• TA Day 66
• Tokomaru Shelter to Makahika Outdoor Centre – 19.5 km in 6 hours 20 minutes

We were up early and well rested – ratty had not appeared again to our knowledge. I wanted to get away early to be ahead of at least one of the guys by the end of this day, as there was a small bit of farm land to come across and someone in the trail app had mentioned cattle.

I set off first (just), and it was brisk but beautiful in the early morning sun with a blue sky to start the day. As the very quiet gravel road meandered past Tokomaru reservoir, a beautiful husky dog appeared. Around the next corner, and up a dirt driveway was a caravan with music drifting out. An odd pocket of life in the middle of nowhere. I called out a good morning but got no answer. At this point as my new husky friend happily trotted along in front of me, I really really should have turned around but I wanted to carry on ahead of the guys. Before I knew it, we were 1.2km further on, and I was at the turn off to the DOC track into the forest with a dog in tow.

Stephen appeared, which distracted it momentarily but like a boomerang it was back. A few hundred metres up the track, I turned around feeling obligated to walk the dog back to the caravan. Pieter appeared and mentioned the owner had said to send it home, as I mumbled that I was just going to walk it back. He said in a firm voice twice “go home dog!”, and it turned and promptly did! Phew! Why didn’t I try that?! I set off again but realised after 5 minutes I’d left my camera on the DOC signpost, and headed back down the hill again. As Pieter said, it seemed I really just didn’t want to start this track!! I focussed on the beautiful forest in the early light and hoped there weren’t more mishaps to come.

Determined and still worried about the cows, I skipped my hourly breaks and caught up with Stephen. We had a break together at the ‘lookout’ which was a bit disappointing – overgrown and overcast.

Onto another lookout along the ridge the track went, and I kept cracking on at a good pace. Then began a long descent to the valley floor and a stream to be crossed and crossed again. Stephen caught me but I settled in behind him and managed to scamper just enough to keep up. We got to the end of the track with the toilet, and plaque commemorating the opening of the track by Helen Clark. As the track widened through the final farm part, we could walk side by side and chatted all things TA – the problems with the official app, the trail notes, what improvements could be made etc. There was a lot of cow poo and a bolshie steer charged out from under some pines and through a gate ahead. Just as Stephen was teasing me about my TA cattle phobia we came across my exact nightmare – the last paddock to go through, complete with large river and one small bridge, full of grouchy looking cattle everywhere with at least one bull amongst them. They stomped and ran in all directions as I stuck to Stephen like glue and thanked the heavens I had company for this part.

It was an uneventful gravel road to finish, but finally we got to the outdoor pursuits centre. I located my next food box that they’d kindly held. There was no one about but all the cabins we’d been looking forward to hopefully staying in seemed occupied. The hot outdoor shower was wonderful though after 3 days of tramping. Sally the owner came home and confirmed that yes we’d be tenting, but invited us for dinner and to use power in her garage – a relief ahead of 5 days in the wilderness when a few gadgets need charging!

Dinner can only be described as a whirlwind. For starters the first thing she said made me feel relieved that maybe I wasn’t just awful at time management and emails in my previous job, but as she said it is just science. I could have listened to her explain neuroscience and psychology all night, but she was cooking and flitting back and forth. I got the feeling she invited us in for the company, but got 3 quiet introverts… so she did most of the talking and we listened! It was very interesting hearing about their outdoor experience consultancy work and what they do with the junior All Blacks exposing them to stress, depriving them of mobile phone notification dopamine etc. Dinner was divine – a huge risotto with spinach, pumpkin, and prawns on the side. So hearty. Then we looked at the weather forecast for the Tararua Ranges together and she gave us tips, explaining about the rescues that happen and what generally causes them. Luckily the forecast still seems ok to go in, with the second day probably needing an early start as the wind could get up later in the afternoon. The final part was showing us a video from a TA hiker about how quickly the weather could change – it was certainly effective. Despite being busy running their own centre and businesses, Sally & John must have saved countless TA hikers with their weather briefings and insider knowledge of the Tararuas. Without their hot shower and power it would be 8 days of tramping, or an awkward hitch to Levin.

Tomorrow is a 7-8 hour day at least. There’s a road to begin with though that might not be included, so we will aim to leave at 8am. I’m feeling a bit nervous about the weather but glad to be with my new trail mates, and to have had Sally’s briefing. It’s pretty chilly in the tent tonight – Sally thought it would get down to around 2C.