Start in Raetea Forest
The Raetea forest and the mud
Do you like walking in the mud? I don’t believe it, and neither do I.
If 90 Mile Beach was like getting hit in the back of the head with a shovel, well, the first section through the Northland woods is like getting hit in the face with a shovel.
mud soup
After resupplying and spending a night in a real bed in Kaitaia, we headed inland to the infamous Raetea/Mangamuka Forest track. This has achieved almost mythical status among TA hikers, due to the swamp-like mud and challenging conditions. We were taken to the trailhead from Kaitaia with a lovely local lady, she earns a bit of extra money in the hiking season, occasionally taking people to the track, or even as far north as the Cape. After hearing rumors about the mighty Raetea, we arranged the pickup for 6am and were on the road by 6:30, as the sun was already rising.
Amazing views on Raetea forest and mangamuka track.
We had heard that the average time to get to the small camp on Makene Rd was around 10-12 hours, and we thought it would be fine, but a lack of conditioning coming from a European autumn and beach fatigue meant we were in for a longer day.
Now you have to walk on muddy paths and then there is this hike. After a relatively gentle climb through native bush in the cool of early morning on a gravel ATV track, the raetea forest proper began with a steep uphill climb around and over trees and roots. We were occasionally passed by some other trekkers who had stayed at the nearby Krishna shrine, but this section was fine, if wet, and we were full of energy and felt like we could handle it. The mud hadn’t been all that bad as we climbed either, but as soon as we reached the top near the trig station (744m), we climbed up and down through large sections of pale, sticky, clayey mud, where those before us (and maybe even some wild boar) had churned up what was left of the path.
Barring a few (deceptive) areas of relatively dry ground or a wider track, this thick soup of mud was pretty much with us along the narrow, undulating forest ridges, and every time we thought we must be over the worst, there would be another steep, slippery climb or boggy descent to contend with.
Surviving – barely – near the top of the Raetea forest.
The humidity in the forest was also deadly, and we also had to conserve water, as there were no rivers or other sources for most of the track, except near the start.
We eventually started losing altitude more steadily, but that wasn’t the end of the greasy mud yet – it was an adventure, and for the tougher bits I estimate we would have only been doing 1-2km an hour, especially when we were (unhelpfully) trying to keep our shoes relatively protected from the worst conditions!
We think we’re constant hikers, but it was hard work and after 13 and a half hours, as dusk fell, we emerged from the woods, donned our headlamps and headed out into the farmland (and past the farm dog who was fiercely guarding his property) to the welcome camp on Makene Road.
The forest that would not end
We arrived after dark to find it packed with hikers already in their tents after their long days: we filtered the water from the torrent, pitched the tent on the last bit of available ground, ate instant noodles in the dark among a haze of insects, and then practically passed out.
Road trip, well, some of it.
We woke up the day after Mangamuka around 8, to the sound of everyone packing their bags around us. The next section, to Blackbridge campsite, just before Puketi Forest, included a walk along the state road and later a forestry track. We called reinforcements to S’s dad (who was having his morning coffee at home just 40 minutes away) to help us and transport us part of the way, across the section of road. Do your own hiking and after the grueling forest the day before, we simply weren’t prepared for much road walking. While we waited for their arrival, the campsite owners came over to check it out and we had a good chat with them: classic salt-of-the-earth locals.
Ōmahuta Forest
We stopped by Mangamuka Dairy for a pastry and then were dropped off at the trailhead for a 13km hike to the camp, through the Omahuta Forest. The site is new, built to give hikers a buffer spot to camp so they don’t disturb the trailside forest and potentially spread kauri dieback (a disease affecting one of New Zealand’s most special native trees, and which the government is doing everything it can to eradicate). We were happy to see many hikers at the camp, which has a rainwater tank, a long drop-off, and a shelter to sit in, and we chatted into the evening (as the sun set, the conversation had turned to how to protect our food from the possums that were everywhere, with some people placing elaborate hangers from the roof of the shelter: others (like us) chose to make sure all the food was in the middle of the tent, and in the morning there were reports of at least one attempted invasion of the store…).
Walk through the forest and the Puketi River.
The next section, although difficult, was, for us, the most fun so far. We left early, walked through the disinfection station gates (to protect the kauri), and down a winding path to the Mangapukahukahu stream, which we then walked along (sometimes knee-deep or more) for 4 km. This part of the walk was really special, splashing around in the cool of the morning as the cold river water soothed our feet (and cleaned our shoes, a bonus). The sun was filtering through the native punga ferns and the scenery was simply stunning around every bend – to me it felt like that’s what Te Araroa is all about.
Walk along a river, good for the feet.
Our small stream eventually met a wider river, the Waipapa, which we crossed a little below the confluence, where it was shallower (via a handy tip to note in the trail notes), meaning it only reached our calves, not our waists or chests… and we stopped for a snack and to brush the small river rocks off our shoes. Then continued along the Lower Waipapa River Track (although don’t let the fact that this section has a name fool you into thinking it was easy!). This part had many ups and downs, often without a track (or a track washed away by water or easy to lose), muddy and with many fallen trees. However, some work had been done to add stairs and walkways, which was much appreciated (especially when you looked over the edge to see what had been replaced…) It was hot and humid again, so we headed off the track to wet our heads and hands in the river to cool off.
At the end of the Lower Waipapa River Trail, where it met the trail ascending to Pirau Ridge, there was a large bend of shady shingle on the riverbank, where we stopped for a long lunch, paddle and filter water.
Incredible scenery in this impressive gorge.
It was a lovely spot for lunch and a nice break before the steep climb to the ridge; this was basically straight up, but luckily with steps and a well formed path – it felt like we were free of mud for the first time in days. The forest here was incredible, with so many native Kauri trees, truly the lords of the forest in New Zealand. Spectacular.
The river grew cold in the humid forest.
Mid afternoon we left the kauri onto another forest track and it was about 9km or so from there to the camp at the end of the Puketi forest; you felt like you were starting your way back to civilization as the trees opened up to the farmland. At the camp, which was about 20 kilometers north of Kerikeri town, S’s parents picked us up and took us to their house for a beer, a hot shower and a proper bed for the night, all much needed.
Walking steeply through kauri forests.
Kerikeri and rainbow falls
After some TLC with the family, we decided not to take day zero yet and headed back to Puketi the next morning, so we could walk over 20km downhill to Kerikeri and finish with a swim at Rainbow Falls and a beer at the local pub.
Cows are always curious.
Today’s road wound through farmland and forest, with a bit of gravel road as well. We were stopped by a local along the way, an Englishman who ran an adventure company and had been to the North Pole: he was a de facto trail angel with many stories about how he encountered and helped hundreds of hikers near his place over the years.
New Zealand classic narrow wire bridge.
In a surprising climatic twist, it was hot and humid, making it a little difficult to get through some areas of overgrown trees without shade or breeze in the heat of the day. But we perked up once we crossed the state highway near Waipapa and took the shady, well-made river trail that took us past Rainbow Falls and into the watershed of Kerikeri town. I had a great swim in the falls, it soothed my sore muscles and refreshed me, surrounded by bushes and afternoon light.
Beautiful walk along the river.
The last 4km from the falls to the basin was along a lovely easy path between Kauri and following the river: we arrived at the pub, saw some fellow hikers who had been on this stretch with us, had chips and beers with S’s parents, and then headed back to their house for a zero.
Rainbow Falls, Kilkenny
Day Zero was relaxing, just sleeping and eating; and the next day we did the fastest walk from Kerikeri to Waitangi/Pahia, heart of the Bay of Islands. Most of this section of the trail is a boring forest track through an active logging site, so the highlight for us was walking towards Waitangi across the golf course and passing the Treaty grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, was signed in 1840, between the British Crown and Maori chiefs (the Treaty has a complex history and legacy, but you can imagine some of the problems if I tell you there were two versions, one in Maori and one in English and it’s safe to say that each meant different things). There is also an excellent museum where you can learn more about the Treaty and the history of the country; and a cafe with a great view (where we stopped for a restorative iced coffee and chatted with an older couple about the TA and my plans for the next leg – we’ve definitely found some very friendly and interested people once they realize you’re a TA hiker).
Speaking of those plans, I was looking to avoid some intense road walking in the next section, so I was intending to skip over to Whananaki, and S was abandoning me for a while, so I’d go solo – more on that in the next installment…
