​The biggest thunder storm to hit Auckland for some time spookily coincided with my Huanua tramp. After doing the first section I decided to bail out, after a ranger told me that they were closing the campground. I phoned my new friends Helen and Sue from the tramping club. They very kindly picked me up from a random roadside and thus I spent a wild but warm and dry Saturday night with Helen’s mum Lena (aged 80, “not old”), watching University Challenge and eating icecream. I am truly ‘living the dream'.
 
I met Cindi when I was having a swift can of fizzy pop or three and now know everything you would ever need to know about sex change operations in Thailand and what a big change at the age of 70 it is to become a Burlesque dancer, after a lifetime as a locomotive driver in Hamilton.
 
After making it through the by-now very wet/muddy/slippery Huanuas, I will draw a veil on the subsequent paddocks/bulls experience. Suffice to say that walking in ditches whilst being eyed up by supposedly ‘baby’ bulls is not my idea of a fun day.
 
The campsite in Huntly is run by a lovely couple, who give discounts (hurrah!) to TA trampers and keep a book of all walkers. I did look in the shops for a ‘I survived a night in Huntly’ T-shirt but no joy. None in stock. There must have been a run on them?
 
Continuing my theme of being a magnet for 70 year old guys, I had a great chat with Kevin from Newcastle. He is biking around NZ and he cooked me a lovely dinner and tried to fix up another meeting in Hamilton where we could share a room at a hostel, to “save costs”.
 
The walk over the hill from Huntly said 8 hours on the DOC sign. It was a looong 8 hours, of steep climbs. At the other end I descended the many, many steps - whilst trying to avoid the throngs of lycra-clad people doing the fitness trail. The Council cunningly decided to get said lycra-brigade to help build the paths, so they put bags of gravel at the bottom of the steps and get people heft them up. The cliché fairy had put up various signs to encourage people.
 
Meeting the lovely crew from Waikato MS and staying with Karen and then with Liz who kindly picked me up at the end of the day was so very nice. MS staff work long hours, for not so great pay because they are super-special people who care.
 
This tramp is many steps for people with MS, but also for all the amazing people who work for the NZ MS Society. If the only thing that my journey achieves is some much needed publicity for these super-heroes, I will be very happy.

On the way to the big smoke, I had yet another epic battle with forests while en-route to Warkworth: Due to deteriorating eyesight, I misread the Dome track as taking 4-5 hours - rather than the actual 6-7. Thus when the (track) end was nigh, I found myself in the dark at the (sadly closed) Dome tea rooms. Friends of my parents had offered to put me up, but I wondered if it was ok to ring Alan and Daphne at that time. I did and thankfully they kindly came to collect me, locating a shadowy, totally-buggered figure in the car park. Hurrah! I had a lovely time at their place - highlights included gorgeous food and driving a ride-on mower. Anyone who knows my driving skills would realise this was a brave move on Alan's part! Fortunately and perhaps surprisingly, no parts were actually lost, on either equipment or people.
 
Heading on south towards NZ's retirement capital, Orewa, I spent a somewhat-scary night at Wenderholm Park. The Park itself is fine – its just that I happened upon it during a seemingly biblical downpour, a veritable maelstrom. Suffice to say that in the future I will always, always, always check that the tent pegs are firmly secured in the ground. I have had bed hair before but never tent hair (literally).
 
I crossed paths again with Lois, a TA walker who I had met earlier on the Tuataka coast. Together we found out why special forces use walking in estuary mud as hard-out training. I can totally see why people with more money than sense pay to do those mud races as if I get bored with poking my eye out with a rusty fork one day, I would love to spend another hour or so in the blazing sun with a heavy pack sinking to the bottom of an estuary. Oh. Such. Fun.

After escaping the ooze and walking along the stupendously-nice coast to Devonport, I came upon a whole new world, A world filled with affluent people dressed in ‘leisure wear’, A world filled with dogs that at first glance could be mistaken for a rat or gerbil. Heading deeper into the tree-lined streets of Devonport however, I felt much more at home…not least because I was very fortunate to be welcomed into one, with a fantastic stay with Cathy and her amazing family.
 
The MS Society are having a research fund launch on Thursday night, to which I have been invited. With Cathy’s help, I bought a very exclusive dress from the Hospice op shop. $8 later and Cinderella can go to this particular ball.
 
Yesterday, I took the ferry to start the Auckland coastal section and south Auckland, whilst staying with Greg and Trish, who is my bff’s mum. Constantly amazed by the kindness and help I am receiving....

Today I had awesome day. A real bed. Proper food, And then the privilege of walking some of TA with the very lovely folk of Pukekohe Tramping Club (below). 

It also marks the first month 'on the road’. Time passes so quickly! The miles less so - but still, around 600km down and progress is progress, in the right direction. Well, usually.
 
Every day is certainly an adventure!
 
Ka Kite
 
RacheXX

Arriving through mangroves and muddy coastal track at Tidesong, I saw Ros mowing her massive orchard and garden. She and her husband Hugh are great ‘Trail Angels’, especially to solo walkers. After several cups of tea and some home baking, I accepted their kind offer to stay the night. Ros cooked a scrummy meal and tuned in to the nutritional needs of TA trampers, this included heaps of veggies.

Hugh has one of Ros’s kidneys and they have both done the TA to raise awareness of live kidney donors. Hugh biked and drove around to meet Ros. One of the complications of kidney disease is super-sensitive feet, due to nerve damage - so a pebble can feel like a shard of glass. This makes it even more incredible that Hugh helped me across the mangrove swamp and tidal estuary. He even lent me some ‘mud slippers’ and carried a bucket and cloth so that I could have clean feet when resuming the trail! - A pair of 'Trail Angels’ indeed!
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Although many locals are very supportive of the trail, there is some ambivalence from the Whangerei Council. Ros is trying hard to persuade them of the economic benefits of the TA, especially with section walkers - many of whom prefer to stay in accommodation rather than camp out. 

Over the next day or two, all being well I’ll be in Warkworth. I will miss Northland…Not just for its stunning scenery, but more so for the people, the people, the people: I am trying not to fret: Will I be as fortunate finding a random kind person with an estuary/river/sea worthy boat?!

​Time will tell. Southward, ever southward…the Big Smoke awaits....
 
Ka Kite
RachXX ​

(as Forest Gump’s momma apparently always said:)
 
When I eat scroggin, I like to pick out the yummy chocky (and yogurt) pieces - but they always seem to run out far too soon.....Walking round the Tutakaka coast is like eating all the yummy scroggin chocolate - but there is a never-ending supply: It seems like around every corner there are deserted beaches, surrounded by galleries of rock, with the waves making the only sound.
 










​This tramp is about so much more than walking the length of NZ. I am the same age that my brother Ian was when he died. I have been thinking lots about what my future life may hold as, a future denied to Ian. So it was timely to meet Gay from the Northland MS society. This society, with a massive geographic area to cover, needs $80,000 per annum to work effectively. They receive $7,000 from government health funds.
 
Gay, the MS field worker, is a vastly experienced nurse and health manager, who could earn a large salary elsewhere. She is, however, a brilliant, decent and genuinely-caring person, who chooses to work for MS Northland with the support of her equally-awesome partner Cathy who was the previous MS field worker.

(Fred Dagg)