Day 6: Kaitaia to Raetea summit (27km, 10.5 hours)

I was feeling emotional and a bit teary when I left the backpackers at 7:30am. I was nervous about what was ahead, and missing Paul. I sent him an “I’m off” text then switched the phone to airplane mode to save battery power for the coming days. 

Walking out of Kaitaia, I was thinking how the TA is a bit like a metaphor for life. With every step, where you’ve been fades, and the finish is a tiny bit closer. There’s a lot of new experiences, but an awful lot of goodbyes along the way. And so it goes.

Goodbye Kaitaia.

With all these maudlin thoughts, I ended up going the wrong way up SH1 for 500m, back towards Cape Reinga. I had to check my TA app to put me right. D’oh!

The pack was very full and heavy, with 5 days of food and my extra gear that I’d stashed at the backpackers. I road walked 5km down SH1, then along gravel roads for another 10km through farmland to get to the little town of Takahue. By “town”, I mean it consisted of 1 building, Takahue Hall. 

My 10am pic. I’ll be in those hills tonight.

The cows are smaller in Takahue.

A sign! I must be going the right way.

Heading further, the road eventually narrowed to a rough 4WD track heading uphill. At about 12:30 I arrived at the campsite. It’s the last place to camp this side of the Raetea Forest - a bit of grass, picnic table, long drop and water tap.

Raetea West campsite 

But - the tap was dry. No water! This was a problem because there are no water sources between here and the other side of the Raetea forest. I had to double back 500m down the hill to top up at a tiny trickle I passed by.

Just as well I have a water filter!

View on the way back to camp

Lunch

Back at the campsite, the tap was working now. I hadn’t been patient enough to wait for it to flow. Double d’oh!

At this point I was faced with a decision. The upcoming hike over the forest hills is a very arduous one. But, I know from other blogs that on the highest peak, Raetea summit, there is a little trig station and a small grassy area where I could camp. If I could get there today that would make tomorrow easier. It’s another 5km away - but that is rough, muddy and very very steep.

I decided to do it. It was 2pm, I’d rested up a bit, and stocked up with water. My shin seemed OK. It had been searingly hot, but there was a bit of cloud cover now. So, off I went.

The next 4 hours were a massive effort. The 4WD track quickly turned into a rough forest tramping trail, often hard to see so you had to look for little orange markers to work out where to go. The ground was a hazard of roots, creepers and mud. And it was relentlessly uphill.

It’s a jungle out there.

Yes, this is the path.

Mud! At least most of it wasn’t too squelchy.

That peak is where I need to get to. It’s still 2km away.

Total exhaustion. I couldn’t even manage a smile.

My shin quickly started getting very sore with the uneven terrain. I was trying to protect it as every time I flexed or extended it there would be shooting pains. So I was hobbling as I climbed, letting out a few choice words whenever I jarred my foot. 

The uphills were severe, and seemed to continue forever. Thank goodness for my poles! But, finally, I made it to the summit. A little search off the track, and I found the trig station.

Top of Raetea summit

It had taken me 4 hours to go the last 4km. The first thing I did after setting up the tent was to lie down for an hour and a half. Finally I managed to eat (too tired to cook, so it was cold tuna and couscous out of a packet), and back to my sleeping bag.

I was the only camper here. I fell asleep watching the sunset through the tent flap.

What a day!

The view from my tent flap.