Leaving Ahipara took a wee while. Farewells, repacking and strapping legs and feet meant I wasn't on the road until 0930! One person I should mention is Phillipe from France, who was staying at the campground. He had come over to NZ, intending to stay for 6 months to walk the Te Araroa Trail. Unfortunately he injured his leg doing some hike in Australia. So I felt a little guilty gearing up and walking a trail he felt he couldn't complete.
Walking to the trailhead of the Herikino Forest track I noticed two things about Ahipara. Firstly, there were a lot of places for sale. Secondly, most homes had dogs, and I mean big, fierce fighting breed type dogs. I wonder what they are afraid of? Do their kids grow up in fear? Chatting to the local dairy owner while I was stocking up on ibuprofen, he asked about where I was going etc. when I told him I was walking to Kerikeri and sleeping under a tarp, he expressed concern for my well being, offering his house as a place to stay, to keep me safe as there were 'naughty people' living near. So there you go!
Well, back to the walking.
I finally found the start of the track, despite the DOC signs being absent (naughty people, perhaps).
Peering into the gloom I spotted another sign
So off I plunged! I have to say, it felt great to be walking in bush again! I was happy to be amongst my favorite trees and ferns after that beach walk.
The track winds through a couple of different dominant species, at one moment it was Rimu, then manuka, ferns and grasses, and then these bad boys!
Awesome, and a good stand of Kauri there were too! Quite pleased with myself I toddled along until an hour before nightfall which had me around a few kilometers short of the end of this forest. I put up the hammock and boiled watt for dinner, pretty happy with how my body handled today.
I've heard Raetea Forest is something else again, so I'm expecting slow going. An early start tomorrow then, to give me as many daylight hours as I can to make some inroads into that particular jungle!
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