Day 28: Stillwater to Auckland (35km, 12 hours)

I was very slow getting out of my sleeping bag this morning. Hard to believe, this was going to be the last day of my big adventure. 

I packed up my backpack for the last time. I knew I couldn’t cross the Okura river/estuary until late morning, but rather than hang around the motor camp for several more hours I thought I’d rather wait at the river and watch the tide go out. So, I headed off at about 8am. 

A fairly gentle hour’s walk around a coastal trail took me to Dacre Point, where I sat on a rock and watched the tide. Low tide was at 12:20pm, so I figured I need to wait until at least 11am before trying to cross.

This is where I have to wade across - let’s hope it’s easier at low tide!

My final 10am pic: sitting on my rock. I may as well eat my last OSM bar.

By 11am the tide had dropped a long way, revealing a sandbar that stretched most of the way across. I decided to make my move. I knew I was going to get very wet, so everything including my phone was sealed up inside my (hopefully!) waterproof liner. Wading out across the sandbar was the easy part - but there was a final channel that I had to ford, to get to the other side. I picked the narrowest point and with my pack balanced on my head, I waded out. Before long the water was up to my mouth, and I had to double back. I tried three more times at other places nearby, each time I was forced to turn back.

In the end I broke open my pack to consult my phone and the TA app. It turned out I was several hundred metres off the ideal crossing point! Further up the sandbar the channel was wider, but it turned out the water was shallower here. With pack on head again I was finally able to make it across, with the water up to chest level.

Sadly, there are no action pics - my phone was stashed back in my pack throughout. After drying off and changing clothes, it was 12:00 and I was ready to head off again.

Success!

A fairly easy trail led over the cliff tops and around to Long Bay, then down the East Coast Bays all the way home. But this was still a 30km walk. It would be a long afternoon. 

Looking down at Long Bay

Long Bay, Torbay, Browns Bay, Rothesay Bay, Murray’s Bay, Mairangi Bay, Campbells Bay, Castor Bay, Milford Beach, Takapuna Beach... I’d forgotten how lovely the beaches and the views are up here. But I was on a mission, and kept striding on. By mid afternoon the sun was hot and my feet were starting to hurt.

Lunch stop in Browns Bay

... washed down by another, um, orange juice.

Stunning views of Rangitoto - this one from Murray’s Bay.

Castor Bay, and my first view of Sky Tower. I’m getting closer!

Just before reaching Takapuna Beach I met Katherine - another TA walker! She was walking in the other direction, and we stopped for a brief chat. It was good to finally feel that I wasn’t the only one. 

At the Takapuna Beach Cafe I stopped for ice cream. Pear and Nelsonberry sorbet - the best ice cream I can remember for a long time, especially given how hot and exhausted I was by now. And while sitting by the beach eating my ice cream, who should come up to say hi but one of my teaching colleagues, Rachel. Nice to see a familiar face!

Walking down Takapuna Beach

After Takapuna, the route veered through roads for a while, before emerging back to Narrowneck and Cheltenham beaches. It was getting late in the afternoon now, but I was still on a mission, power-walking (or power-hobbling) steadily and making better progress than I’d expected. On Cheltenham I stopped to chat with Ed, who had helped build some of the TA tracks up north and was keen to see TA walkers. And at the end of Cheltenham on North Head, a lovely elderly couple Ed and Angela invited me over and offered me a beer. I chatted to them for 15 minutes - it turns out their daughter Samantha Symes will be at Western Springs College this year.

A road block going around North Head! I had to double back and climb up over the top instead.

Finally I was at the Devonport ferry terminal. Time to put away my walking poles, and put on my face mask for the 7:15pm ferry trip over the harbour. I had a lump in my throat.

Goodbye, Devonport. 

Arriving downtown.

I walked up Queen St with mixed feelings. I’d been keen to get home and walking as quickly as possible all day, but the closer I got to home, the slower I walked. I started stopping every minute or two and looking back at where I’d come from. I wanted to be home, but I didn’t want the adventure to finish.

I hadn’t been singing anything particular all day. But the song that finally came to mind as I walked over Hopetoun St bridge was the very first one of my trip - Supertramp’s “Two Of Us”. Fitting that it was also the last. The words were even more appropriate at the end. I had my last little cry walking up to the apartment.

Finally, my journey was at an end. Goodbye, Te Araroa!

8pm, and about to ring the intercom to the apartment.

Paul was there to greet me, with spag bol and bubbles as promised!

A shower and change of clothes, and I was feeling more human.

Good to finally be back home with Paul. Cheers!

I can’t believe it’s suddenly all over! I’ll need time to reflect on what I’ve done, and I’ll do a final post in the next day or two with my thoughts. But for now, it’s good to finally be home!