Day 45 (10 November)
Taumarunui to Owhango (27km)
Well ..... for some reason while lying awake during the night I decided to have a look at today's route. Imagine my dismay when I saw the trail ran straight past the gate of where we were staying (about 6km outside Taumarunui). Yesterday I’d arranged to get dropped back in town at about 9.00am expecting to walk from there to Owhango not expecting the route went straight past where I was staying.
So what were the options, skip that bit, but I’d not skipped anything in over 1000km so that option didn’t appeal, carry on with the original plan and accept I’d walk back past where I now was one it after over an hours walking or a third option of hitch-hike in to town, have breakfast there (yay no bars for breaky) and walk back out then collect my pack and carry on.
I went with the last option which was good in theory but had the practical issue of there only being about one car every ten minutes or so going down the road. Tahlia joined me at the gate fora about twenty minutes and gave up deciding to skip this part. My patience was paid off when after about half and hour a lady stopped (I think I pleaded “please” as she went past!) and picked me up. Interestingly ,or perhaps concerningly, she had a scarf over her face and was heading to town to see a doctor as she was worried about Covid. As I write this a couple of days later I feel well and there does not appear to be a community outbreak in the King Country so all’s good.
In my rush to get this done I’d departs without hearing aids so you can imagine the conversation in the car was bloody stilted with her wearing a scarf over her face and me not hearing.
Once in town a quick toasted sandwich and coffee and then then walk back to where I came from. All seems a bit senseless, especially because most of the either hikers I’m meeting are skipping the odd little bit but as I said above I’ve got this far doing every bit so figure I may as well continue on in the same vain.
Once I got back to the canoe hire reunited with my (new) pack and off I’m went on the road all to Owhango. Again not the main road but back roads so nice and quiet and some interesting sights on the way.
Probably one of the most interesting things was a lone ostrich in a paddock. It came running over and proceeded do what I can only assume was a mating dance (little chance) and then followed me along the fence line.
I’ve had a couple of attempts at uploading the mating ritual but it fails to work so will try when I get decent WIFI and add it to a future days blog as it was fascinating.
The first views of Tongariro were welcome as we are now entering what will I am sure be a highlight of the journey.
The weather forecast today was storms in the afternoon. All day it threatened but never delivered which was great.
I caught up with Tahlia about four or five km from Owhango and we walked together into the (small) settlement. I thought I’d arranged to stay at the Owhango pub (now repurposed to be both the pub and an adventure co.) but unfortunately it seems my arrangement was too loose and with the river being too high for camping today seems accomodation in Owhango is at a premium.
Tahlia and I had differing strategies at this point, she went off in search of somewhere to stay whereas I ordered a bottle of Speights (they only have the old quart bottles of Speights or Lion Red it would seem) and sat down to rehydrate and consider my options.
One of the issues in Owhango is there;’s little if any mobile coverage so once Tahlia wandered off reconnecting turned out to be impossible.
I actually lucked in and got a two bed unit at a local guest place but couldn’t tell Tahlia, she meanwhile found a trail angel but couldn’t tell me.
No eating options here it would seem so despite me having this enormous two bed unit with TV and bathroom etc. I ate as if I was camping, rehydrated Thai Curry and chocolate and gummy bears for desert!
Day 46 (11 November)
Owhango to Tongariro (38km) Set out this morning again winging it as my original plan was to take two days over this section but overnight I’d started to think it could be a single long day. The day starts on the 42 Traverse which is a rough 4wd track running from Owhango to SH47. Well before SH47 the TA goes onto the Waione-Coker Track and follows this until SH47.
Before I left Alan had texted me saying he’d been advised to leave the track after the redoubt and road walk from there. This sounded like good advice except I didn’t know what/where the redoubt was and couldn’t see a road anywhere near the track. I spoke to a guy who was checking a trapping line and he couldn’t decipher this either so decided to ignore it and just make it up as I went.
One issue I was aware of was that with the heavy rain over the last day or so the river/stream crossings on this section might prove impassable and I could well find myself having to camp in the bush waiting for the levels to drop.
The early sections of the 42 Traverse were significantly easier than I expected and, in retrospect wrongly, I began to look forward to a long but relatively easy day.
As I progressed the track deteriorated although while on the 42 Traverse it remained pretty passable and not overly challenging. This all changed when, after about 22km, the TA goes from the 42 Traverse to the Waione-Coker Track. This track was muddy, wet steep and quite difficult to navigate for about 10km. There had obviously been quad bikes through there in dryer times which had created deep ruts,these ruts now full of muddy water.
In many places hikers had forged paths parallel to the track but some of these were impenetrable and no easier than the track proper.
With rain coming down and walking though mud it wasn’t long before I concluded I was as wet and muddy as was possible so pointless trying to avoid the water/mud. I then just walked on through, at times thigh deep in thick mud.
About halfway through this circus I came to the Mangatepopo Stream which required crossing. This was both navigationally confusing and and also the most significant stream/river crossing to date. The navigational issue was that I had to walk up a smaller stream that didn’t really appear on my map to get to the stream proper then cross. All of this in cold water with the water level thigh high due to the rain.
The crossing went well, up to upper thigh only so no real drama.
In places on this track there were what can be described a clay chutes. It did occur to me in climbing up them that if you slipped you slide on your arse all the way to the bottom as there was just nothing to hold on to. This was a day I was glad to be using trekking poles!
Despite the difficult terrain and mud etc the bush today has again been magnificent and another reminder of how beautiful this country is.
Finally out of this mire and like a magician had clicked his fingers you moved from a muddy wet slippery bush track to a sealed road.
It was then a road walk of about six km to the camp ground. I arrived so wet, muddy and buggered that the owner just gave me a key to a cabin and suggested I come back to check in once I’d sorted myself out. I really was a mess, but a contented one!
Decided I was so tired I’d have a zero day here tomorrow and tackle the long Tongariro Crossing day the following day.
Dinner, in bed and sleeping before 7.00pm!
1975 mate. That was first time we knocked off Whakapapaiti and TAC...but it wasn’t called that back then. The track across from Mangatepopo hasn’t changed much but back when we did it it hardly existed...or we were lost...then we found our way again. The more times you do TAC the easier it gets but I confess to preferring boots. Enjoy your time off and river trip. Cheers Percy.
Good to see your Mum taught you the practical skills of sewing, but Im sure she would have told you not to walk on treble blisters*#+#
Enjoy the cricket with family in Palmy