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| Kaylah and I at Opoutere School |
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| Looking at Pauanui from Paku |
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| Friends Jo & Peter |
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| Mangroves at Whangapoua |
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| New Chums Beach on a rainy day |
On Tuesday I gave a talk to the pupils (including Kaylah) of Opoutere School. They all seemed interested in what I am doing and if Rae, the Principal, hadn't called time then I think the questions would still be coming. Later that afternoon I completed another 8km from where Cory had picked me up, to the northern outskirts of Whangamata. That afternoon Kaylah slipped off the wet deck at school, sprained her wrist and had her arm in a sling.
It was an early start on Wednesday as Adam dropped me off at my start point at 6am. Just after 7.30am I had done 10km and called in and had a cup of tea with Rae at Opoutere School. Another 7km of back country road brought me to a forestry road. I had been given permission to walk the 5km through to the Hikuia - Pauanui Rd. I saw no one as I walked through mature pine trees. I left them undisturbed, quietly growing. It was overcast all day, which kept the temperatures down, but didn't actually rain. I had an ice cream at Hikuai, after 28km in 6.5 hours, then hitched back to Whangamata.
Another 6am start on Thursday meant that I had completed the 12km to Tairua by 8am. At the local dairy I picked up copies of the Coastal News which featured Kaylah and myself on the front page. I stayed at the holiday home of friends, Jo & Peter, in Tairua for 2 nights. Adam delivered my pack that night. Charissa came through on Thursday night and Jo & Peter on Friday. It was nice to be able to socalise with friends and family, after a days walking, for a change.
On Friday I climbed the local hill, Paku, walked the beach and then on SH25 to Whenuakite, a total of 15km, before hitching back to Tairua.
It was another early start on Saturday as Jo & Peter drove my pack and myself to Whitianga, where they had arranged accommodation for me with their friends. Shirley and Chris were away but had made a bed up for me in the unit in front of their home. After dropping my pack off they then dropped me at Whenuakite. 22km later I arrived at Ferry Landing, having walked along roads towards Hot Water Beach & Hahei, without actually going to either. I caught the ferry to Whitianga after climbing Shakespears Cliff.
Sunday was spent reading and resting. On Monday I became Santa's Little Helper. The first 2km were mostly along the beach and then on SH25. Out of Simpsons Beach Sara stopped to offer me a ride, she agreed to take my pack to Black Jacks Backpackers in Kuaotuna, my destination for the day. A few km's later I stopped to pick up some Xmas presents which had been partially opened and discarded. I put these in pack day pack and continued walking. Over the next 5km I picked up ten or so Xmas presents.
Carl and Carol made me welcome at the backpackers and Carl agreed to take the Xmas presents into the police station next time they went to town. I felt sure they were the result of a burglary. As some of them were obviously intended for kids I was keen for them to be reunited with their named recipients.
The next day Carol was heading to Auckland and agreed to drop my pack at a cafe, near where I was hoping to stay that night. The first 3km was along beaches at Kuaotuna where I was thrilled to see two tiny Dottrell chicks. I have been on many beaches with signs saying how rare these birds are. In fact I think I must have seen most of the total 1700 population between here and Stewart Island. This was the first time I'd seen chicks. A narrow metal road then brought me to Matarangi and another 4km of sandy beach. At the end of the spit there was a track around the golf course and then through the subdivisions to a cafe, where I stopped for a cuppa and cake.
As I walked over a wide grass verge on the way out of Matarangi a car drove over the grass and stopped alongside me. The driver was wearing a name badge. Initially I thought that I had transgressed some local bylaw and that this was a vigilante come to run me out of town. This was far from the case as Puk is the local shopkeeper and the owner of the Xmas presents I had picked up the day before. Carl had recognized the names on the gift tags, phoned Puk who had gone to collect. He then set out to track me down to thank me. On learning where my pack had been taken, he phoned the cafe owner to arrange lunch at his expense. The good news is that the burglars had been apprehended, with the booty from Puk's and 2 other burglaries.
Another 9km later I enjoyed a lovely lunch at Castle Rock cafe then booked into the Whangapoua Holiday Park. Suzanne & Aaron have refurbished an old Forestry Camp and have reopened it as a Holiday Park. They generously allowed me to have two nights for the price of one.
Rain was forecast for Wednesday but I took a chance and walked to Whangapoua, then over a river and along a track to New Chums beach. This a a world renown beach for which access is only via the track or by boat. It was raining by the time I got there so after walking the length of the beach I returned to Whangapoua from where the local postie, Kevin gave a ride back to the camp.
It rained all day Thursday so I stayed put and read. As further rain was forecast until Monday I returned to Hamilton for a few days. The plan is to return on Monday and start walking on Tuesday. I will be in my tent for a few nights as I walk around the top of the Coromandel Peninsula.
Total km walked to date = 3220
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