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Te Araroa – Day 10

The Green Bus Stop to Dragon Spell

24.7 miles

Mile 264.3

After packing up and a quick breakfast, I left The Green Bus Stop at 7:00 AM, making my way along the coast on a paved road for the next few miles.

When I passed by The Old Taurikura Store, I popped in to buy a drink before continuing on.

About a mile later I left the road for a short costal track that led me around the bay.

The costal track ended on a street that led me up to a house where I met a Kiwi named Blair. I’d coordinated with him the day before to ferry me across the bay.

His daughter Oceana joined us on the brief voyage across Reotahi Bay to Tug Boat Jetty, where the Te Araroa began again.

From there I walked the beach along Marsden Point until I reached the village of Ruakaka.

I grabbed a soda at the dairy there before continuing along the beach. While making my way along the stretch of beach I suddenly noticed that everyone around me was totally naked. Unfortunately, it was just a bunch of dudes…so I kept my head down and picked up my pace.

About 5 miles later the trail led off the beach onto a series of dirt and paved roads until reaching the town of Waipu.

Here I spent two hours enjoying a roasted veggie frittata at a cafe while using their WiFi to upload my latest blogs.

On my way out of town I grabbed a few supplies from the FourSquare (grocery store) before continuing on.

The first few miles from town there was a nice pathway alongside the road.

Once the pathway ended I continued along the shoulder of the road for about six miles.

Once the paved road ended, a dirt road replaced it and I began to ascend into the hills.

The road winded it’s way up and up until I reached Dragon Spell, a rustic off the grid property tucked away in the forest atop the hills.

Upon arrival I was greeted by a man named Johnny, who showed me around and made me feel welcomed. The place had a hot shower, bathroom, bunk house, and a kitchen area. He offered me a bunk for free, but I opted for my tent. I’m just more comfortable camped out in my tent than in janky bunk rooms.

After a shower and some dinner I watched a bit of Netflix before hitting the hay.

Cheers!

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