Start – Ahipara
Finish – The Trampers Inn (beyond Herakino forest)
Daily Distance – 22km
TA Distance – 123km
Today was the long awaited start of 6 days crossing the great Northland forests towards my next point of
civilization at Kerikeri. Honestly, not a section I have been relishing as they are notorious for being steep,
overgrown and quite incredibly muddy.
First up was Herekino forest, which lived up to it’s billing in spades. When an Englishman thinks of a
forest he generally pictures stately oaks, carpets of wildflowers and merry men in tights. Well, we’re a
long way from home Toto as it’s nothing like that. This has far more of an Amazonian rainforest feel.
Vines, palm trees, cloying humidity and constant rugged undulations that barely register on a map, but are
rapidly exhausting. The only thing missing to complete the rainforest theme are the animals. The forest
rings with birdsong, but no animals are ever visible, which is a shame as a parrot or two would really
liven the place up. A special mention must go to the mud though. Like a malevolent forest guardian it is
by turns almost frictionless or a sucking morass that greedily swallows feet and poles. Parts of the forest
crossing were more akin to via Ferrara on mud, with the reassuring cables replaced by vines and trees of
worrying fragility. Still, occasionally the forest relented and offered real delights. Lunch was taken in a
beautiful stream gully and occasionally majestic (but sadly endangered) Kauri trees would appear like
titanic obelisks reaching far beyond the forest canopy.
All in all, today’s first forest crossing was very much a type 2 fun day, but one I’ll look back fondly on. It
was also great to hit the trail again. Rest days (and the associated eating) are great, but beauty is around
every corner here and I was getting impatient to see more. Incidentally, I’m publishing this blog from my
overnight camp in Raetea forest, where I oddly have phone signal. Technology is amazing sometimes!
