Te Araroa 31/10/25

Day 37, Waitoma to Te Kuiti.(907)

It was a beautiful morning when we set off down the road to Waitoma which is a tourist destination for the caves here but nothing was open at that time of the morning.

SJ, Di and Ruby on the trail leaving Waitomo

The trail today crossed farmland, patches of bush and a number of hills.

Bush and farmland 

There was a strong wind to keep the temperature down but the humidity was high and although it was a short day it felt longer.

Bush and farmland

There were some great views of the rolling farmland that is changing to sheep country as the altitude increases.

Fertile farmland

Te Kauri is a reasonable sized town and I was able to restock, do some washing and get fish and chips.

Down to Te Kuiti

Camped in a trail angel's garden, excellent facilities again with the big garage set up as a kitchen / lounge.

Lounge / Kitchen at Te Kui

Te Araroa 30/10/25

Day 36, Jo's Funny Farm to Waitomo (889)

A good morning start with fresh eggs, beans and toast for breakfast before taking to the road.

Jo's Funny Farm 

I was offered a lift soon after I started which I happily declined to enjoy the walk.

Beautiful area

A gravel road first then onto some really good paths with only a little bit of mud.

You can tell it's not Scotland

I was walking today with Daniella, an American who had arrived at Jo's last night. We both walked at a similar pace.

Road washout

It was a glorious days walk with great scenery, a good path and good company.

Daniella on the track 

There was a river on the path that no one had crossed since the heavy rains had made it impassable but we decided to try it, a decision that could have added 20k extra to the day of it was too deep to cross.

River crossing 

It was fast and muddy but not too deep and we crossed safely and continued on the excellent path. 

Bush trail

All too soon we reached the road and it was then just a short walk to an excellent hut owned by a caving club.

Incredible scenery 

Showers, kitchen, dining area, sitting area and patio with a number of separate bedrooms. And a stove.

Sunset from the hut

Probably the best days walk so far and another good night.

Interesting cloud and view!

Te Araroa 29/10/25

Day 35, Pahautea Hut to Jo's Funny Farm (856)

A very wild night with even some snow at pop times but it was relatively cozy in the hut especially when I was in bed.

View from the hut balcony in the morning 

The morning was still rather blustery but I didn't need much encouragement to leave the cold hut and continue the trail.

Pahautea hut

There was a good boardwalk to the next top and then it was back to the mud and tree roots.

Boardwalk steps

There were a couple of viewpoints but only the tops of trees to look at.

Jungle path

Another high point to cross and then a slow and slippery descent to the road where I met two totally unprepared people who were about to head up the hill, they were in for a shock.

View of the hills

The countryside here at an altitude of 1000ft is a bit different but still good dairy country.

Green countryside 

A few kilometers on the road and I arrived at Jo's Funny Farm to a great welcome, she has a huge double garage that has everything that walkers need; beds, shower, food and a great host.

Inside the walkers hut at Jo's Funny Farm 

It was a short day as I was supposed to be here yesterday and it would have been a shame to miss the hospitality here.

Sunset from the farm

Te Araroa 28/10/25

Day 34, Kaniwhaniwha to Pahautea Hut (841)

Last night was what could definitely be classified as 'interesting'. Very heavy rain with plenty of thunder overnight, tent tested and passed.

It was a little stream last night

It had actually stopped raining by the morning and I was able to pack up, not dry but without adding any extra water.

Into the jungle 

The path was, as expected, like a river in places but the mud wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Some really nice trees

It would have been an excellent ridge if it hadn't been for all the vegetarian. This is what happens here, anywhere that's not farmed is just native bush even up to today's 3000 peak.

Not much of a view

The cloud was low so the occasional gaps did not reveal any interesting views.

Observation tower 

There is an observation tower at the top which I climbed, there wasn't any point but it was there.

Nothing to see from the top

I continued down to the DOC campsite and hut and stopped in the cooking shelter for a museli bar and some water and suddenly it was as if someone turned on a tap. The wind picked up as well and I stayed there for a while thinking it may ease.

SJ & Di playing cards in the hut

It didn't and I went round to the hut for a look and found SJ, Di and Ruby inside. They had arrived last night and decided not to go anywhere today.

Ruby doing some cross stitch 

I stayed for a while and the weather got worse and worse so I decided to stay at the hut for the night. A sensible decision I think rather than walking on in the current conditions which got worse as the afternoon went on. The wind became very strong with hail squalls.

The sky cleared in the evening but the wind was very gusty and the hail not melting on the ground. A bit chilly.

Te Araroa 27/10/25

Day 33, Hamilton to Kaniwhaniwha (832)

It rained overnight but it had cleared by the time I started walking through Hamilton.

The centre of Hamilton 

I was looking at all the buildings in the centre and forgot to turn off onto the trail so did some extra sightseeing before I left the town.

Lake Rotoroa in Hamilton 

Unfortunately there was a lot of road walking again today as the Karamu Walkway over the hills is closed for lambing until October 31st, I didn't think it would matter that much but it's better to stick to the rules and not cause problems for future generations of walkers.

Taitua Arboretum 

Good dairy farming land here, all divided into paddocks with roadways for the cows to travel on.

Cows everywhere 

I forgot to mention yesterday that I had passed a huge milk processing factory but I was reminded of it today because of all the milk tankers driving about.

Milk lorry on a farm road

They were particularly noticable today because it is a holiday and they were about the only trucks on the road.

Beautiful green countryside 

Farmyards are definitely different now if the 16 and 18 wheelers can get in and out.

River up to the campsite 

As forecast it started raining in the afternoon but heavier than they expected and I was looking forward to a nice shelter at the campsite only to find there isn't one.

Campsite 

Tent up and dive inside trying to keep the essentials dry.

Te Araroa 26/10/25

Day 32, Ngaruawahia to Hamilton (791)

A wet night but nearly dry in the morning and then stayed dry all day, cloudy with sunny intervals.

Back to the river

A very straightforward walk today, just following the cycleway / footpath.

Cycleway 

Ngaruawahia is where the Waipa river joins the Waikato which didn't seem much smaller even then.

Cycleway bridge

The cycleway is a well made concrete road and even has a specially built bridge over the river.

Still a big river 

I met two people walking their dog over the bridge and got into a discussion with them and found out that their grandparents came from the Isle of Man. It seems that there are quite a few from there in the area and there even used to be Manx Society meetings.

Nice little café for lunch

After much discussion with myself I had decided to buy a new pair of shoes in Hamilton. The old ones still have quite a few miles left in them but probably not enough to get to Wellington.

Hamilton suburbs 

Unfortunately they didn't have my size in stock but I ordered them anyway and they will send them on to me when I give them a suitable address.

Bridge north of Hamilton 

The half of Hamilton that I have seen is pleasant enough for the fifth most populated town in New Zealand including a cheap Microtel which is as suggested a hotel with tiny rooms, not as small as the Japanese pods but just big enough for me.

Hamilton 

I am planning a longer day tomorrow as I head for less populated countryside so it was useful to replenish the food stocks both in my pack and in me while in the town.

Microtel