Day 64: Ngaporo Campsite to Flying Fox Campsite (40km, 7 hours)

The river was covered with mist when I woke up, which was both beautiful and mystical. 

Before breakfast I chatted with Jonnie about moments from previous parts of the Te Araroa. I particularly recollected the final day of my first TA journey, fording the estuary to Long Bay and walking down the bays to Central Auckland and home. I think for the first time I was aware of that sense of my journey ending soon - Whanganui is only 3 days away, after all. As I packed up my tent, I thought of the lyrics to White Wine In The Sun again, and burst into tears.

I cried yet again as I was trying to explain it to Chris and Lynne, as we were getting ready to launch the canoes. I'm looking forward to the end of this particular journey, but at the same time I don't want it to come. Ahh, endings!

I was nervous about today's route - mainly because of the dreaded 50/50 rapid, which we were going to encounter within the first hour or two. I really didn't want to repeat our first day's drama - and this time I was at the back steering again! If we flipped, it would be my fault. The mist was clearing as we set off at about 8am - it was going to be a sunny day today.

Mist clearing over the river in the morning

Getting ready to head off with my fellow paddler

We had agreed to paddle along with Chris and Lynne until after the 50/50 rapid, just in case either of us got into trouble. The rapids for the first hour were all gentle enough. Once again we were passing high cliffs, with increasing numbers of goats, and geese - and a huge dead pig lying at the water's edge. 

The 50/50 rapids when we came to them were almost a letdown - so much so that we wondered for a while if they even were the dreaded rapids! Probably the river level was still high from the recent rains, making the rapids much easier to pass - there were some big standing waves, but not the worst we had encountered, and we barely took any water on board. Nonetheless we both felt very relieved that we had passed through safely. From here on there weren't supposed to me any further rapids of concern.

Lunch was on a sandy beach, eating burritos that Lynne had made for us this morning with her leftover refried beans. My knees were starting to get burned in the sun, and I ended up fishing out my rain pants to cover them for the rest of the trip. I discovered that the ass had been torn out of my rain pants from when I was shuffling on my bum across the peak of Tongariro - they are useless for rain protection now, but were just what I needed to protect my lily-white thighs from the searing sun.

Stopping for lunch. Thanks Lynne for the burritos!

Chris and Lynne paddling past

Our campsite tonight was at the Flying Fox - an eco-retreat that catered for TA hikers too. The river was calm and we needed to battle a few headwinds at times, but we'd had a good lunch and were up to the task. The only problem was we weren't sure where the Flying Fox was - we certainly didn't want to overshoot and miss it! I was starting to get a bit worried, but breathed a sigh of relief when we saw a half-hidden sign, and wires across the river that turned out to be the cable car that the Flying Fox was named after.

It was rather tricky tying up the canoe to the bank (there was no beach!), and the longest uphill trek yet with our barrels. But the Flying Fox when we reached it was amazing. It had fruit trees, chickens, outdoor showers - even wifi and a shop. With wine! It was just the four of us again staying in the campsite - there were a few others staying in one of the lodges on the property, but we barely saw them.

It was great relaxing with Chris, Lynne and Jonnie over a bottle of wine and a couple of beers, surrounded by chickens. Dinner was the last of my heat 'n' eat tortellinis. I ended up in my tent using the wifi to post some pics to my blog for the last few days, before falling asleep.

The Flying Fox camp has everything. Even chickens!

All set for the night

Wine and a couple of beers from the campsite shop

Checking on the canoes before bed

Today’s route