Wandering boots that wander tour: Day 24 Wandering to Auckland from Waiheke Island

By the numbers

1 fitbit that had monsters fighting on the screen.

21,550 steps

14.85kms

1 ferry

3 trains

I got up early as I was hoping that it would not be raining and hoped that I could get to the ferry in a timely manner. It wasn’t that far to walk to the cafe where I wanted to have some breakfast. I had heard the cafe was a Turkish cuisine one and I never noticed when I was there at the time. Once I had ordered, I had the cafe chick ask if I had been camping and I told her where I was staying. She asked if I had gone on any of the walks and I told her I had and spoke about the wreck I had found. Not everyone actually understands when I mention an old boat down in such and such. I said that its a bit stuffed go take anywhere. Once I had eaten and made my way to the bus stop where I didn’t have long before the bus came. I was watching how silly the ducks were as one flew onto the road and stood there in front of a car before running off in front of another car.  Having no problems getting a ticket, I was surprised by the slowly growing line before the ferry arrived. People had literally appeared out of nowhere.

The ferry ride over to Auckland wasn’t that bad at all and I was reading on the way over, although it didn’t seem like a very long trip. I was looking forward to getting to the city and sorted out. I had washing that needed to be done and once I was free I could go anywhere. I knew I needed the city link bus that does a circuit of the CBD area of Auckland and visits Karangahape road, which is near where I needed to walk to the hostel. I was happy with that and when I got there, I couldn’t check in until 2pm and it was around 11am. I spent the entire time doing my laundry and while in the dryer, which had a huge amount of lint in the catcher. I had lunch and walked past a barber, where I ended up getting my hair cut along with a huge amount of product put in. I was hanging around the hostel waiting for the time after I had picked up my dried clothes. My bags were in storage so they were safe where they were. Once I could check in, I got my bags out of storage, which had multiplied since I had first been in there. Once I sorted out my bed and found a chest I could lock my gear in, I was off to the train station.

I wanted the train to Otahuhu as I had seen a memorial for a soldier involved in the Waikato wars. He was Colonel Marmaduke Nixon and the monument was located on the Great South Road, which was once the trail the soldiers took when going down to the Waikato region to fight the Maori and there were redoubts and other defensive positions built along the way. While on the train I soon discovered free wifi at the train stations under the name of At Hop being the name of the travel card.  I had bought myself an updated set of Auckland maps better than anything you can find online especially when they include cemeteries. I followed the map to the Nixon memorial and looked around before heading back. I had taken a few pictures that I wanted since I seemed to be collecting New Zealand wars monuments. The next idea I had as the day was slowly running out was to visit Manukau. I had flipped to the correct page and was wondering where to go as it was an area that I had little interest other than the Great South Road and Redoubt road that once had a redoubt somewhere nearby. I spotted a settlers cemetery so wanted to look at that. I did have the thought of visiting the botanic gardens, although I am not so sure I can walk there after looking at the map. Not with Auckland type traffic.

I think I was doing a tour of Auckland by going out as far as I could since Manukau was as far as I could go on that line. It looked like the shopping centre had been placed there and the town grew around it. I wasn’t actually sure what to think other than it reminded me of the Tweed area. The cemetery was really a memorial, which was in memory of the Woodside Methodist cemetery right next to the Rainbow’s End theme park. I did wonder if that was why it was no longer a cemetery or because of everything else too. The theme park had been shut for the day and I headed over to the shopping centre with the intention of heading back to Britomart. I ended up stopping for a bite to eat as I needed some fuel. I knew to listen to my body and I fed myself before wandering off again realising the shops were closing. I headed to the train station to find one train had been cancelled due to signal problems from Britomart and another would soon be arriving 20 mins later. I wouldn’t have attempted to get a bus as the traffic had been bumper to bumper the entire time I had been in Manukau. We were soon off by train that I was happy to be off again before it became dark.

It was after 7pm by the time we arrived in Britomart. Britomart is the main train station in Auckland city and was once a fort well before the train station at Britomart had been built. Something similar happened to Fort Macquarie where the Opera House now stands in Sydney. I caught my friendly link bus up to Karangahape Road and this time I wanted to visit a New Zealand War monument in Symonds street cemetery. I had a fair idea where it might be and with it slowly getting cooler and dark, I went in search. Down by the highway overpass, I seen someone sitting with a bag and told myself I am going no further with people sitting around down there especially when I was on my own and it was getting late. The person could have been harmless, but I didn’t want to find out and maybe he was thinking the same of me as well. I do not know. I headed back to the hostel where I found the card wouldn’t work in my room. It got me into every other door except where I was staying. I got that fixed and had a shower as I needed one especially since I had a hair cut.

The plan for tomorrow is to visit the New Zealand national Archives. I have two options and that is to catch a bus or to get a train part way and catch a bus, which was what I would do anyway. Afterwards as I would have fried my brain go for a walk up One Tree Hill all because I can. We shall see if that plan actually happens or not.

Wandering boots that wander tour: Day 23 Wandering Waiheke Island

By the numbers

Several bus’

1 wreck

Unknown steps

23kms at least

1 glitchy Fitbit

I must have been really tired the night before and crashed not long after I had finished my blog. That was around 9pm and I must have needed the sleep as I woke up refreshed. The night had been really cold, but my bed was warm so I couldn’t complain very much at all. The skies when I woke up were cloudy, but I wasn’t sure if it would rain. I had gotten a cup of noodles for breaky so I was eating those, although the water seemed a little funky here. Since it was still a little cold, I would wear a jumper until it warmed up. My plan was to get an At Hop card, which will allow me on the bus’ on the island and within Auckland. From there I never had a fair idea.

I wanted to head into the ferry wharf at Mataitia to grab an At Hop Card so I wandered there from Fossil Bay where I was staying. On my way I would get distracted as I wanted to know where several roads went as the day before I had wandered into town via the beach. Seems the day was garbage day and there were bins out for collection. I ended up outside of the library and artworks centre, which I had not seen the day before, but I was actually looking for street signs. Of course I had to cross the road to look at several bits of artwork in Alison Park and a sign told me to walk at least 35 mins to the furthest Winery. Not the direction I wanted to go. I walked down the road towards Oneroa as it was the town I had visited the day before and found I was actually at the upper end where I had looked wondering what was in that direction. I turned around and headed to the ferry wharf. It wasn’t actually that far there and I did pass several trails as they are all conveniently signposted. I found the ticket office and found that its easier and cheaper to buy a ticket for the ferry instead of using my Hop card. Also the bus far for the island would go from $3 down to $1.50 each time I used the bus. I was more than happy to have a card as it had been my plan since before I left home. While at the ferry wharf, I got myself a coffee as by this time I needed one and a bottle of water.

After the coffee I wandered to the back of the building where the bus’ do tend to arrive to find there was a historic reserve that would take me back around to Fossil Bay, but apparently you cant walk it on high tide as part of the walk wouldn’t be visible. Thinking I would wander towards some tracks and then jump on a random bus to take me anywhere. Somehow I found there was a rock that said to respect the dead. I found a small fenced off grave near to where the Kayaks were located. There was no readable inscription. The area according to an info panel said that it was once a Maori village that became a farm with stockyards as part o a sheep farm. The same area later became a reserve named the Te Atawhai Whenua Reserve, which is all forested and has tracks. The beach down at Matiatia could have been mined, but the owner never used the license. I decided I would walk part of a track called the Church Bay track that would take 1.5 hours.

I intended to only walk part and I ended up doing a bit more than I intended. I ended up at the top of the headland at the entrance to where the ferries go through at Maiatia. I had been watching several go past to and from Auckland. I could see some of the other islands that I cant remember the names of, but one was once a quarantine station and another was owned or had the accommodations of Sir George Grey one of the early governors of NZ and who had been governor of South Australia too. I came to a huge problem on the small headland where the grass had been cleared and the track had vanished especially since there was no marker. I had a look at the distant Auckland city and then tried to figure where the path to Church Bay appeared. I could see it in the distance and what looked to be a path in front of me. The path soon became unworkable and required a little climbing down as the rest of the path was several metres away. After carefully making my way down some badly eroded path I came across the actual path. I had gone off road by accident. The same thing did happen when I ended up at the beach at Church Bay as I wanted to wander the Church Bay Road back to town. A track led me down to the beach and there wasn’t a real path that could take me to the road as I thought I had missed it. A random set of stairs I took sent me back to where I decided instead to take another road into town. There had been either council workers or DOC workers who had been maintaining the tracks by cutting the grass as I had passed two lots. I ended up outside the Cable Bay Winery where I powered up the road as I was wanting to get back to Oneroa to have some lunch as it was close to that time of day. I ended up finding the track for the way to the town via the Te Atawhai Whenua Reserve. By this time my Fitbit was playing with me. I knew I had done at least 12.3 kms and when I looked at it minutes later it had reset for some reason back to 0 and I had only done 64 steps. The Fitbit was actually laughing at me with its dotty images.

Getting back into town I stopped at a nice little cafe or coffee that I found was a double shot and something to eat. After food I was going to catch a bus and I had just missed two of them. I cant be blamed when I found a nice shirt and a book on Waiheke Island history. Deciding not to wait I walked down to Blackpool wondering what was down that way. I soon came across a Maori cemetery and walking to the track that I found was the other end to Church Bay track near a Maori Marae, I came across something for interesting and random that I had been squinting at in the distance. Turns out I had found the remains of the last sailing scow that had worked in the Haruaki Gulf, the Rahiri that was a historic wreck according to Auckland Council. If I had hired a bike or scooter then I would have missed this. The map marks it as a low tide walk and the tide luckily was way out so I could walk around the wreck. Deciding to walk on, I followed the road that was narrow to Surfdale. Everyone used this unsealed road and the signs told people that. It was a nice walk too. Not knowing where else I could go as I was thinking that walking to Ostend at least 3 or 4 kms away was too much, I thought catching a bus there or to Onetangi Beach would be good.

I had a 20 or so minute wait for the bus and half way to Onetangi, I jumped off as I seen a cemetery. I had looked at the little cool houseboats in Ostend, but knew I would run out of time. Across the road, I could see part of the Baroona a ferry that once worked the Hauraki gulf for 55 years. Everything was nearly closed as it was just after 4pm. I had a look in the cemetery and it was a lawn cemetery that was too modern for me. There is a historic cemetery on the island, but I need my own transport to get there. Again I waited for the next bus and it was a short trip to Onetangi where several others got off with me. The bus driver recommended a cafe further down the road. It was a good recommendation as I ended up with bangers and mash as I hadn’t had snags since I been in NZ. I did have a wander after tea and found there is several nudist beaches, but I was wanting to head back. I was toying with the idea of stopping somewhere else on my way home, but knew it would be a bad idea as I was buggered, but still had to walk. I got off at the regular stop where I went into the supermarket to get water as I didn’t like the tap water where I am staying. I was pretty lucky as I found the walk from another street to be easier than the original one I walked earlier in the morning. I found a bus stop too or else I would have to lug a bag on my back. I think I will visit the cafe for breaky before catching the ferry in the morning to head to Auckland. I could have done a load of washing here, but they have no dryer. With the weather being cool, I don’t think it would dry. I did learn there was gum digging on Waiheke Island once the Kauri logging had finished. Man o’ War Bay had been named for the British navy ships after the Kauri for their staffs or something like that.

Wandering boots that wander tour: Day 22 Wandering to Waiheke Island

By the numbers

10,556 steps

7.32kms

2 bus’

1 ferry

The day started off blowy and there was a slight chill in the air that I was willing to ignore and could do so for most of the day. The night before I had spent a bit long doing my blog as I was distracted by the TV and the shows like Supernatural. You could be mistaken that it was far from being anywhere near summer. I made sure I was at the bus stop ahead of time and my fitbit said the distance was only 400 metres from the motel I was staying at. That never bothered me and I was happy to finally get the bus down to Auckland, although I had to wait in Kerikeri for the next one. I had to throw my own bag onto the trailer of the mini bus and we did the same course as we did several days before. They loaded the bags onto the other bus if you were going further and we had to wait for the bus to return. I was happy to do that and needed to use the loo anyway. The brain niggled me once the main bus arrived that my bag was still on the other bus having been missed even though I knew better.

Since I had not taken the bus from Kerikeri before the trip just seemed to take longer and I wanted to get off. By the time we got to Whangarei, the bus was full. Everyone was wanting to head down to Auckland. Using the wifi I managed to get myself an app that could scan archive documents and turn them into a file. I will learn how to do this and then give it a try. Hopefully it doesn’t kill the battery. Once we reached Auckland I learnt my bag was indeed under the bus. My next step in the journey was to head down to the ferry building so I could get the boat to Waiheke. As I was not worried, I walked from the Sky Tower all the way down Hobson Street to the ferry terminal. Along the way I passed other travellers who were going up the hill or seemed to be lost. I found the Auckland Tepid baths that I had seen on a list somewhere of places to visit or where soldiers in WW1 had gone. I had ended up right next to the maritime museum and still had to walk a little bit. The lady at the counter where I got my ticket told me the ferry was just boarding and if I was quick, I could get it since it was late. Waddling to the ferry line up, I managed to get onto the boat with heaps of time. It had taken at least 15 to 20 mins to walk there and I had not expected to get the 3pm service.

I sat on the back of the ferry and finally succumbed to the need to wear a jumper. I had read that you have little time after getting off the ferry to get a bus. I had asked a taxi to take me to where I was staying as I asked how busy it would be and they told me to get the bus and walk from the stop. I wasn’t really wanting to do that, but I would. The bus was at least 10 mins away when I got off the ferry, but I was happy for that and then there were the kids getting into trouble for annoying others on the first bus that had arrived. Once I got onto the bus and the others were loaded on, one kid got told off for pushing and told to get some manners. The kid was grumbling about getting told off and I just thought it was funny. Apparently its $3 to any location on the island. I kept my eyes peeled for the stop that I thought I needed and I was right. Thinking I might get lost, I turned my data on so I could follow the little dot. Whenever I had a look to make sure the dot had to run to keep up. I did turn the data off, but it was useful. I found the accommodation where I was staying and I was unsure as it looked a bit oldish, but all I am after is a bed and internet. Once I got hold of the owner he showed me to my room. There is only one shower and loo to service whoever was here. I was suggested that its easier to walk into town via the beach.

I was wanting to walk up several tracks, but realised I needed food more and that it would be dark soon. Dark isn’t good for me since I don’t have a decent torch. I wandered along the beach just down the road from where I am and the beach was actually part of a local trail. I went to the other side of the beach and onto the rod where I went another street up before finding food places. I don’t want to get caught out with nothing and I did see some of the shops along with a postal store so I will have that in mind. I found the museum is actually shut while I am here so I might look at a tour instead. At least I got a little bit of the lay of the land even if I was a little lost. The island is full of birdsongs and other animals like a rabbit I seen earlier.

Wandering boots that wander tour: Day 21 Wandering to Cape Reinga

By the numbers

7.88kms

11428 steps

200+ kms by bus

Total in 7 days: 49.92kms

My internet connection on my phone has been interesting as it gives me my exact location on the map and how far I am from a certain location I am looking at. It makes it easier to find where I am on wifi. Just not if I am riding the bike at home. The strangest thing about the hotel is that I should not be able to receive a signal at least 200 metres away. I don’t think my phone is that good, but I am not complaining as it is interesting.

The sleep was not too bad and I was woken up at 3am to a siren that went on for at least several minutes. I later found there was an accident nearby and someone had ended up in someones front yard. The person might not have survived according to the person I spoke to. The weather when i woke up looked promising and I realised that my alarm had not gone off as for some reason the dopey programmer put in the wrong day thinking it was Saturday and not Sunday. The weather reports were conflicting by saying that it would be wet by afternoon and I was more worried about the cold. I decided to pack a jumper into my day bag anyway as I had my big camera along with wet gear and water. Not long after I had gotten outside when the Dune Rider bus pulled up to pick me up right out front of the motel. On our way we were told the businesses in Kaitaia were farming and the timber industry along with the honey industry and strangely Avocado where most of it goes California.  We did see an apiary where the bee keepers were all working around them and I got a pic of one looking like he is celebrating unless he seem my camera, but I don’t think so.

We still had to pick people up as we headed towards the Ancient Kauri Kingdom where we would head off to the trip to Cape Reinga, Ninety Mile Beach and Gumdigger Park. The swamp Kauri takes at least 7 years to dry out or else they would ruin the wood. The first place we stopped at was the Gum Diggers Park. The best thing about choosing this tour was that the group knew a bit about the local history and the Gum diggers were part of that. The driver told us at one stage there was at least 6,000 people in the area digging from Croatia or that area and they intermixed with the local Maori. I knew some of this, but the prod had a bit of wire on the end to help bring up gum that had gotten caught. We were dropped off basially at the back door where we could follow the path. The first thing we could head to was a Kauri log that had been uncovered when there was a flood and the land owner was digging a drain for the water. We were warned not to stop for the 40min video on Gumdggign as we did not have the time. I did ask and they have no copies nor did they have books at that time, but I was given a name to search and I know a website anyway that could help. The park showed you holes in the ground that were the remains of gum digging and then there were tunnels, though too that i didn’t know about. It was annoying that we were rushed, but we ere also acing the tide since it was high and the afternoon would be low. The Gum digger village had houses where they lived, which was pretty sparce or bare. I had heard of a Hurdy Gurdy that was  gum washing machine. If you didn’t know the area had anything to do with Gum digging then it would just be a bare area. The land had been bought, but if it had been cleared for farming it could have had the ancient Kauri dug out, but since the original land was there with the bush you couldn’t do that. He really left it a bit too late and apparently with WWII the gum digging fell apart and vanished as varnishes were made out of something else. It could explain the dates in the National Archives and the fact that not many people knows about it.

On the way north we stopped at Rarawa Beach so that we could have a look at the beginnings of the silica sands that was used to make glass. The further you head up north the purer the sand where the sand would head down to Whangarei to make glass. We were on our way to the lunch break before heading to play in the sand by tobogganing. We passed several small towns including Te Kao that has 200 residents and three churches including a Maori religious church that I don’t know much about other than a very different building. On our way to Waitiki, which was lunch and the first or last fuel stop in the country depending on your point of view. We were passing three stations that were part the treaty settlements, which meant they were pretty big. I wasn’t sure if I had ordered lunch, but I took it anyway and would just play dumb if I got caught. I was guessing it was part of the tab. There wasn’t much to do there and after eating we headed back to where the sand dunes were for us to Taboggan down at Te Paki Stream a freshwater stream that is like quick sand so the bus couldn’t stop. When we did stop we started going up the sand dunes to go down. I had one go of it all as I was not wanting to do it twice. Up I toiled and I was thinking of recording it on the way down, but thought better and I ended up in the water. I ended up with sand up my shorts, but not from my waist area. At least I had water to clean the sand out. We stayed for a bit longer until several other bus’ turned up to do what we were doing.

Our next stop was Cape Reinga where we were not allowed to drink or eat around the lighthouse as it was a spiritual place for the Maori as thats where their spirits go before heading to the lone pohutukawa tree that has apparently never flowered. Then they head to their ancestral land past the three kings islands. We were also shown the place where the  first lighthouse once was, but it tended to be a tough place where it was on an island. Also it was manned so it made everything equally tough as you had to send supplies. One of the reasons I wanted to go back was that it was also the start of the Te Araroa trail. It would take me 9 hours to walk to the Te Paki Stream or 4 hours to get me to the Twilight Camp. Several people who left the bus here was actually walking to Whangarei from what I heard. They did see me wandering back up from the start of the track and wished me luck on the bus. I did see two of the ladies the day before coming from Whangarei actually so it was funny they were following me. I did end up down at the light house, but the wind had picked up so I needed to make sure I would not lose my hat. I had to make sure I was on time as I seemed to be the last back, but I wasn’t.

Once we were back on the road we headed back to the part of the 90 mile beach that we would run on, but we had to go back half way from where we were. Before we hit the beach the driver took us to another gum digger hall type area as known as their party town known as Houhora. Its where they spent their money and had a race track too. If you look then there is plenty to find. Luckily, we stopped for a pit stop at Te Kao for ice cream where I ran off first to have a look at a memorial to Eru Ihaka where the torch of progress was lit in the north in 1925. I am not really sure as the rest of the memorial was a world war one. I will do some research eventually. We were only doing around 20kms of the beach, but I was happy as I could see what looked to be rain coming. We did actually stop on one part for a wander where I ended up a sand dune and had to chase my escaping hat where I fell over running after it. Kinda funny, but at least I got my hat. My hat went into the dune or else I would be running down the beach. The water had been all the way up to the dune today and the grass along with the trees had been planted as a buffer to stop the sand moving in land. The end of the day had come and we headed home. I was happy that I got dropped off at the front door. The funny thing was that it actually didn’t start raining so I was good for that part in not getting wet.

Links

Dune Rider Kaitaia

http://www.capereingatours.co.nz/