Day 26: Dome Valley to Puhoi (25km, 8 hours)

The music playing in my mind these days seems to be increasingly bizarre. And very retro. I was recalling fragments of “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” by Neil Diamond as I was packing up my tent this morning. I was off at about 6:30am.

Today was long, but not too arduous. And the trail varied a lot, which was nice but a bit of a test of navigation. Initially it was an overgrown road, with the grass so high and covered in dew that my shorts and shoes were drenched. Then a narrow trail through bush, until it popped out on a gravel road.

The view south from the gravel road, still misty.

Then some road walking for a while, crossing Kaipara Flats Rd along the way, before turning up a driveway and through private farmland. Over various stiles, through a couple of gates, around a snorting bull, and across some hay fields.

He was giving me the evil eye. I gave him a wide berth. Though as I had to go directly behind him, maybe it wasn’t that wide.

More grass, head-high at times.

Back into an old gravel forestry road, going up to the top of Moirs Hill. Rather relentlessly up, for over an hour. 

My 10am pic: almost finished grinding my way up Moirs Hill. I’m headed for that transmission tower in the distance.

Looking back down the hill, towards Kaipara.

I finally passed the summit, where it was down a little trail under ferns and native bush. Then roads. Then another trail. Then through more farmland. The route was fairly complex - I had to keep checking my notes and my TA app to be sure I was on track.

More trails!

Lunch break, under Sugarloaf Rock, looking out east. That’s almost the last of my food.

What I was looking at!

Finally I ended up at the Puhoi Track, the final 5km stretch to Puhoi. Over a swing bridge, then through some native forest, along a nicely maintained path. And up (and down) lots of steps - I hadn’t counted on that!

My first swing bridge this trip. But it was pretty sturdy. The wobbly ones are always more fun.

Looking down into Puhoi. But what’s that crowd?

I was getting pretty tired by the time I got to Puhoi. I’d heard that the Woodchopping Championships were being held here today, and sure enough Puhoi was heaving. There were hundreds of people outside the old Puhoi Pub drinking and watching the action, including some interesting characters (I saw at least one Mongrel Mob member, full face tattoo and patch on display). I’d been visualising a cold beer, but the queues at the pub were huge - I gave it a miss, and had a lemonade at the general store instead.

I was staying at a local backpackers, a kilometre out of town. The owner Pip drove past as I was walking there, just as well as I’d missed the driveway. She has a little cottage dorm for backpackers, on the edge of a farm, with all the amenities you would want, and just me in it today. Plus various chickens, pigs, horses, etc.

The locals came to say hi. I think they sleep under my dorm.

My room for the night. Comfy!

Pip offered me a hot shower in her house, and very kindly gave me four eggs and a bowl of plums. With me virtually out of food, and my sore feet not feeling like walking back to the store to restock, that’s dinner sorted. Thanks Pip! (I just have 1 OSM bar and a little granola left, that will have to do for breakfast tomorrow - but I can get something mid-morning at the Waiwera dairy if I need to, and then top up as I pass through Orewa).

I settled in to do some washing, air my tent, have dinner, write my blog, and rest my feet. Only 2 more days till I’m home!