Day 27: Puhoi to Stillwater (32km, 9.5 hours)

Pip’s little backpackers loft is definitely the cosiest of anywhere I’ve stayed the entire trip (apart from at Tom and Blair’s!). It has tea/coffee, a microwave, wifi, comfy beds, dishes and cutlery - even a little deck with solar powered fairy lights at night.

However despite that, I found it hard to fall asleep. I was thinking about the last two big days ahead. And I’d had a coffee at 4pm (did I say it was plunger coffee?). And I was still hungry. I remembered there was still a little peanut butter left, so I got up, had the last few teaspoons, and looked at the stars for a while. The Pleiades/Matariki were the brightest I’ve seen them.

In the morning, the song in my mind as I was packing was “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” - the Bette Midler version, from Beaches. I sometimes analyse the music in my mind (a bit like analysing dreams, or inkblots). It certainly wasn’t looking like much chance of rain today. But, beaches have been a feature of this trip, and there’s another one coming up today with my old home town Orewa. “Human kindness is overflowing” is a line from the song that I remember, and that’s been an important theme too. And, the song was used in the movie to mark an ending. I think, after having my sights set on getting home the last few days, I’m starting to realise my big adventure is almost finished. I thought of my musings in Kaitaia about beginnings and endings. I want to be home, but it’s sad thinking that this journey is about to end.

I was off at 7am, for the first leg of today’s route - a kayak down the Puhoi river. Mark and Deb run the Puhoi river kayak business - Mark kitted me up and by 7:45am I was on the river, paddling 8km to Wenderholm. I had the entire river to myself, just me and some herons - it was stunningly beautiful and very peaceful. And I wasn’t using my legs for a change!

Heading off down the river

Wish you were here Paul!

Mark and Deb met me at the other end to collect the kayak, and it was walking time again. The track went around the Wenderholm cliff tops, with some great views, before dropping back to the main road and the bridge to Waiwera.

View looking back at the Puhoi river mouth

10am pic: time for a second breakfast, outside the Waiwera dairy. Not the healthiest of food choices, I admit.

Waiwera thermal pools, long closed. I remember going down those water slides 40 years ago. I feel old!

I was hoping to call in and say hi to Shaun’s friend Win, who lives nearby, but it looked like he wasn’t home. Never mind - I needed to keep moving to catch the low tide to walk around the rocks to Orewa.

I ended up chatting on Waiwera beach to Helen and Melissa, who were sitting drinking coffee watching the world go by. It turns out Melissa is the sister-in-law of another colleague of mine from Western Springs College, Heather. Yet more proof it’s a small world!

Helen and Melissa - thanks for the chat!

Me on Waiwera beach. And, horses!

Walking around the rocks for several kilometres, to Orewa.

When I finally got to Orewa beach later, I realised I’d missed the photo opportunity from the lookout above the beach. It was only a short climb back up the hill, but worth it to get a good picture.

Orewa beach. My home, when I was in my teens

In Orewa town, having - umm - an orange juice? (Ok, it was a hazy IPA)

Continuing on down Orewa beach.

At the end of the beach, the route crossed the bridge and turned to follow the estuary cycle trail - Mum and Dad, you must have cycled this dozens of times! For the rest of the afternoon though it was a pretty uneventful 13km road walk, up through Silverdale and then back to the coast at Stillwater.

My feet were sore as I finally arrived at the Stillwater Motor Camp, my home for the night (and possibly my last stopover of my TA hike!). There’s a different crowd here from other holiday parks I’ve stayed at - quite a few semi-permanent caravans, camper vans, even buses; and not so many campers or families. They have an unused hall and some mattresses especially for TA trampers, at no cost. So I won’t be spending my last night in my little tent after all!

Cooling my heals in the sea at the end of the campground.

My home for tonight. Yes, it’s basic. But it’s free!  And once again, I’m the only TA tramper here.

Melissa and Helen had spotted another TA tramper passing by in Waiwera, several hours before I came by. So I was hoping there would be a fellow traveller here. But, no such luck - he probably made it a bit further down the trail today, so I guess I’m unlikely to see him. 

I needed to put my feet up for an hour or two, they were getting pretty sore. After that, dinner was a couple of samosas, from the last shop I passed as I was leaving Silverdale. 

Tomorrow is probably going to be my last day of my big adventure! But it’s not going to be easy. I have to start with wading chest-deep across the estuary to Long Bay, which I can only do at low tide - so I will have to wait for midday tomorrow before I can cross. Then, there will be 35km or so of walking down the eastern coast, to get home - the most I will have hiked on any day of this trip. And with the late start, it means I’ll be getting home well after dark. So, a big day coming up! Time to get my beauty sleep.