Finishing km: 1569
km covered today: 30
More nice walking this day. The morning was a walk along the Burtton's track, a ~100 year old track named after it's original constructor, pioneering farmer James Burtton.
The track was through a mix of bush, grassy river flats and gorse-y, spine-y river flats with a few stream crossings and a small number of climbs up above the river to detour around gorge/bluff sections. It was generally pretty well built, maintained and pleasant. And knowing the history and original constructor of the track made the bits that weren't more satisfying as, instead of cursing some nameless, faceless person who designed the trail with all these stupid, unnecessary ups and downs, I could curse an actual, specific person.
After Burtton's there was a short road walk which passed alongside a dam on the Mangahao River that I'd long seen on maps of the Tararua mountains, but had never actually visited. I met Yvonne there and we had lunch by the dam, which was disturbed by a group of teenage boys in a huge 4WD who seemed intent on showing off by repeatedly driving up and then down a steep slope nearby and then parking with one wheel on a big boulder over and over again.
Even though they were the only traffic, this made me even more happy than usual to leave the roads and vehicle tracks behind and head up into the first hills in the Tararua Forest park. The 12km section through the bush was fairly tame compared to the steep and rough tracks in other parts of the Tararuas, but it was still a fun walk. At one point I caught up to Yvonne as we were about to cross a river. It was unclear where the track continued on the other side, so she went downstream and I went up to look for trail markers. She found them first, and while I could hear her voice from above when I returned she was already a few minutes ahead. I rushed up the hill as quickly as I could, trying to catch up but didn't manage it until the very summit where she'd stopped for lunch. That lady is in very good shape!
After emerging from the bush there was a wee bit of pasture walking and a few km of entirely traffic-less road before arriving at the Makahika Outdoor Pursuits Centre.
This place has a reputation that precedes it. The owners, Sally and John are tremendously welcoming to Te Araroa walkers. Just about everyone stops here and is offered a cold drink (in my case a beer) or ice block on arriving, as well as (often) a bunk in the lodge, or a big, pre-erected tent to sleep in. And sometimes dinner with the hosts, or at least the use of the kitchen in the lodge. You really did feel spoiled on arriving at this place. I spent the afternoon reading and (later) playing a game of Settlers of Catan with fellow walkers Amber and Mark on their absolutely awesome (I think they said 60g?) portable Settlers Board. Later in the day Sally took Amber, Mark and Yvonne into town to re-supply and although I already had most everything I needed for the upcoming mountain leg, I took advantage of this to have Yvonne pick me up a few extra odds and ends.
In addition to all the fabulous material assistance, John and Sally offer walkers advice about the upcoming section. I was very grateful for Sally's suggestion to deviate from the official route and take the safer and less overgrown Gable End track up into the Tararuas.
But I must admit (even though, on relfection, I don't really want to) that I was less enthused about her reaction when I said I'd planned to head to the Nicholls Hut, some 31km on, the following day. "Absolutely Not" was her reaction. She said she'd had a young, super-fit Englishman who'd been walking 50km days up to that point ignore her advice and try it and phone up after leaving the mountains to tell her how foolish he'd been. Even explaining that I'd lived in Wellington for 11 years and done a fair bit of Tararuas tramping and knew what the trails can be like made no difference.
All of this felt like an indictment of my knowledge and fitness (though I'm sure it was just my being over-sensitive and Sally's years of experience with TA walkers for whom the coming days would be the first real experience of what tough NZ bush/mountain tracks can be like. So I shouldn't have been as irritated by it as I was at the time, but hey, honest reporting here.)
All that said, as noted before, Sally and John's hospitality was wonderfully welcome and is deservedly legendary amongst Te Araroa walkers. And their work at the outdoor pursuits centre with at-risk youth in the justice system is fabulous. Which is, I think a good (and positive) place to finish coverage of this day :-)
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