Day 76, Parawai Lodge to Waikanae
My night was disturbed by possums playing on the roof but I still managed a good night's sleep setting off before anyone else was awake into a rather grey morning.
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| Another 'swing bridge' to start the day |
It was a 26k day with 1000m of climbing so the early start was necessary to make sure that I could get to Wellington tonight for the ferry in the morning.
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| Easy walking on the gravel road |
There was a short road walk before starting the climb up through the bush which turned out to be much easier than the last few days and much quicker.
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| A proper path! |
It was good to to be walking rather than picking my way from root to root trying not to trip or slip and I was at the highest point in a reasonable time.
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| Open section at the top |
Unfortunately it was in the cloud so no view but plenty of wind to cool me down.
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| Still a reasonable path |
A long reasonably steady descent, with a few humps, to the timber road which goes down to a stream crossing.
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| Stream crossing |
I managed to cross without getting my feet wet and continued on the track, I'm not sure how the two bits of track originally joined at that point.
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| Another bridge |
An easy walk round to the suspension bridge over the Mangaone river and the start of the road to Waikanae.
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| Part of an old portable engine |
There was a boiler from an old portable engine at the car park and an information board about the sawmill that used to be there.
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| A line of eucalyptus trees by the road |
Little to say about the road walk to Waikanae except that the sun had broken through and it was quite hot.
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| Looking back to the hills |
I was offered a lift twice declining both times as it was earlier than I expected. I arrived at Waikanae station before 16.00 just in time to get on the waiting train to Wellington.
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| Side of a shop just outside Waikanae |
North Island finished ! 1740.6 kilometers.
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