Hukatete to Ahipara A day for digging deep. The only way off the beach is to walk, and the last 30km was tough sledding. 90 mile beach makes the Meseta on the Camino Frances seem like a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. The kindness of strangers helped. The local fishermen were happy to chat as … Continue reading TA day IV
Author: 2saunter
In 2009, we embarked on a one-year family sailing adventure aboard a Grand Soleil 39, "SV Mulan". Our original sailing blog is linked on this site.
In 2017, Susan, Andrew, Sam & Max walked the Camino Frances from St-Jean-Pied-de-Porte to Santiago de Compostella (and rode bikes from Burgos to Leon as a blister recovery strategy), and in 2018 Jack also joined the crew as we waled the northern section of the Camino Portuguese from Porto to S de C.
In 2019 Andrew, accompanied by Max for the first few hundred kms, and Susan for the Tiscan section, walked the via francigena from Canterbury to Rome. That journey is blogged in this site.
This blog is planned as an alternative to the endless instagram posts used previously to communicate with those interested in our travels - although there is a linked instagram account as well!
TA day III
Maunganui Bluff to Hukatere campsite In walking the beach you are slaves to the tides, and like yesterday, today’s mid-morning tide dictated a prompt start (i. e. no tea with breakfast) and a two hour coffee break in the sand dunes waiting for the high tide to abate. The early start did permit photo ops, … Continue reading TA day III
TA day II
Twilight Beach Camp to Maunganui Bluff campsite. A brisk start over undulating former sand dunes until confronted with a spectacular view down 90 Mile Beach. Thankfully I am not north bound (NOBO in TA parlance) as the extensive wooden staircase would be a killer at the 2,885 km mark. Life’s a beach! And so to … Continue reading TA day II
TA day I
While in Covid quarantine I read the first two volumes of Edward Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall if the Roman Empire”, so I have decided it is appropriate to use Roman Numerals for the day count. Cape Reinga lighthouse is km 0 So, day I of the Te Araroa was s relaxing … Continue reading TA day I
SCT Phase II Day Four
Lewis Lake to Elk Lake Living by the light of day, I was woken in the middle of the night (about 8pm) by hikers navigating by headlamp. They'd missed the turn in the trail and almost stumbled into the lake. When I was pitching my tent there was another hiker waiting for his girlfriend, and … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Four
SCT Phase II Day Six
Suicide Creek to Lang Bay store Normally one would be continuing on the trail to Mt Troubridge, but the proximity of the long weekend was more enticing than bagging another summit, so I hiked the first ten kilometres until I hit Dixon Road, then walked the two km out to the Lang Bay store on … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Six
SCT Phase II Day Three
Fiddlehead Landing to Lewis Lake Yesterday was just a warm up for today's climb up Tin Hat Mountain, but 1,000m vertical before lunch is the name of the game on this trail. The climb wasn't as compelling as yesterday's (no distracting fungi) although there was a rock fall with some mammoth boulders, but as they … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Three
SCT Phase II Day two
Inland Lake to Powell Lake. It's a big lake! Confederation Lake morning tea stop First order of business after breaking camp on Anthony Island was to fashion a replacement walking pole. Luckily there was a cedar that had fallen on the trail, so I whitled a stout walking stick and set off up rhe rather … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day two
SCT phase II Day One
Powell Lake to Inland Lake I wrote these blog entries a while ago, but didn't publish them at the time as I hadn't loaded any photos. So better late than never (although it's possible you may disagree with this sentiment) here are the posts from phase II of my SCT hike...... I'm back on the … Continue reading SCT phase II Day One
SCT Phase II Day Five
Elk Lake to Suicide Creek 2nd growth clearcut revealing the original stumps - a poignant reminder of what can't be replaced Another day, another hill to climb... And I was glad I didn't rashly decide to continue on to Walt Hill yesterday. It was a pleasant hike, as long as one's idea of pleasant is … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Five
2saunter 