Posts Tagged ‘Karamea’

Day 5. 33km. Karamea – Heaphy Hut

Posted: November 10, 2024 in Cycling, New Zealand
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‘I think a weka would have taken it.’
The wise New Zealander was probably right about my spare cycling shorts. Drying on my back pannier, they must have fallen off. Noone found them. The New Zealand bird, famous for stealing clothes, now has a padded nest.

Weka

The sun poked through briefly this morning. It was wonderful being able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Heaphy Trail is a Great Trail of New Zealand, and hugs the coast, rising and falling over every creek and hill. A lot of pushing was involved.

Start of the Heaphy Track
Along the coast
Along the coast
Along the coast

Scotts Beach was a barren beach on a rugged coastline with beautiful rock boulders on the beach. It all felt very windswept and wild.

Scotts Beach
Scotts Beach
Scotts Beach

I reached the hut by 13:30 and was surprised not to be the first. The hut slowly filled. It was a nice afternoon and evening sharing stories, walking along the beach strewn with logs and a dead dolphin.

Near Heaphy Hut
Near Heaphy Hut

Tomorrow hay will be made while the sun is shining. The weather forecast for the following day is crap.

Day 4. 100km. Westport – Karamea

Posted: November 8, 2024 in Cycling, New Zealand
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When the rain is steady, the cyclist’s mind turns inward. The kilometres are mind games, punctuated with sudden thoughts – look outward. Live in the now. Look at that fern. That bird. The crashing sea shrouded in grey. The west coast is wet.

The crashing sea

I wanted to get to the start of the Heaphy Trail. The weather forecast is constant rain for the coming days, so waiting it out wasn’t an option. With no reason to dawdle and check out the sights on the way, I ventured out into the rain.

A picnic lunch in the camp kitchen at Mokihinui and then a climb and drop in the rain was the order of the day.

The climb
View from the top

The rain eased for the last hour enough for me to put in my earbuds and listen to the US election. Trump it is.

Tomorrow the Heaphy Trail.