Well, another one of my favorites in the Hauraki Gulf is Aotea Great Barrier Island. Whenever things get a little much, I dream myself away to Aotea, and now and then, I make the time to head out there. I am not sure whether it is the remoteness of the last barrier before the vastness of the Pacific Ocean (hence the name), the time travel aspect of feeling to go back in time to an Aotearoa from 20 years ago, the plentiful hiking opportunities or if it is the characters you get to meet and with who I, to some extend, share the fascination of a place so out of the way.
Back in November, when I hiked through Northland while on Te Araroa, I had to skip the stretch between Ruakaka and Mangawhai. I attended a conference then and needed to return to Auckland for a few days. As we knew it would be much easier for me to return north and hike the section during a long weekend, my partner John continued hiking. Well, it took almost a year to go back and close the section, as it turned out a little harder to actually make the time to hike it.
The last time I was on Tiritiri Matangi, the bird sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, I noticed a bunk house. This facility is run by the DOC (Department of Conservation), so you can stay on the island. Staying in the bunkhouse is in high demand as it is popular among volunteers staying on the island, but it is also for bird-watchers as nocturnal birds cannot be seen during a day trip.
The flight into Christchurch from New Plymouth was uneventful. After landing, I made a beeline towards the exit and took a taxi through the cold and dreary city to the Intercity bus terminal in the city center. As the bus was a little late, I enjoyed a coffee at a coffee shop opposite the bus stop. I expected to experience some of Canterbury’s and Otago’s scenery along the coast. However, after boarding the bus, the ride went through endless fruit plantations, flat farmland, and rather dull countryside towards the south.
John was making good progress towards the end of Te Araroa, and I planned on joining him in Invercargill to hike the last stretch with him to Bluff. As I had some flexible time workwise ahead of me, I wanted to take it a little slower and make it a worthwhile trip going south. As I have never been to New Plymouth but always marveled at Mt Taranaki when flying south from Auckland, it was time to visit this volcano.
Aotearoa New Zealand – that’s unique bird life and a very fragile flora and fauna. Living in Auckland also means being only a ferry ride away from a few islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Motutapu is my favorite; I have been there plenty of times. But there’s one island I have yet to go to: Tiritiri Matangi.
The last day on Te Araroa!
A little overwhelmed by Wellington city life, I was looking forward to leaving the hustle behind and walking towards Island Bay, which is south of the city and not far from the airport.
After spending time at home in Auckland to nurture my feet, I boarded the „Northern Explorer „train. I might as well make it enjoyable and exciting to return to the trail (I love traveling by train). My right foot was almost pain-free, and my new pair of Altra Lone Peaks should do the trick for the remaining kilometers to the terminus of TA on the North Island.
Leaving Whanganui after five days on the river felt very exciting as it was way more comfortable to be back hiking and on solid ground. However, ahead of us were roughly 100 kilometers along mostly backcountry roads to Palmerston North.
The River! The closer we got, the more excited we were. Everyone hiking the TA knows what is meant by “the river”: a stretch of Te Araroa in the North Island is actually on the Whanganui River.