December 14th:Huntly to Hamilton
We ascended 1000 stairs today! Yay!
The track was muddy and steep but of course that's nothing new.
Trail of roots
Cool thing of note this track relied on volunteers to carry gravel bags to the top for trail maintenance. When we came by there were no bags to carry up. Oh darn.
After the track we got a hitch from a very nice lady who drove us right to the hostel we had booked.
December 15th: Rainy day in Hamilton
A weather warning for severe rain kept us one more day in Hamilton. We hid in our room for most of the day while it poured outside. Only coming out to resupply at the nearest grocery store.
Wanted to throw in real quick the inn keeper at YHA in Hamilton is amazing. Yvonne is very quick, funny, and extraordinarily kind. I saw her give up her own mattress for some guests to use at the fully booked in. She had also let 3 German TA walkers camp out on her living room. Just more evidence that Kiwi folk are the nicest people in the world.
Fun fact about Yvonne, she used to run a mini rehabilitation site for wood pigeons. Apparently they can over eat themselves to the point of where they can't fly. Or they can eat themselves drunk off of fermented berries (Puriri.) Knowing that now makes these birds seem 10x as awesome.
Yvonne and the German TA walkers Cracker Jack and Owl
December 15th and 16th: Hamilton to Pirongia Mountain
We left Hamil-hole (term used by locals) and set off for Mt. Pirongia early -ish the next morning. Ending the day at a beautiful picnic area at the start of the Pirongia trail.
After a fair bit of steep climbing we then dove in head first into the mud. The whole day was a steep muddy climb, obviously the heavy rain the previous day did us no favors.
We had planned on hiking the trail section of Mt Pirongia then hitching to Waitomo once we came across the nearest road.
Well things don't always go according to plan...
At the highest point of the trek we met 3 guys dressed in city clothes and inproper shoes. They had little mud on them, and since we were covered head to toe that looked like a good sign for the track to come.
They said that they were heading down to the carpark which was about 4 hours away and that it was muddy but not as bad as what we went through. That was exciting news, and they had a car at the end of the carpark....
Maybe we could hitch a ride. We let the guys walk ahead of us and had a snack and enjoyed the view at the top of the mountain. Mistake # 1, don't assume anything.
We headed down the track then came to a sing that said carpark 4 hours...but it was on a track that the official trail didn't take. Wanting to catch up with those guys, wanting a ride, and keen on getting out of the mud and onto a supposed easier track We followed the fresh footprints they'd left behind.
We were about halfway in before we realized the terrible mistake we'd made. The trail started off ok then turned steeply down. Steep is an understatement, it was damn near a mud slide covered in tree roots with soupy swamp mixed in. This track brought a whole new level of suck that we'd never experienced before. After the mud came the trail re route that took us up a rock slide. After that came the chains. Why on earth is it a good idea to have a trail literally on the very tip of a peak? Not much room to move around with backpacks on. The chain was to aid you in your rock climb up the peak.
We were on the wrong track, and those 3 city guys sure as hell didn't climb this track. By the time we hit the chains we were 85% complete with a road in site displayed on the GPS. That was our comforting thought...until we got to the road.
This is O'Shea road. Which turned out to be a mixture of trail and farmland. It never ends!
We finally came to the "carpark" which looked like it could hold one car. It also was on a very remote residential road for farmers. Not very official looking at all. No trail signs or markers really you were just supposed to know that you could access this trail through private farmland. Weird.
After the trail from hell we hitched into town and then began hitching in earnest trying to get to Waitomo. We had booked a cabin for the night and were 45 kilometers from our destination.
We had told ourselves we would be out there till it was dark since our 95$ room was at stake....and we waited...and waited. No one was willing to pick us up. It was almost 9pm and probably the wrong time of day to catch a ride.
Rob and his dog Bluey pulled up in a pickup and asked if we needed a place to camp for the night. He explained that he'd been by in a work truck 3 times before and had seen us hitching. He seemed like a nice normal guy so we hoped in and headed 5 minutes up the road. Finally admitting defeat.
He offered us his spare bedroom and let us use his fancy shower while he was away on errands. Really nice guy. Turns out he'd done A LOT of traveling in the states and had been in similar situations as us and wanted to lend a helping hand. Like paying it forward for all the times he got help while traveling.
Next morning he was heading to Waitomo anyways so he'd take us then.
All night he entertained us with stories about his travels in America. We had a lot of fun going through old scrap books on his livingroom floor.
Rob and his awesome blue heeler Bluey
December 17th: Private cave tour in Waitomo
That morning he made us breakfast!
Then delivered Cody and I to the Holiday park in Waitomo. Leaving us with a promise of a cave tour on his families private land later that afternoon.
You know those experiences that you have that you know will stay with you for the rest of your life? Today we had an experience like that; it ranked as one of the best times I've ever had.
Rob picked us up and took us to his family farm for a private tour of the cave on their property. Just the scenery around the cave was jaw dropping.
The entrance to the cave looked like a scene from jurassic park. A gigantic opening strewn with plants and a small stream running through it. Rob had bought large flashlights for our expedition. His dog Bluey also came along for the trip.
We walked through a tunnel that was large enough for a cathedral to fit in. It took about 15 minutes to reach the other side. On the way we saw many cave eels hanging around pools in the stream. Cave eels are white unlike the black river eels we were used to seeing in New Zealand.
Reaching the other side of the cave was truly special. After a 15 minute walk in pitch dark you see this sunlit green opening that leads to a larger stream.
We walked along the stream for a ways, throwing rocks and sticks for Bluey to chase.
After the cave Rob continued to play tour guide and took us around the family farm. We enjoyed a beer and chat with his brother.
His brother now owned the family farm. 1,000 acres of land for sheep and cows to graze on. It was very steep land; apparently they had trouble hiring drivers to collect the hay on their hills. Rob explained it all pretty simply, because they grew up on the land they knew how to work it so it wasn't that steep to them. I made a connection to NZ trails, which are steep with no switchbacks. We thought at first that their trails were just crappy on the north island. Now we know the truth...it's just what Kiwis are used to and all the trails will be like this. The scenery here is beautiful, but I sure do miss the trail standards back home.
The natural bridge was another wonder. It was just a limestone bridge that was created by water.
December 18th: Waitomo to Te Kuiti
Today we planned on hiking Waitomo to Te Kuiti a short 17km walk through farmland- We've now learned to dread farm sections. They are usually lacking in trail markers and the "trails" vary greatly. Most of the time there is no trail and you're dependant on the orange triangles to guide the way... that's where things get tricky. We hate it when farmers put markers in inconspicuous places. Like the side of the hill buried in the grass. How are we supposed to see that?!
Luckily today we'd planned on leaving most of our stuff in the room and hitching back from the grocery store to our room. Effectively killing 2 birds with one stone by getting the resupply and trail miles done with.
The hike through farmland to Te Kuiti was probably the worst we've had yet.
Unmarked, steep, slippery, muddy, bushy, and a new one...prickly!
t
About a whole kilometer squeezing through a tunnel of pure hell.
I believe it's called the Matagouri bush or "Wild Irishman"
Once we got out of the farm track and into town we resupplied at the New World supermarket in Te Kuiti then hitched back up to the Waitomo caves.
That evening we went on a night walk from 8:30 to 11 in search of glow worms. We found plenty, they just proved very hard to photograph. I need to work on my night time shots.
December 19th: Cave Tour in Waitomo
Today we went on the Black Odyssey Tour with Black water rafting. It was awesome!
We repelled down into a 110ft very narrow cave entrance.
Zip lined in pitch dark passed glow worms.
Tubed in freezing river in the cave wearing 10mm thick wet suits.
Climbed up water falls and squeezed through narrow tunnels.
Glow worms are fascinating bugs. They are actually maggots that produce a glow from their bottom to attract bugs into their webs. After 9 months of life as a cave dweller they spin a cocoon around themselves and eventually emerge as flies. They have 72 hours to find a mate outside if the cave and have been known to get it on for 48 hours straight. Our guide then put in that 48 hours was not uncommon for kiwi men-yeah right.
We're staying at a mixed dorm tonight, this is our first time so should be an interesting experience. So far our bunk mates seem pretty nice. One Germans couple and two Brits that might give us a hitch into Te Kuiti in the morning.
Stay tuned for pictures of the cave tour, they are all on a thumb drive and I have to transfer them over when I have a computer.
We ascended 1000 stairs today! Yay!
The track was muddy and steep but of course that's nothing new.
Cool thing of note this track relied on volunteers to carry gravel bags to the top for trail maintenance. When we came by there were no bags to carry up. Oh darn.
Final set of stairs
After the track we got a hitch from a very nice lady who drove us right to the hostel we had booked.
December 15th: Rainy day in Hamilton
A weather warning for severe rain kept us one more day in Hamilton. We hid in our room for most of the day while it poured outside. Only coming out to resupply at the nearest grocery store.
Wanted to throw in real quick the inn keeper at YHA in Hamilton is amazing. Yvonne is very quick, funny, and extraordinarily kind. I saw her give up her own mattress for some guests to use at the fully booked in. She had also let 3 German TA walkers camp out on her living room. Just more evidence that Kiwi folk are the nicest people in the world.
Fun fact about Yvonne, she used to run a mini rehabilitation site for wood pigeons. Apparently they can over eat themselves to the point of where they can't fly. Or they can eat themselves drunk off of fermented berries (Puriri.) Knowing that now makes these birds seem 10x as awesome.
December 15th and 16th: Hamilton to Pirongia Mountain
We left Hamil-hole (term used by locals) and set off for Mt. Pirongia early -ish the next morning. Ending the day at a beautiful picnic area at the start of the Pirongia trail.
Coolest thing about today was finding a hedgehog!
The next morning we explored some nearby caves before heading out on the trail. We found cave Weta in the caves which were the first that we had seen. No we did not feed them.
After a fair bit of steep climbing we then dove in head first into the mud. The whole day was a steep muddy climb, obviously the heavy rain the previous day did us no favors.
We had planned on hiking the trail section of Mt Pirongia then hitching to Waitomo once we came across the nearest road.
Well things don't always go according to plan...
At the highest point of the trek we met 3 guys dressed in city clothes and inproper shoes. They had little mud on them, and since we were covered head to toe that looked like a good sign for the track to come.
They said that they were heading down to the carpark which was about 4 hours away and that it was muddy but not as bad as what we went through. That was exciting news, and they had a car at the end of the carpark....
Maybe we could hitch a ride. We let the guys walk ahead of us and had a snack and enjoyed the view at the top of the mountain. Mistake # 1, don't assume anything.
We headed down the track then came to a sing that said carpark 4 hours...but it was on a track that the official trail didn't take. Wanting to catch up with those guys, wanting a ride, and keen on getting out of the mud and onto a supposed easier track We followed the fresh footprints they'd left behind.
We were about halfway in before we realized the terrible mistake we'd made. The trail started off ok then turned steeply down. Steep is an understatement, it was damn near a mud slide covered in tree roots with soupy swamp mixed in. This track brought a whole new level of suck that we'd never experienced before. After the mud came the trail re route that took us up a rock slide. After that came the chains. Why on earth is it a good idea to have a trail literally on the very tip of a peak? Not much room to move around with backpacks on. The chain was to aid you in your rock climb up the peak.
We were on the wrong track, and those 3 city guys sure as hell didn't climb this track. By the time we hit the chains we were 85% complete with a road in site displayed on the GPS. That was our comforting thought...until we got to the road.
This is O'Shea road. Which turned out to be a mixture of trail and farmland. It never ends!
We finally came to the "carpark" which looked like it could hold one car. It also was on a very remote residential road for farmers. Not very official looking at all. No trail signs or markers really you were just supposed to know that you could access this trail through private farmland. Weird.
After the trail from hell we hitched into town and then began hitching in earnest trying to get to Waitomo. We had booked a cabin for the night and were 45 kilometers from our destination.
We had told ourselves we would be out there till it was dark since our 95$ room was at stake....and we waited...and waited. No one was willing to pick us up. It was almost 9pm and probably the wrong time of day to catch a ride.
Rob and his dog Bluey pulled up in a pickup and asked if we needed a place to camp for the night. He explained that he'd been by in a work truck 3 times before and had seen us hitching. He seemed like a nice normal guy so we hoped in and headed 5 minutes up the road. Finally admitting defeat.
He offered us his spare bedroom and let us use his fancy shower while he was away on errands. Really nice guy. Turns out he'd done A LOT of traveling in the states and had been in similar situations as us and wanted to lend a helping hand. Like paying it forward for all the times he got help while traveling.
Next morning he was heading to Waitomo anyways so he'd take us then.
All night he entertained us with stories about his travels in America. We had a lot of fun going through old scrap books on his livingroom floor.
Rob and his awesome blue heeler Bluey
December 17th: Private cave tour in Waitomo
That morning he made us breakfast!
Then delivered Cody and I to the Holiday park in Waitomo. Leaving us with a promise of a cave tour on his families private land later that afternoon.
You know those experiences that you have that you know will stay with you for the rest of your life? Today we had an experience like that; it ranked as one of the best times I've ever had.
Rob picked us up and took us to his family farm for a private tour of the cave on their property. Just the scenery around the cave was jaw dropping.
The entrance to the cave looked like a scene from jurassic park. A gigantic opening strewn with plants and a small stream running through it. Rob had bought large flashlights for our expedition. His dog Bluey also came along for the trip.
We walked through a tunnel that was large enough for a cathedral to fit in. It took about 15 minutes to reach the other side. On the way we saw many cave eels hanging around pools in the stream. Cave eels are white unlike the black river eels we were used to seeing in New Zealand.
Reaching the other side of the cave was truly special. After a 15 minute walk in pitch dark you see this sunlit green opening that leads to a larger stream.
We walked along the stream for a ways, throwing rocks and sticks for Bluey to chase.
After the cave Rob continued to play tour guide and took us around the family farm. We enjoyed a beer and chat with his brother.
His brother now owned the family farm. 1,000 acres of land for sheep and cows to graze on. It was very steep land; apparently they had trouble hiring drivers to collect the hay on their hills. Rob explained it all pretty simply, because they grew up on the land they knew how to work it so it wasn't that steep to them. I made a connection to NZ trails, which are steep with no switchbacks. We thought at first that their trails were just crappy on the north island. Now we know the truth...it's just what Kiwis are used to and all the trails will be like this. The scenery here is beautiful, but I sure do miss the trail standards back home.
The natural bridge was another wonder. It was just a limestone bridge that was created by water.
December 18th: Waitomo to Te Kuiti
Today we planned on hiking Waitomo to Te Kuiti a short 17km walk through farmland- We've now learned to dread farm sections. They are usually lacking in trail markers and the "trails" vary greatly. Most of the time there is no trail and you're dependant on the orange triangles to guide the way... that's where things get tricky. We hate it when farmers put markers in inconspicuous places. Like the side of the hill buried in the grass. How are we supposed to see that?!
Luckily today we'd planned on leaving most of our stuff in the room and hitching back from the grocery store to our room. Effectively killing 2 birds with one stone by getting the resupply and trail miles done with.
The hike through farmland to Te Kuiti was probably the worst we've had yet.
Unmarked, steep, slippery, muddy, bushy, and a new one...prickly!
tAbout a whole kilometer squeezing through a tunnel of pure hell.
I believe it's called the Matagouri bush or "Wild Irishman"
Once we got out of the farm track and into town we resupplied at the New World supermarket in Te Kuiti then hitched back up to the Waitomo caves.
That evening we went on a night walk from 8:30 to 11 in search of glow worms. We found plenty, they just proved very hard to photograph. I need to work on my night time shots.
December 19th: Cave Tour in Waitomo
Today we went on the Black Odyssey Tour with Black water rafting. It was awesome!
We repelled down into a 110ft very narrow cave entrance.
Zip lined in pitch dark passed glow worms.
Tubed in freezing river in the cave wearing 10mm thick wet suits.
Climbed up water falls and squeezed through narrow tunnels.
Glow worms are fascinating bugs. They are actually maggots that produce a glow from their bottom to attract bugs into their webs. After 9 months of life as a cave dweller they spin a cocoon around themselves and eventually emerge as flies. They have 72 hours to find a mate outside if the cave and have been known to get it on for 48 hours straight. Our guide then put in that 48 hours was not uncommon for kiwi men-yeah right.
We're staying at a mixed dorm tonight, this is our first time so should be an interesting experience. So far our bunk mates seem pretty nice. One Germans couple and two Brits that might give us a hitch into Te Kuiti in the morning.
Stay tuned for pictures of the cave tour, they are all on a thumb drive and I have to transfer them over when I have a computer.
