Te Araroa Day 66, Aorere (small settlement in Golden Bay) to Aorere (first campsite on the Heaphy Track)

Starting km: (1785)
Finishing km: (1813)
km covered today: 38

Day 66 started with me waking up and reading for a while while I waited for my previous night's hosts to  get moving so I could say another thank you and goodbye.

Unfortunately they were either late risers (takes one to know one!) or very early risers.  Either way I departed just after 9 to get started on the road walk to the start of the Heaphy Track.

This was a nice, not too busy 24km in a valley filled with dairy pasture but with hillsides covered in native bush and big rugged mountains on three sides.  The walk was punctuated by a stop at the charming Langford Store (/Art Gallery/Post Office/Cafe/Antique Shop) for morning tea (flat white and a yummy fruity choclatey energy bar). And later also punctuated by a visit to the remains of the historic Salisbury swing bridge.  Completed in 1908 it stood until 2010 when it was washed away by what must have been a truly colossal flood. The bridge wasn't much to look at any more but the gorge of the Aorere River with its very deep, crystal clear blue green water was pretty impressive.

A further 10km on was the start of the track. I'd originally planned to spend the night in the Brown Hut at the start of the track, then carry on to the Saxon Hut near the middle before finishing the following day.
At the last minute I changed my booking to still complete the trail in 2 days, but to do it as half-day, full-day, half-day.

So after a quick lunch break at Brown I set off up the track, only pausing to return to the hut and collect the small bag of trail lollies I'd forgotten at the hut (which, I'm sad to report, still seems to have gone astray by falling out of my pocket on the trail. Oh no!)

I'd walked the Heaphy on my first adult visit to NZ in 2004 and this section was much as I remembered it. A loooong, steady climb up through pleasant Beech Forest. Really long (17km) and really steady (not much more than 5% grade) over a very wide, well maintained trail (practically a road). But this time I was carrying a much lighter pack or was much fitter (despite being 13 years older). Or, more likely a bit of both.

After 2.5 hours of climbing I arrived at Aorere shelter and campsite. Unfortunately the 800m elevation wasn't quite enough to rid us of sandflies, so in addition to the two other campers' company I had a bunch of bloodthirsty insects (and a thieving flightless bird... a weka keen to grab anything that looked tasty or interesting if one gave it the chance.)

Still, a pleasant place to spend the night, so long as you were fully covered by clothing or in your tent!