GoldCard Gal

On a hike, the days pass with the wind, the sun, the stars; movement is powered by a belly full of food and water, not a noxious tankful of fossil fuels.

On a hike, you’re less a job title and more a human being. A periodic hike not only stretches the limbs, but also reminds us:  Wow, there’s a big old world out there.

– Ken Ilgunas

When Sari arrived at my home earlier than expected, having an adventure together was always going to be on the agenda.  But what type of adventure was the big question? Sari had just spent many days walking a couple of sections of the Te Araroa Trail up in Northland so she was feeling fit and strong.

Would it be a cycling or hiking adventure?  Finally, hiking the Timber Trail got us both excited but I also felt apprehension!!  We both had previously cycled the Timber Trail and had individually thought “we’d like to walk it one day!”

So, it was with trepidation I agreed to do this hike BUT why was I feeling this apprehension? So many questions in my mind. How was I going to carry a full pack for so many days, and what about my feet and knees – how will they cope?? What if this happened or what if that happened?

Day 1 – 18 kms

My alarm buzzed loud and clear at 5.30 am. It was with excitement and anticipation I rolled over and turned the noise off.  No dozing this morning and wishing for more sleep – today Sari and I were off to have a five-day adventure hiking the well-known Timber Trail – 84 kms of it.  It was an early start because we had to be at the Bennet Road car park, Ongarue for an 8.30 shuttle to start the trail at Pureora, a 1 hr 30-minute drive away.

It was a beautiful drive (at that time of the day) down to Ongarue, travelling through the rural countryside; seeing the milked dairy cows happily grazing on lush green paddocks and seeing the sunrise in the East.  My mind was also busily mentally checking off my packed gear list.  Realizing it was a bit late if I’d left anything behind but at the same time feeling confident the essentials were packed.

We arrived at the bustling car park on Bennet Road, vehicles and bikes everywhere.  Fortunately for us, we only had to worry that our pack and poles were loaded into the correct vehicle. Our vehicle included a family of four cyclists, and two other female hikers plus us.

There was low cloud and mist hanging around the hills as we were driven to the start of the Timber Trail is via Ongarue – Waimiha Road and State Highway 30.  The countryside was hilly (from a cyclist’s perspective) with many twists and turns.  It’s mainly sheep and beef farming with a scattering of Radiata pine forest blocks.

On arrival at the trail start, it was a hive of activity.  Many cyclists – all ages, shapes, and sizes, and no doubt abilities either having something to eat, checking their bikes, or having a last-minute nervous wee.  The variety of mountain bikes (MTB) brands was as diverse as the riders – we did notice the number of electric MTBs!!

At approximately 10.30 am Sari and I loaded our packs on our backs, made sure our boots were laced securely, hands in pole holders and we were off.  It’s a gratifying feeling when something you have planned and is now actually happening.  To finally be doing this long-anticipated tramp was very exciting.  But in the back of my mind were those nagging questions – “Was it going to be as good as I’d hoped” and “would my body cope with the multi-day adventure?”

Being surrounded by tall rainforest where 800-year-old rimu and kahikatea trees tower 50 – 60 meters above one felt very small and insignificant.   The only sounds were our feet walking on the forest floor, and occasional bird song.  This is one of my “happy places”, a feeling of “peacefulness and contentment” – enveloped my mental being.  And as to be expected we were often forced to the side of the trail to let cyclists past – some ringing their bells to warn us they were coming up the rear; others very quiet in their approach, obviously thinking we’d heard them and expecting us to move aside.    This expected inconvenience only happened first thing each morning or late afternoon.  Otherwise, we had a place to ourselves – heaven.

Every hour we’d stop to rest for five minutes, have a drink of water, consume some fuel,  and do any running repairs or adjustments; more plaster on the balls of my feet was an early running repair.  (I had recently purchased a new pair of tramping boots and didn’t want any blisters to hinder my journey.)

Strategically placed along the trail are these corrugated iron shelters (below). Chance to take our packs off (oh how light we felt), boil the billy for a well-deserved cup of soup and consume some well-earned crackers, cheese, and salami (we have found this type of food sustains our bodies well).  And of course, rest the feet.

The trail winds its way around the base of Mt Pureroa, the majority of the time walking in the bush and steadily climbing.  We meet four DoC employees working on the track.  They had been “expecting two old women sometime!”  The other two female hikers had informed them of us.  We had a chuckle about being classed as “old” which we are, but it is sometimes hard to accept when other people tell you that!  But not to be put off by that label we had a good laugh, chat and they advised us of some possible camping sites ahead.

We had decided to start looking for possible campsites from about 4 pm onwards.  That would give us enough time to replenish our water supplies, set-up camp, have a welcome hot drink, cook dinner, and into bed before dark.  As to be expected possible campsites were not readily available, because on either side of the trail it was a steep rise upwards or a steep decline downwards, with the forest floor covered in broken logs, pungas, undergrowth, rocks etc.  Finally, a part of the track wide enough to take our tents and any possible cyclists could still ride past was found.  So I set my tent up on the side of the track and Sari found a spot off the track up within the forest itself.

With our tents erected and beds rolled-out, the next important task is boiling the billy for a well-deserved cup-of-tea and shared reflections of the day.

At dusk, we were entertained by what sounded like a mini-orchestra of bird song – what a treat.  From not hearing many birds during the day to hearing it then was very special.  Darkness soon engulfed us and time for bed and sweet dreams.  It was a very cold night and getting out of the tent to go for a wee only happened out of absolute necessity!!

Day 2 – 20 kms

No need for morning electronic alarms in the bush – the bird song does that beautifully, gently waking us up and enabling us to mentally prepare for another day of adventures.  Over the years Sari and I have got our morning routines ‘down-to-pat’ so to speak.  It doesn’t take long to dismantle our tents, pack our bag, boil the billy, eat breakfast, and get on the trail.  Fortunately, we both value the importance of an early start – you never know what may happen during the day and it’s comforting to know mentally you have completed over half of your journey by lunchtime.

Today we were heading to Piropiro campsite– the mid-point of the trail – at 39 kms. Having km signs along the trail helps, you quickly get an idea of the distance you’ve travelled or got to travel.

The trail continued down-hill still surrounded by beautiful natural bush.  Sometimes we chatted, other times we enjoyed the silence and appreciated being where we were, doing what we wanted. Having uninterrupted thinking time improves our mental well-being and gives our minds the freedom to explore and dream.  Additionally having a good companion does enhance these adventures.

As we walked out of the native bush onto a gravel road – we could see the tree-covered hills (as opposed to native bush) – the contrast in colours and textures very noticeable.  We also noticed a number of patches of native clematis, which I have not seen for many years.

Piropiro campsite was a welcome sight.  We had decided to camp here because we were tired and didn’t want to go any further and risk missing out on a good place to pitch our tents.   It is very basic, no-cost, long-drop toilets, running water, scattered partial shelters, and plenty of open spaces to find a secluded spot.  We were in heaven so to speak.  It doesn’t take long before you appreciate the small things like running water, flat smooth ground to pitch your tent and long-drop toilets that are clean and don’t smell!!

We spent an enjoyable evening chatting with the other two hikers (Tanya & Vicki) – which I’d like to add were in a much worse state than Sari and I.  But as per normal after a cuppa and relax it isn’t long before we started to feel ‘normal’ again.

Day 3 – 27 kms

This morning we woke-up fresh and ready for another day on the trail.  As we walked past the girls’ tent, I could smell coffee brewing, and sure enough, they both were still happily lying in their sleeping bags chatting and waiting for their coffee to brew on their little gas cooker.  We said our farewells and some comments were made about seeing each other somewhere on the trail.

We knew this morning we would be busy on the trail as many cyclists were staying in nearby accommodation:  The Timber Trail Lodge and Camp Epic.  It was important for me to be over the longest and highest suspension bridge on the trail, the Maramataha before the cyclists arrived.  And we made it – just!!  The bridge and views take your breath away.

We continued to walk through tawa and tānekaha bush following the old tramway in a generally downhill direction.  This tramway was built by Ellis and Burnand Tramway and in places cuts through sheer rock face shrouded in thick native bush.  We passed many old remnants of the area’s logging past. It was hard to imagine that once there was a thriving logging industry with the necessary accommodation for employees and families because very little remained of this previous industry.

Every corrugated iron shelter we came across had a swallows nest.  While we rested inside the shelter the swallows would fly to the entrance and see us there and fly away again.  They continuously did that and after a while, we got the feeling we should be leaving so they could attend to their eggs.  But before I left one hut I decided to investigate and see what was in the nest and the nest below had two eggs and the photo below shows how cleverly the nest is made.

Day three was our longest and proudest – 27 kms not bad for us!!  Camp 11 as it is identified, had a long-drop toilet, a nearby stream for freshwater, and good camping spots so I thought, but Sari suggested “we will camp in a more sheltered location.” Trying to find a place without blackberry roots on level ground was neigh impossible but one learns to make the most of a less than perfect site!!. As usual, once camp was set up and we had our much-anticipated cuppa – we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves and our world!  And why wouldn’t we be??

Day 4 – 19 kms

We woke to a light drizzle and very little bird song – where had the birds gone?  Today we would be walking out to the end of the trail – our adventure will be ending.  How did I feel about that?

But before the end, there was much history to observe and experience.  The major attraction was the Ongarue Spiral.  How it was built is explained in the interpretational panel below.  It was truly unique, a major engineering spectacle, and included an eerie old dark tunnel. Apparently, it is the only bikeable railway spiral in the world – howz that?

The last 6 kms of hiking was beside farmland and we were constantly passed by mountain bikers who were completing their own adventure.  Many displayed signs of exhaustion, tiredness, and weariness.    It was a welcome sight to see Epic Cycle Adventures headquarters through the trees and across the Ongarue stream.    We had done it, and a day faster than we had planned and we both felt very proud of ourselves.

Thank you Sari for your company, friendship, and willingness for an adventure.  We do make a great team!

Post trail reflections:

• I look forward to hiking it again.  If you are keen, please contact me.  🙂
• My pack contents was right.
• My body handled the 3.5 days hike much better than I thought.
• No blisters and no sore shoulders.  Highly recommend Aarn backpack system.

Further information:

• The DOC Timber Trail brochure
• Shuttle service:  We used Epic Cycle Adventures and highly recommend them.
• Drinking water:  Water can be taken from streams along the trail. You may wish to boil, filter or treat it before drinking but we didn’t with no side effects.

Trail signage:

• Signs:  Green and yellow DOC signs indicate access points, distances between places, and approximate walking times.
• Trail markers:  The trail is marked with orange directional markers and blue-and-white distance markers, indicating distances from Pureora. When travelling north from
  Ongarue, they count down the kilometres left to travel to Pureora. If you do not see these markers, you are not on the trail!

Accommodation on the trail:

• The Timber Trail Lodge
• Camp Epic

If you have cycled or hiked this trail, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.  Till next time – GoldCard Gal 🙂