Waititi (north of) to Waikouaiti (14.41 miles/23.20 kms)

I woke to a cold wet morning. The temperature was 46 degrees in the tent and everything outside was still wet from the rain last night. It’s amazing the wild fluctuations there have been in the temperature since I started.

It’s always a little harder getting up in a tent when it’s cold. I usually throw the clothes I am going to wear inside my sleeping bag to warm them up a bit so it’s not so shocking to put on cold clothes.

It was a nice place to sleep because I could hear the lapping of the water against the shore and rocks.

The sky was beautiful and fairly clear except for some light clouds this morning. The forecast was for temperatures to be in the fifties all day, and it never got warmer than about 56 degrees today.

I started out without having made the decision whether to stay on Highway 1 or take the alternate Coast Road, the scenic coast route. Both were note as fairly similar in overall distance, but I was a little apprehensive about the hills on the coast route. I stopped at the junction when I noticed a man coming off the coast road stop there. I went over and asked him which was the better road. He said the main highway was much steeper and the coast route less steep. So, off I went on the coast route.

The road started out fairly level, but I knew it was too good to be true. After about a half mile it started uphill, then down, then more steeply uphill, and down, and then more steeply uphill like this for the next seven miles! I think overall it probably isn’t as steep as the main road in one continuous climb, but pulling the Wheelie on continuous ups and downs are the killers. Even for the bicyclists continuous ups and downs are probably easier than one big climb. I know I make mention of my dislike of those ups and downs a lot, but they are the scourge of pulling a Wheelie. I prefer one long steep hill (not like yesterday though) to numerous ups and downs.

The saving grace on the coast route was the cold weather, and the absolutely fantastic views along the whole way. Traffic was almost nonexistent and because of the numerous curves cats were driving fairly slow.

There are no real towns along the way other than Karitane, but even that is basically nothing but homes and no businesses other than a tiny grocery store the size of a garage.

The view coming down to Karitane is beautiful. You can see the peninsula and the long sanding beach along the bay. The road going down is very steep and it was definitely time to use both the trekking poles to slow down.

Karitane sits right on the Waikouaiti River, and right where it empties out into the bay. The tide was out and the view was very picturesque with some of the boats sitting on dry bay bottom.

Once past Karitane the coast road connects back with Highway 1. It was about another two miles to Waikouaiti where I had hoped to stay the night. I was fairly tired and wanted a shower. I stopped at the first motel with cabins and was told everything in town was sold out because there was a surf safety festival (lifeguards) in town this weekend. My luck again!

I went a little further to the Waikouaiti Beach Motorcamp and they had one cabin available, but it was only for two days minimum. The owner pointed towards some nice looking travel trailers and said that if it was available I could have it. Turns out it was vacant, so he gave me a choice of the trailer or a tent spot. I choose the nice comfy looking trailer for $30 US without hesitation.

Once I got checked in and paid him, I asked which one of those beauties was mine for the night? He said the first one right there! What?! I must have misread the direction of his finger when he first pointed out the newer looking comfy trailer! Surely not that 1950s ratty looking thing? Sure enough, I was so excited to get that new trailer that I didn’t look past that old bestie thing sitting right in front of the office.

All I could do was laugh! Another story to tell and remember. I walked over to the trailer and noticed one of the tires was flat. I started to go in and stepped on the portable steep at the door and it tipped over. I fell down, hitting the edge of the door with my hand and cutting my knuckle. Good way to enter my abode with a bleeding, no gushing, cut on my hand. When I stepped in I noticed the trailer was tilted to one side. Obviously because one tire was flat. I looked at the tire and it was pretty old and cracked, so no sense in asking the owner to fix the flat. Oh well, I’ll just sleep with my head on the uphill side.

The inside wasn’t really too bad. It has lights and curtains. At least it has a canopy that will keep the Wheelie dry if it rains. I laid my tent footprint over the pullout bed to make sure my sleeping bag stays clean, as there are no sheet provided.

Hey, beggars can’t be choosers. I am happy I got a place to sleep and the shower was nice to have. Another plus was that because they expected lots of people here there was a catering truck set up on the lawn. I ordered dinner from the truck and it wasn’t bad.

A long physical day that had spectacular scenery, and ended up well. It’s all part of my trek, and sometimes the stranger things turn out the more I laugh about them. Those will also be the things I’ll remember the most.

Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Best wishes,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.

Karitane

Look at those ups! Close to eight miles worth! Ouch! And then notice the drop