunday.