October 22, 2023 Te Araroa Trail (Day 25)
We headed for a quick 2 hour hike on a part of the Te Araroa Trail nearby. The trail is called New Zealand’s Trail and goes from Cape Reinga at the north tip of the north island to Bluff at the south end of the south island, a total of about 3000km (1864miles)! This tiny section goes from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to Kerikeri. We cheated and drove to the Mt. Bledsoe lookout only a few km away and started from there.
Our view from Mt. Bledsoe overlooking Bay of Islands, the land in the far left background is the peninsula where Marsdens Cross is located.
We were surprised to find out that it went through a “working’ forest, on logging roads.
We felt we were transported back to the Oregon coast, with the clearcut inland, and brief glimpses of the ocean through the trees.
We hiked downhill and past ‘Sewerage Rd’, referring to the pond we saw earlier from above.
There was a nice glen at the bottom of the hill where we turned around to hike back up the hill.
I think we did about 4 miles total. We returned to clean up and have a lovely afternoon happy hour with our host.
October 26th, 2023 at 1:28 pm
How high are the mountains (Hill?) compared to ours? Your hosts are as lucky to have you as their guests as you are to have them as your hosts!
October 27th, 2023 at 6:26 pm
Logging! I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am by the clearcut.
October 28th, 2023 at 2:56 pm
I wouldn’t say high at all, but very steep and rugged.