Bridge to bridge today!
After a great night’s sleep, camped in the backyard of trail angels Cameron and Robbie, it was an easy first half today, along a riverside track running parallel to the road.
A couple of k’s in there is a monument to the Ngati Naho Chief, Te Wheoro.
The personal history of this might chief embodies the extraordinary stresses of colonial rule on Waikato Maori as they desperately tried to preserve tribal identity.
Te Wheoro eventually acted as an intermediary, struggling to find middle ground with British rule, a losing fight against the inevitable.
He believed in self government for Maori. In 1884, he travelled to England to petition Queen Victoria for redress of Maori land seizures.
I guess we all know how that ended.
The track then shunted me from history to the 21st century, next to the Huntly golf course. I’ve heard that hikers are welcome to stop for a beer at the clubhouse, but it’s a bit early for me at 8.30.
I walk on road for a bit and then, with permission, I shortcut across Maori land just near the Marae before emerging, again, on to road.
Back on to a track through bush, I come out at a sculpture garden (pretty, but located right in front of the Huntly Power Station)
Regardless, it’s a good place to stop for lunch, satay fish today. (Flatbread with a shelf pouch of tuna with a smear of peanut butter). Yum :-)
This next section is about half the k’s of this morning but it took just as long.
Describing it as steep and hilly doesn’t really cover it.
I head out on the Kauri Loop trail which tracks up and up a long flight of stairs before leveling out for a bit before another ascent.
Up and up. First to the Lower Lookout before heading to, no joke, the Upper Lookout, (I love these literal names!) where I finally reach the summit.
This ascent was tough on Katie and I was starting to regret adding the extra optional hour.
The views were worth it though. Spectacular.
The Southern Lookout (!) has views over to Hamilton.
I keep heading south along the main ridge track, past the Hakarimata trig before descending to the Mangarata Stream, which was good timing because I was starting to run low on water. Time for a refill. I’ve been using the Sawyer mini water filter, it’s a great piece of equipment that is light to carry, easy to use and hasn’t let me down.
Following the trail, the track ends at the Waingaro Bridge over the Waipa River.
I keep going though and head into the small town of Ngaruawahia. Big day. This woman’s gotta eat!
Sculpture, Huntly
Mangarata Stream
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