Day # 35

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But I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more…….well maybe not:/ We left Snells Beach early Monday morning and headed to Tawharanui Regional Park. Tawharanui Regional Park sits on a remote peninsula (well maybe not that remote, Omaha beach is just around the corner). The park is 588 hectares, with whites sand beaches, rolling pastures, shingled bays, native coastal forest and regenerating wetlands. It is New Zealand’s first integrated open sanctuary (mainland island) where farming, public recreation and conservation of native species combine. It also has a Marine Reserve on the Omaha Bay side of the peninsula. However we did see a group of young teenagers in the distance head down to the beach with fishing rods. Perhaps they can’t read?

The North/South Coast track was on our hit list today. Heading off with a beautiful blue skies and a rather cold wind we headed up the North Coast track with spectacular views down the beach and across the Omaha Bay. Once at the Trigg we took a detour and went out to Tokatu Point lookout, what an awesome view across to Kawau Island, Little Barrier and Great Barrier. Then off we huffed and puffed down the South Coast Track via Maori Bay. Kawau Island is very close to the South side of this peninsula you could almost chuck a stone across (maybe not). The guide says this is a track for the energetic, they are correct. The Golden Girl had a theory that it was easier to run up the steep hills rather than walk, Lance and I had a theory it was the chocolate she ate before we left (been older and wiser we knew the energy was going to run out, so just to make sure we let her run down a wrong track for a bit then yelled her to come back once she was at the bottom of the hill……….J). The track took us about 3+ hours including Tokatu Point. Back to camp, sitting in the sun and out of the wind. The Golden Girl is very quiet!

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