Auckland To Whangaparoa

Before I left Waiheke Island, Diana from the Waiheke Marketplace newspaper interviewed me and took photo's of Jan and I. (An article appeared in the Gulf News that week and in Waiheke Marketplace the next week.) Jan and  Mika then took me to the ferry terminal where I caught the ferry to Devonport. Once in Devonport I took a bus to Takapuna and booked into the Motor Camp. There was quite a wind blowing and heavy rain forecast so rather than be in my tent I took the cheapest bed available, $72 for a caravan for the night. After dropping off my pack I caught a bus back to Devonport and walked the 6km back to Takapuna, via North Head, beaches and roads. As it was low tide I managed to walk the final section over rocks and onto Takapuna Beach.

It rained overnight and the caravan was rocking in the wind, I was glad not to be in my tent. As it was still raining in the morning, and I only had 14km to walk that day, I stayed abed until 7.45am. The rain stopped just after I left at 9.50am. I mostly followed the coastal path but as it was very close to the beach the sea was blowing over the path in places and I had to revert to the streets for some sections.

Coastal Path north of  Takapuna

After 1.5km I met Fred walking his dog. As he lives 2km north of where I met him and was about to drive home he agreed to take my pack.  When I collected the pack I had a cuppa with Fred  before I went on my way. My destination for the day was Long Bay where there is a Regional Park. Unfortunately no camping is allowed in the park but I had been told about and phoned the  Sir Peter Blake, Marine Education & Recreation Centre (MERC). Their facility at Long Bay has accommodation for 70 as well as large kitchen and dining facilities. As they had no groups booked for that night they allowed me to stay free of charge. On arrival Lynette, who I had previously spoken to on the phone and who had arranged for me to stay, showed me around. Later I met Paul, the manager, who gave me advice about my route the next day.  I had the spacious complex to myself for the night. I am very appreciative of being allowed to stay at this wonderful place, especially since I was an unknown stranger.

The next day I initially made a wrong turning and ended up in a new housing development and no way through the security fencing. Once heading in the right direction 8km of road walking brought me to the Okura Walkway. This is a 6km walk through wonderful bush. I met many people using the walkway, including Jonathan and his grandson who were checking rat traps.
Once at Stillwater I went to the boat club to see if I could get a ride across the Weiti River. I was gruffly told  "no, you'll have to walk". As I walked away I was told to try at the Camping Ground. Backtracking to the camp, I initially found nobody around but eventually found Bruce working on his yacht, he agreed to take me across on his inflatable tender. The hundred yards across the river saved 15km of road walking.

Bruce took me across the Weiti River.

Once on the other side a rough track eventually led me to suburban streets and then to Arkles Bay    on the Whangaparoa  Peninsula.  While walking I met Maureen who was on her way to the shops. She showed me to the bus stop, as luck would have it a bus to Auckland arrived 4 minutes latter. On arrival in Auckland I caught another bus to Hamilton, where I am enjoying a few days with Charissa.  I will return north on Friday and resume walking on Saturday.

Total Km so far = 3682.

Waiheke Island

When I first started this adventure I am having, I met Jan on Stewart Island. We walked together for a few days and he told me about his life on Waiheke Island and about a planned 5 day around the island walk. He suggested that once I got this far, to do the walk of the island. Over two years later here I am.

I crossed over to Waiheke on the ferry on Tuesday 14th January. Jan met me and brought me to his home in Ostend where I met his wife Jackie and daughter Mika. After a cuppa Jackie took us back to Matiatia (where the ferry comes in) and Jan and I walked 15km back to his home. The coastal route took us mostly along tracks but also along beaches and across rocky headlands. As we walked we talked about our lives over the past two years.

Jan on beautiful Waiheke Island

Me in same spot

On Wednesday I walked another 18km via tracks and roads to Rocky Bay. Then more tracks towards Awaawaroa Bay. At one point I took a wrong turn and ended up trying to bush crash through gorse and bush lawyer before turning back and finding the right track. There were some very steep sections. I stopped at a cafe and bought a cuppa and while there dropped my water bottle. The bottom cracked and leaked water, so I had to carry it upside down for the rest of the day. Whenever I took a drink, water would dribble out of the bottom. Later I stopped to ask two ladies, working in a vineyard garden, if I could refill my bottle from the garden tap. It was a hot day and they asked if I'd walked down the hill. I told them I was about to go up it. "Your bloody mad" was the response. I then found out why, the hill was very steep indeed.

On Thursday morning Jan ran me to the other side of Onetangi and I hitched to my start point. My 24km for the day consisted of mainly quiet roads. A side road leads off to Stoney Batter where there are large tunnels from a WW2 gun emplacement.  I got a ride with the local mailman the 2km to the end of the road then walked the final km.  I was the first customer of the day and when the custodian went to unlock the gate into the tunnels she found she did not have the key. There then ensued a Dad's Army scenario of me assisting her to find an angle grinder, then a power cord and working out how to operate the generator. Once we got the generator going, the grinder needed to be assembled. Finally when we had everything together and operating she cut the lock off. Once inside the tunnels they were very impressive. Quite wide with long stairways and totalling over 1km in length. Later more road walking and then 2km along a nice bush walk brought me to Onetangi Beach. Finally 4km of road walking brought me to Jan & Jackies.

While here I am sleeping in a 2 bedroom cottage in front of their house which they recently had moved onto the property and are doing up.  Meals are taken with them and Ive told them I might not want to leave!

Friday was a day off from walking and I updated this blog, did some shopping and blobbed. On Saturday Jan and I took part in the 25km Wharf 2 Wharf run and race. Jackie dropped us off at Matiatia and we caught the ferry to Orapiu, put on specially for the race.  Jan ran it in 2hrs 22mins while I took a more leisurely 3hr 59mins to walk it. Near the end I walked past Peter Leitch's (The Mad Butcher) home and as I did so he came around the corner, shook my hand and said "good on you mate, your going well, your nearly there".  After the race Jackie picked us up and Jan and I had Fish N Chips.

This morning, Sunday, Jan accompanied me from Onetangi to Oneroa along roads, walkways and beaches (including one nudist beach). He gave me a commentary on the various areas and where he has been involved with establishing the walkways and the graphics his company, Snapper Graphics, has produced for them. At Oneroa we had a cuppa and Jan went home and I was joined by Gary, Chris and their son Connor as well as Buster the dog. Gary is the Auckland City, Parks and Recreation Officer for Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands. As we walked to Matiatia he told me of the history of the areas we passed and of the problems encountered in establishing and maintaining the various walkways. He is very passionate about his job and quizzed me about my experiences and thoughts while walking the island. Once we arrived at Matiatia there was a frantic search for Buster the dog, who had gone missing. After much calling and whistling he was finally spotted racing down the beach towards us half a km away. Gary then drove me home.

Todays walk completed my circular walk of the island. I have enjoyed stunning views, lovely walks, steep hills and great hospitality over the past week. The around Waiheke walk is not yet signposted or advertised as such but I can recommend it to anyone looking for a scenic, if at times somewhat challenging, walk close to Auckland.

Thames to Auckland

 

It's been awhile since I last posted, so a lot to report, but will try to be succinct. After 3 weeks off from walking over Xmas and New Year, I resumed from Thames on Monday 6th January. Due to Xmas eating I was 4kg heavier! Charissa and I drove to Miranda Holiday Park on the Hauraki Coast where we dropped my pack & then drove to Thames. I then walked the 28km to Miranda. The first 5km to Kopu was along the Hauraki Rail Trail. The next 17km was alongside the main road, long and flat. Convoys of cars doing 100km zoomed past in both directions. I noticed an older camper van parked across a driveway with its rear end partially sticking out into the roadway. Cars were having to drive around it. As I drew level I startled a very old man leaning over the fence cutting bamboo. He asked if I was the owner of the property as he wanted to get permission to cut bamboo stakes. As his camper van was already full, back and front, I thought it a bit late to be asking permission. At my suggestion he moved his van further off the road. The final 6km was up the Front Miranda road, with less traffic, to the Holiday Park.  I stayed in my tent and that night I soaked in their hot thermal pool.

I was away before 7am on Tuesday morning, the first 3km on the road and then 2km along the Miranda Bird Hide Track. Later I walked along a beach where about 20 camper vans had parked overnight. Trish and John, retired farmers from Cambridge, invited me into their van for a welcome cuppa. Shortly after leaving them, and on the road again, I met Allan walking in the opposite direction. He had walked 4km to Kaiaua to buy a paper . He crossed the road to talk. Later, after reading my blog, he sent me an encouraging email. Once in Kaiaua I bought what food supplies I could from the local dairy. The night before I'd realised that I had left half my food in Charissa's car. After walking 20km for the day I found a basic camping ground and pitched my tent again.

Wednesday was a short day of 15km, all on roads, to Orere Point Holiday Park where I was in my tent again.

The 25km to Clevedon on Thursday was a mixture of beach and road. The first 9km along sandy beaches and rocky headlands to Kawakawa Bay.  Stephanie the manager of the Holiday Park took my pack into Clevedon and left it at the Presbyterian Church. When I called to collect it Anne Marie gave me tea and biscuits. I then hitched to the Twilight B& B, the only accommodation I could find in the area. Jill the owner made me welcome and gave me fruit and eggs.


On Friday I hitched back to Clevedon and walked  to Maraetai. The first 11km was along the main road but traffic quite light.  The final 4km was along the beach. I stayed with friends Diane and Andy at Maraetai that night. They had left the key out for me. After dropping my pack I then used coastal paths to walk past Omana Beach & Beachlands  to Pine Harbour.  This final 8km brought the days total to 23km. Then walked another 6km back to where I was staying. That evening I joined Diane and Andy in playing social bowls and a couple of beers followed by dinner of sausages and salad.  I had not seen my hosts for a number of years so later, over generous measures of rum, we caught up on each others adventures. Since last meeting them they had spent a few years in the UK where they bought a boat and sailed around Europe. After soaking in their spa I finally got to bed about midnight.

Friends Andy & Diane at Maraetai

I stayed in the unit at Diane & Andys place.

Saturday was another 25km day. After a substantial breakfast Andy dropped me at my start point about 8.30am and Diane later gave me a toot as she drove past on her way to work. After walking on the main road for 4km I then took side roads for the next 6km past lifestyle blocks, many of them with expensive houses on them. Another 2km on the main road brought me to Whitworth. A short walkway, side roads, main road and 7km of Coastal walkway took me to Melons Bay.  Diane had dropped my pack off at my destination for that night. This was a 4km walk from Melons Bay to Botany Downs. Julie is a friend of Charissa and although I'd never met her before she made me very welcome.

Just 8km was my total for Sunday.  Julie served me a large breakfast and then we took my pack to the Half Moon Bay ferry terminal. She then took me to my start point and I walked back to the ferry terminal. After lunch I caught the ferry into Auckland and booked into a backpackers in Queen St.

Monday 13th was a big day of 28km. I caught the ferry back to Half Moon Bay and walked back into Auckland. The route consisted of a mixture of suburban streets, walkways and coastal paths. The Rotary Shared Path is 9km long and a wide concrete path which hugs the coast and great walking. You hardly know you are walking in New Zealand's biggest city.

Total distance walked since start is 3553km, with 1799 of this in the North Island.