- Days 40-47
- This section: 242 km
- Total: 1375 km
When we looked out of the window on the morning after the Tongariro Crossing, it finally dawned on us how lucky we had been with the weather the day before: it was bucketing down, and was set to stay that way at least through the following day as well.
Our next big goal was the Wanganui river, 170 km of which you cover by canoe. It was another 72 km to the starting point, for which we had three days. So three fairly relaxed days of walking, each of which we started only after a proper lie-in and a leisurely breakfast, thanks to the rain.
In Whakahoro the 5-day holiday for our feet and legs began: the Te Araroa has you paddle along the Wanganui river by canoe. It is a strange feeling: we knew from the very beginning that we would cover part of the trail by canoe – but it always lay somewhere far off in the future, and suddenly we have come this far!
The canoe section is eagerly awaited not only for the rest it gives your feet, but above all because for once you do not have to ration your food strictly. Carried in a barrel on the canoe, it travels a great deal more easily than in a pack on your back… We did a genuinely bad job of it, though, and had barely enough food with us. Contrary to our optimistic assumption, canoeing does not make you any less hungry…
We set off in brilliant sunshine.
There is good reason why this stretch of the Wanganui is one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks: running through rainforest and rock, hundreds of small waterfalls trickle into the river. “Great Walk” also means, however, that we are not the only ones out here, and above all that the campsites are outrageously expensive.
The nice thing about doing a trip like this in a larger group is that something is always happening – because canoeing in itself does get a little boring over time…
Thanks to slightly insufficient preparation, on the second evening we ended up at a campsite built on Maori land, which means: “no alcohol, no drugs” and a few other “no"s. That did not exactly suit our supply of 3 litres of rum to 2 litres of cola (to come back to the subject of preparation). Either it was a linguistic misunderstanding or the ranger in charge changed her mind over the course of the evening: first she told us she had no problem with alcohol, only to kick up a fuss at our table in the evening, saying we should please pour it all away immediately… Hm, our offer of a glass of wine to her was perhaps not exactly a diplomatic masterstroke.
The third day on the river was sadly a complete washout. But not uneventful, thanks to a few stronger rapids. Of all the boats, the one with the always-sober captain capsized in one of them. You know who I mean… Happily the morning boat lottery had sent Jan and me out on the water in two different boats!
After 50 km of paddling in the rain we were rewarded with the idyllic glamping and camping site Flying Fox. Especially lucky for Jan and me, since our food box was already fairly empty, there was a small shop selling homemade ice cream, fresh eggs and much more. We could even order fresh bread for the next morning! Paradise, as far as we were concerned!
Luckily the rain did not last long, so the next day we were paddling in pure sunshine again.
From halfway through the third day the route is no longer part of the Great Walk, so we had the river to ourselves. At the same time that means there are no official campsites any more, no information, no signs… which made us all the more astonished by the excellent Hipango Park Campsite, as well equipped as an official DOC campsite (= shelter and long-drop toilet), yet free of charge and all to ourselves.
To come back to evening number 2 (and as a reward for those who do not just look at the pictures but read all the way to the end): no, our offer of a glass of wine to the ranger really was no diplomatic masterstroke, as it turned out. As we later learned, for reasons we cannot fathom she felt threatened and decided to sleep at a different campsite because she did not feel safe… And that was not all: she notified the DOC (Department of Conservation – responsible for maintaining tourist tracks and so on), which in turn notified the police!?! So we had a lovely welcoming committee when we finished our canoe trip. The police were satisfied with our version of events at the campsite for the time being. I very much hope that settles it… truly mad, without knowing it we were practically on the run.
Since we will be spending Christmas in the middle of the New Zealand bush and may be without phone reception: have a lovely Christmas, everyone, ice cold outside and cosy and warm indoors!
Here we are:
