Waitomo to Te Kuiti

16kms

Total 871kms

I took my time getting ready this morning because I knew I only had a short day to Te Kuiti. I slowly packed my gear up and gave my tent a chance to dry out a bit. I had a long black and a muffin from a cafe on my way out of town so I didnt need to bother preparing my breakfast. Eddy shot off before me. He will push on way past Te Kuiti so im not likely to see him again. I got ahead of schedule by making it to Waitomo in two days from Mt Pirongia so I have a spare day to use when I need it. I think if I didn’t walk with Eddy yesterday I might not have made it to Waitomo. He was so confident about how far he could walk that it made me more confident in my own fitness and resilience.

The walk today was much the same as yesterday but less than half the distance. I was in Te Kuiti before 2pm. I walked to the other end of town to the information centre only to find it was closed. I had no idea it was Sunday today. But I should have realised because most of the shops I passed were closed too. I contacted a homestay in town. I have a big room with a luxurious queen bed and full use of the house. Sue is a great host too and knows a lot about the trail. And all this for two dollars cheaper than my bit of grass in Waitomo. I have been able to wash all my clothes, plan the next 6 days to Taumarunui, call home, resupply in town and catch up on these blogs.

The next week is going to be awesome and I am really excited. Tomorrow I will follow the Mangaokewa Stream through the Mangaokewa Gorge scenic reserve and camp some where in a paddock that a farmer has opened for Te Araroa campers. There is fresh running water there which is the main thing. The day after will be to Pureora village before heading into the Pureora forest and the famous Timber Trail. No coverage through to Taumarunui once I’m on the Timber Trail.