29 km - 6 hours
We managed to locate yesterday's pick up point along the Mangaokewa Rd, so it was on from there, reaching the end of the Mangaokewa Stream, then over the saddle into the (upper) Waipa Valley - following the river via roads for a while (pic of falls), through a farm, then the theory was via some short stretches of forestry roads.
Milled within the last year or two, the forest road finished in the usual mess of an old skid site, with the continuation for a while having been destroyed completely by the logging. Not what I had expected, so the brambles that I had to work my way through at times had a good go at my unprotected legs. Tried boulder hopping along the Waipa River (river small, boulders large) as an alternative. Eventually met up with the much roughened forest road after one very slow rough km, and then made my way, including a ford of the Waipa River down to the main road. And then from there to the corner of Link Rd and Barryville Rd in the Pureora Forest Park.
From there a drive through the forest for around 10 km to the geographic centre of the North Island - so a fair way from Cape Reinga. I am having a break now while I prepare for the next sections of Te Araroa.
Hi Tony,
ReplyDeleteI have just discovered your blog. Wish I had found it before my partner and I started the trail! We completed the Cape Reinga to Auckland leg in October 2010, and are planning to start the next leg in February 2011. Looks like we are in for some interesting days. Debby