Day 34 | Omaru Scenic Reserve
16 November 2022 | 20°C
It’s a lot of downhill from Mt Pirongia today!
What sounds like an easy walk will be a slippery walk navigating around roots and clinging onto tree branches to no slip and fall. I try to take a video at one point, needless to say that my phone ended in the mud with that attempt. It’s still an enjoyable walk though and though it starts out misty the sun would come out eventually allowing some good views of the surroundings. Once the forest spits me out again, it’s only 10am. After getting some water, my walk continues on forest and concrete roads, not very exciting but this time a welcome change after the difficult downhill walk.
I meet Charlotte, Connor and Julian at lunch who are planning to either stay at some trail angels closeby or continue to a tent space by an airstrip in approx 17km. The latter seems like a good idea to me. The afternoon is a nice walk over sheep paddocks and it’s the first time I do a little power nap on the trail. Very refreshing after a partly sleepless night in a hut dorm with 20 others. I think I can make it to the tent space at an airstrip until I make good progress until I get into the bush again. It’s a nice, narrow trail in the beginning but gets really messy at some point. The trail is becoming almost invisible, a lot of bushwhacking traces everywhere indicate that others have been lost as well. Following the official trail app doesn’t really help either as the GPS tracks seem to be completely off. I decide following a different track on the map leading to the same junction eventually. A bit of bushwhacking is required but I get to a well trotten trail finally leading me out of the bush. Before this nerv-wrecking, energy-wasting experience, I thought I would make it to the tent space at the airstrip. Now I am bit too exhausted (mentally) and decide to pitch my tent 2km earlier close to a reserve. Another lady hiker I meet for the first time is already there but there’s still enough space for at least another tent. We talk and do some stretches together. Once I have set up my tent and start cooking go dinner, it starts raining heavily. Puuuurfect timing!
