Te Araroa 23/11/25

Day 60, Feilding to Palmerston North (1506)

It rained a bit last night but it had stopped by morning and I started under grey skys but the sun soon broke through and it became hot and humid again.

Leaving Feilding 

Only a short distance today so I got to Palmerston, or Palmy as they call it here, by lunch time.

Footpath, road and railway leaving Feilding 

It was a nice walk but basically on the road or beside it, I caught up with Tom and Eden and walked most of the way with them.

Eden with a tentative horse pat

We stopped at Bunnythorpe for a pie at the shop, 9 am was a strange time to be eating pies but the cage next door was closed.

Steam, I wasn't quick enough with the camera

On then followed the road and rail to the outskirts of Palmy, quite a long way from the centre.

Nearly in Palmerston North 

After coffee and a scone we went out as separate ways to get shopping for the next eight days and find accommodation for the night 

Nice little coffee shop

I had booked a motel room for a bit more luxury before heading for the hills so I checked in and went back to the town to buy some gas that I forgot to get on the way through and had dinner at Rosie O'Grady's, another Irish pub!

Central square Palmerston North 

Palmerston North is a big town, built on the standard New Zealand pattern of wide streets and big squares, very nice.

Palmy

Starting the Tararua hills tomorrow, a lot of food to carry and some big hills to climb. Not sure what the phone signals will be like.

Te Araroa 22/11/25

Day 59, Bulls to Feilding (1486)

Slept well despite the road noise and woke to another day of mainly sunshine. Charlie had gone early as he was walking all the way to Palmerston North, I was only going to Feilding so a more leisurely start was in order.

River Rangitikei outside Bulls

All road walking today, minor roads and gravel once clear of the N3. Very pleasant but increasingly hot.road walking today, minor roads and gravel once clear of the N3. 

Agapanthus?

Lots of cows and grass paddocks but there were some sheep as well, no maize.

Holsteins 

There were some very nice houses the closer I got to Feilding and the approach to the town is very impressive.

A non-pretensions house

Very wide streets with some old buildings in the centre but mainly well spaced bungalows covering a large area.

Corrugated iron cow sculpture on the way into Feilding 

It got the impression that it is a 'leafy suburb' of Palmerston North even though it is a proper town.

Feilding public park

I walked out to the Holiday Park and campground which looked quite nice on their website but when I got there it was rather run down and grotty so I went back to town. An extra 4 km in the sun but on the way back a car pulled up and someone got out, said "hello grandpa" and handed me a can of cola.

Feilding 

It was Dave, a trail angel who as been following Charlie's YouTube videos and knew about me from them. He suggested that I was the oldest Te Araroa walker this year!

A rather nice house on the way to the holiday park 

I stayed at the Feilding Hotel, rough enough but cheap. 

The Feilding Hotel 

A good meal in the Irish Bar before an early bed.

Another old building in Feilding 

Te Araroa 21/11/25

Day 58, Koitiata to Bulls (1465)

A clear, bright, sunny morning which stayed that way until a few clouds bubbled up in the evening.

Looking back to Koitiata 

I didn't fancy the beach walk so I found a path between the beach and the forest which worked well until it ran into a swampy bit where I was forced into the forest but soon found another path.

Getting wetter

I rejoined the trail where it comes off the beach and met Rose, Jack and Charlie who had started down the beach while I was eating my breakfast.

Path through the pine forest

Bush lupines everywhere 

A long road walk in the sun from there to Bulls through good grass growing countryside with plenty of cows everywhere.

Dairy Farming 

It was a good days walk but I felt exhausted at the end, not sure if it was the heat, the tar was starting to melt on the road, or just that I was out of practice after the canoeing and rest day.

Jack, Rose and Charlie on the road again

The town of Bulls has plenty of silly references to the name.

A reasonable campsite but a bit close to the road.

Te Araroa 20/11/25

Day 57, Whanganui Youth Hostel to Koitiata (1432)

The overnight rain cleared and it became a hot, sunny windy day.

'From the mountains to the sea' sculpture at Whanganui 

I'm not really sure why I decided to take the bus to Turakina this morning, it was a lovely day for a longer walk even if it was on a main road.

Engine in an old riverboat

However; I got on the bus after a quick coffee stop at the Riverboat Museum. I didn't realize that it opened early or I would have got there sooner to spend more time looking at the exhibits.

Steam and paddles, a model of the boat on the river

The bus dropped me at the filling station in Turakina, the only remaining business, the Ben Nevis bar and hotel never having reopened after covid.

The Ben Nevis 

There is an obvious Scottish connection to the town with the name of the bar, a Saltire painted on the bus shelter and and a Presbyterian Church.

interesting post box

I did ask the Asian girl in the filling station if she knew what the connection was but had no success.

Good agricultural land

There were a lot of fields of maize growing on the fertile sandy ground although I didn't see many cows. I did pass some sheep pens and a wool shed where they were loading lambs for slaughter. "Costal Lamb" as sold in New World Supermarket I was told by the person loading them, they lamb early in June.

Sheep and wool shed 

Koitiata is a really nice beach village and has an excellent small campsite for tents and vans with kitchen facilities and hot showers.

Koitiata

I was there by lunchtime but there is nowhere to camp for a long way further so I set up camp and went exploring the river estuary with its piles of dead trees that had been washed down in floods over the years.

I found loads of interesting bits of wood and shells on the black volcanic sand but I don't feel like carrying them all the way home. 

Pity I can't take it home

I met an interesting character on the sand who had driven down from Whanganui and was collecting lots of bits to take home.

The river crossing that I didn't do 

When the tide went out it did look possible to cross the river but I still didn't like it. Happy to have avoided the road and river.

Te Araroa 19/11/25

Day 56, Whanganui Top Ten Holiday Park to Whanganui Youth Hostel (1398)

A rainy night and morning which eased to light showers. 

Whanganui Holiday Park 

I walked into the town, left my pack at the hostel and headed for the centre to try and get some new glasses sorted out.

Walking by the river this time

Specsavers saved the day, I sorted out the glasses with them and they will be sent to Wellington where I can collect them on the way through in a couple of weeks time.

Main Street Whanganui 

I bought a new pocket knife to replace the one that has gone missing, it's a bit big but the best I could get.

Wood carving 

Time spent in cafe's, the art gallery and museum took up the rest of the day and I'm ready to get walking again tomorrow, although I did buy a bus ticket to avoid the main road in the morning.

Poplar wood sculptures

Te Araroa 18/11/25

 Day 55 Hipango Park to Whanganui Top Ten Holiday Park (1393)

A late start to the day as the river is tidal from Hipango Park and there was no point in leaving before high water and battling the current.

Ready to go for the last days paddling 

It was nice to pack everything after it dried and we had a lovely gentle paddle down a very different river.

Gentle river 

Slow current, no rapids and a short day.

Tranquility 

There was a good café stop for a coffee, scone and a respite from the hard plastic seat.

An interesting climb up onto the jetty for coffee 

We soon arrived at the holiday park and unpacked the canoes and barrels leaving them to be collected by the hire company.

The final straight 

Finished with canoes

The forecast was for heavy rain in the late afternoon so I decided to stay at the holiday park with it's hot showers and heated swimming pool.

Bring a wimp I took a cabin with Owen which was only slightly more expensive than camping.

Walking back from the restaurant 

After a swim and a laundry session we all decided to go down the road to a restaurant for dinner.

Boat made for a film

An excellent meal, reasonably priced and it only rained when we were inside.