Waipapakauri – Ahipara

30 Sept, 88 – 101km, 6hrs, 13km

Warm and sunny, rain in the distance
A shorter and slower day to finish the beach and Section 1 – Ninety Mile Beach.

Access to an internet service was a challenge there often being no service. I’ve been able to track a blue GPS dot of my whereabouts along the beach using Guthook and the TA trail apps. I’ve enjoyed having a third option with NZTopo50 maps to measure distance travelled and how far to go but this failed me today. It appears I have walked outside of the area of cached maps. Whatever that means. I’ve also missed not having Spotify for podcast listening offline. Work in progress.

I left the Waipapakauri Holiday Park after unsuccessfully searching for someone to pay. I joined Mike for the walk to the beach and the final leg. Mike thought it was a crime to have an ice cream cabinet in full view to people on the other side of a locked office door. Big Kid! Wanting chocolate milk and an ice cream.

Anyway onto Ahipara. Many more cars on the beach today. The dunes, sea and sky looked the same. The wind was still coming in from the sea and dark rain clouds gathered in the distance. Same view, different day and weary body.

My food has lasted well, I’ve enjoyed the prepared meals. Love the curried chicken and curried pumpkin soup. Water intake has been good carrying only what I need, about 2 litres a day and get at camp what’s needed for cooking.

Walking these distances the tide can fool you on an incoming tide. A wave can come in up to 20 metres in some places chasing you up the beach.

Ahipara came into sight slowly, a guy in a Ute yelled out “nearly there” as he passed waving furiously, 30 minutes later he was right as we hobbled on blistered feet up the boat ramp.

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We still had to find Ahipara Holiday Park, again a few blocks from the beach and locals helped with directions.

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Easy to book in and took a cabin, $90 with tv and fridge. Shared bathroom and shower. Mike elected the dorms with shower in each dorm, $35 and paid for two nights. There was no one else in the dorms so he thought he had a good deal.

Dried the tent boots and feet. Washed clothes and cooked a meal. Feet really blistered and sore. Watched the news on TV and realised I had no concentration so turned it off.

It was good to sleep in a bed and sheets.

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