I get why people don’t like beach hiking!

We set off about 7am from our campsite and got to the DOC hut where a group of 6 hikers were about to set off. I said we are slow see you at stair 100! Well done us we made it to stair 500 before they passed us. We really wanted to and planned to take the Te Whara track along the ridgeline to Ocean Beach. The only issue was we needed to get as far as possible so we could make an 8am low tide estuary crossing the following day. This meant we took the track down to Peach Cove carpark onto Ocean Beach. The views were lovely and we could see all the way back to Reotahi!

I am going to put the Te Whara track on my list of things to do one day. At the carpark we met a guy going up to lay bait and check the traps. He said it has been years since the caught anything but mice. Constant trapping and baiting is keeping away rats, possums & stoats. Along Ocean Beach was hard slog. I now know why so many hikers complain about beach walking. Up until now we have had low tide walking so the sand is hard and easy. Well high tide walking is a pain, each step is hard work and Ocean Beach is no small beach. It took a long time to get along and I tried to use Rowan’s steps to make my life easier. At the end of the beach we needed to take our shoes off to get over the water, we made it up the cliff and took an hour break to rest our tired legs and feet. While sitting there we got to chat to a few awesome people. There was a dad and his two kids going surfing, a German guy on his Ebike. I was jealously eyeing it up wondering if I could steal it and leave Rowan behind. This lovely couple came up to us who live in Whangarei. They came out as it is such a stunner of a day. We got talking Glenis has started following the blog, welcome Glennis and John. Glenis was very kind to take a few photos of us at our lunch spot and email them through to me! Thank you Glenis & John!

We headed off about 3pm (action shot from Glenis). There was a few km of farm road walking and part way up there was a nice lady who let us refill our water bladders.

Finally we hit the Kauri Mountain track. It says 50min walk we did it in 40min, but they have also upgraded the track since they made the sign hehe. The track was really good, some cows are in there and they have left a bit of mess. I hope it doesn’t bother the Kauri trees. At the trig was a lovely platform. We stealth camped on it! Lucky for me I have a very clever sidekick and he worked out how to erect the tent on the wooded deck. Sorry we never got a photo of it, by the time I thought about it it was too dark.