Te Araroa Trail – Day 29
Monday, November 27, 2023
Distance/ Total: 31.0 km / 19.3 mi
I got up fairly early this morning to shower before heading out on the trail. I then headed down the street to a coffee shop and got some coffee and a pastry for my morning “quick start”.
Returning to the hostel I packed up all my gear and got ready to hike. At 9:00 I took my bounce box down to the post office and sent it off to Hamilton. I walked back to the hostel, grabbed my backpack and started down the trail.
As expected the trail out of the city was mostly sidewalk and roadwalks. I made a slight detour to the Newmarket Mall to pick up a New Zealand buff. I got the last one they had.
Back to the trail it climbed up Mt. Eden to provide some awesome views of the entire Auckland area. The trail then dropped down and ran through Cornwall Park and over One Tree Hill. Unfortunately the “One Tree” was cut down in 1852 and it’s replacement was cut down in 2000.
From the hill the trail dropped back down to the coastline and followed the shore along the coastal walkway, eventually ending at the Otuataua Stonefields. The trail then followed a narrow paved road toward the airport. This road had absolutely no shoulder and I had to step off into the ditch whenever a car came toward me in my lane. It was a long, tedious walk to get to the hotel for the night.
I finally reached the Ibis Hotel, checked in, showered, and headed to Taco Bell for dinner. The menu was pretty much the same as I was used to, but when I asked for Fire Sauce I was told all they had was Mild. Taco Bell is not quite the same without the heat.
