Shelter to Levin
18.9 miles (5.5 off trail miles)
Mile 950.5
Just after sunrise I rose to I poke my head from the shelter, relieved to find blue skies for the first time in two days. I said farewell to Emily before setting off into the morning.
I followed a 4wd track for a time, passing a dam before beginning the Makahika Track.
This jungly forest track consisted of deep mud, slippery roots and many creek crossings, so the going was slow.
There were two lookouts, Horawhenua and Archey, where I could see out past the dense forest canopy.
Other than that I spent the rest of my day in a green tunnel.
By the afternoon I’d escaped the forest, leaving mud and roots behind for a paved road. When I reached the junction to either enter the Tararua Forest, or continue into the town of Levin, I decided to treat myself with some town time. I’ve been warned that the Tararua’s are no joke, so I figured a good nights rest and tasty town food would do me good before heading in.
Two hours later I reached Levin, where I grabbed dinner at Subway before finding a motel for the night. I’ve been kind of obsessed with Subway lately, something about the bread and veggies are just better in New Zealand…
Cheers!