Starting km: 816
Finishing km: 849
km covered today: 33
Unfortunately I've had a bit of a technical issue (i.e. I cracked the screen of my old phone.) While it's now been resolved (i.e. I've got a cheapo temporary replacement) this still means that I can't share photos with you for about seven days of walking until I get to a PC to get the photos off or get the screen replaced.
Anyhow, day 29 was a top class one. The early morning was a peaceful walk along roadsides and riversides.
As the sun came above the horizon, it turned off into some really lovely farm walking through a high (by northern Waikato standards, about 300m) country sheep and dairy farm. The views were lovely, though I was made a bit nervous by the lone cow out of a herd that seemed really stressed first by my presence, then that of the nice Swiss lady I passed, chasing after and/or running away from us while mooing as loudly and raucously as any cow I've ever heard.
After walking down through some (wild goat-filled and wild goat-smelling) bush, a bit more road walking led to the start of the track up Pirongia. At 959m it would be the highest point on the walk so far and the first "real" mountain (not sure what it did to deserve that title, but that's how it felt.)
My walking mate Cate from earlier in the track new the mountain well and had explained that despite its reputation as being a miserable mudpile, the first 2/3 of the climb was actually quite pleasant, and it was only the last third of the way up and the whole way down that could be fairly maligned as such.
She had this pretty much spot on.
The first part of the walk was a lovely stroll to a grassy riverside campsite. Next came a gentle uphill that was so gentle it had me thinking "this is nowhere near 10%. The grade needs to be 10% to get us to the top. When is it going to get miserable?"
In fact it didn't. It got a bit muddy (I could see how it might be pretty wretched during a heavy rain), it got steep (but only a bit of huffing and puffing with some minor scrambles), and it got buggy (tons of them, but they didn't bite, so their worst characteristic was a tendency to be easily inhaled.). And through it all it was sunny out, so the views out from the platform at the top were stupendous (Pirongia is the highest thing around for a long way.)
It also made sitting around on the deck at the almost new DOC hut at the top pretty darn idyllic. Sunshine, lots of (old) NZ Wilderness magazines to read, a Hut intentions book to browse and the pleasant company of three Americans (one woman, Leigh, we'd previously met on 90 Mile Beach, and Mac and Pip, a couple spending their second night there) the aforementioned Swiss woman (Yvonne) and a late arriving Brit who I'd met before in the Hakarimatas and who entertained me by quaffing a 440ml can of Bavaria beer on arrival.
The 20 bunk hut even had two separate bunk rooms, PLUS the older (but still pleasant) original 6 bunk hut next door. I chose to sleep in this one and had it all to myself. Idyllic indeed.
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