Waitomo Caves

Day 37 (840 – 875 kms)

This year I want to take the trail a little more slowly, and plan to average 20 kms a day. After all, I am here to enjoy the trail. Unfortunately the trail would have other plans for me today. There is no good place to camp for the next 35 kms. Right in the middle of the 35 kms stretch is a carbon offset farm with active pest control. This means that during the night they shoot deer, pigs and wild goats to prevent them from damaging the newly planted trees. As a consequence, the farm owners strongly encourage you not to camp overnight in this area. Sounds like good advice, so our little group of three decided to push onto Waitomo Caves.

We were up early and enjoyed an amazing breakfast of fried eggs, baked beans, reheated and fried some of the leftover potatoe mash, toast and jam. Still managing to get on the trail by 07:30am. Which was just as well, as the nice fast road quickly turned to bush and the muddy path slowed me down a little. The other two missed a key turning at one point, so I never saw them for the rest of the day. It was so very nice to walk through native old growth forest by myself. Along the way I saw some wild goats.

After 15 kms or so I left the bush to return to gravel road as I entered former sheep farming land which is now a carbon offset farm. Apparently sheep farming is not as lucrative as it once was. After a hefty lunch I returned to some significant bush bashing, which was demanding. The terrain can really slow the pace.

Finally pulled into Waitomo just before 6pm. I rewarded my hard day with a pub meal and a beer.

Up early-ish, with the trail to myself. All day in fact.
Beautiful countryside.
Quite a bit of old growth forest.
The forest floor.
This was an old road with a cutting here. Only used by walkers now.
Carbon offset farming. This is the new world.
Apparently doing this to protect the native birds.
A little stream to cross.
Very nice pub dinner.