Restless Kiwi: Walking the Te Araroa Trail and other adventures around the world: Day 15. Ngunguru to Patua.

Today 30 km. Total 365.5 km (+10). 7 hours 20 minutes (1310-2030).

I woke just after 6 after a warm and comfortable sleep on the carpet in the lounge. I joined Hilton and Melva when they invited me for breakfast. It was nice to have a healthy breakfast of Muslea, apricots and yoghurt. I then settled down on the couch to wait for the mail. The time passed quickly and I managed to post some more blogs and sort my photos.

At 1140 I checked the mail but no luck. At 12 Melva offered to make lunch and when she explained the salad she was making how could I resist. At this stage of walking I am starting to crave fresh things like salads and fruit so her carrot, lettuce, tuna and orange salad was fantastic and I inhaled the whole bowl before she was even quarter finished. I then checked the mail again and success, two parcels for me. I repacked my pack and really noticed the extra weight.

I said goodbye to Melva and left just after one. Melva and Hilton you are true trail angels. Thank you so much for looking after me so well. What you are doing for TA Walkers is great and I hope others copy your great example.

Trail Angel - Melva Ward. She is so nice she is not even cringing at my smell so close.

I had a 12 km road walk to start with. The road was busy but I was pleasantly surprised at the wide road edges that made nice of road walking.

Easier walking on the gravel on the side of the road

If it wasn't for the headwind i may have made good time. While sealed roads may sound nice they are really hard on your feet so the little gravel just off the seal is much easier walking. Unfortunately once off the main road the Ngunguru Ford Road did not have these verges so it was seal walking all the way. Also it started raining on and off but light rain and for short periods so I didn't really get wet.

Cool letterbox

At the junction it was onto forest tracks to go down and then following a pretty river valley before climbing back up the other side.

Crossing one of two rivers. Notes said knee to hip high so not quite what I was expecting

Beauty and the pain - Foxglove flowers with Gorse behind.

Foxglove

Little ferns - botanists please correct me if needed

Near the end of the river valley during a sun shower

And the steep climb back up

I was through the forest section by 1715 and saw it was only 14 km to Patua so I decided to make a push for it to set me up for the early morning tide for tomorrow's estuary walk. I made it by 2015 though my feet were a little sore from the road pounding by the end.

Cabbage Tree by the Mangroves

The smallest letterbox I have seen. Letters only.

I did see a couple of trampers camped up in the forest just short of TA km 361 but I didn't see any movement so I did not shout out.

I arrived in Patua and made my way to the caravan park. There was no one around so I wandered looking for the toilets but couldn't find them so I just set up camp by the entrance. It was a lovely sheltered spot.