Day 38: Hamilton to Old Mountain Road

Distance Covered: 23 km

Roads are the name of the game and the only way not to lose is to not play. Roads into the city, roads in the city, and roads out of the city.

We did get all of our errands done. A new gas cylinder (careful conservation has led to our first smallish container lasting this whole time), a new tent stake to replace the one mangled by a lawnmower in Kerikeri, and new socks for me. And more delicious things from the bakery, laundry, and food resupply from the grocery. We left town around 12:30, already weary from the city walking.

One highlight today was the 1 km walk through the arboretum. They have a large park west of the city filled with trees from all over the country and the world. In fact, ironically, Emily saw California redwood trees for the first time. Also, besides a tree sanctuary, it seemed to be a chicken sanctuary. Many, many chickens of all types and ages were running around. We only got to explore a small part of it and wished it wasn’t so out of the way. You have to make an effort to see it so Hamilton residents probably don’t get out there too much.

Up next was pasture walking. This one wasn’t too bad, with minimal hoof prints. Also, we saw a woman walking her mini pony like a dog, leading it down the road on a leash. So that was fun.

But then highway walking again. This led us to a fence line walk through boggy, overgrown “trail” behind some houses and then to a pasture. 

The direct line would have been a quarter of the distance, but the owner wants hikers to follow the fence. Deep hoof prints in the mud and that middle height grass made for rough walking. After wobbling through that region, we next got to a great little farm track. Well groomed and nicely shaded, it was everything our tired feet could want. Well, except for distance as it brought us back to the highway again within a few minutes. Darn.

So more highway walking, a minor detour and trackback due to missing signs and bad GPS map, and then searching for a place to camp. We walked for an hour trying to find anything that didn't involve trespassing. We finally found a place right off the farm road in front of a gate into a paddock. We made dinner and no one passed us for over an hour so we seemed to be in good shape. We setup the tent. And then, 9:30 at night, this quiet country road came alive. Cars zipped within a meter or two of our heads every couple of minutes before quieting down again.

The oddest part isn't our ridiculous tent site, it's the goat tied up just down the road to the fence. That thing screams like an angry man. "Hey! Heeeeey! Heeeeeeey!". It had an unsettling deep, vicious edge to its voice as it screamed.

Tomorrow we take on Mt. Pirongia, a 1,000 meter peak. It’s supposed to be “arduous” according to the notes.