Bushcamp to Puhoi
30 miles
Mile 324.3
By 7:00 AM I was making my way up the steeply graded trail towards Tamahunga Summit.
At the summit I found a helipad, along with an epic view of the coast.
Pushing on, the track turned into a dirt road that led me past a house where I was greeted by the owner, Jeff. He offered to fill my bottles, which I thankfully accepted. I lost my water filter yesterday…so I have to be extra picky about my water sources now.
Before heading out Jeff hooked me up with an apple and a slice of lolly cake. It was a nice morning surprise!
From there I connected with the Dome Track. A well maintained trail that led me up and down steep forest hills.
At the stream crossing I dropped my pack to bath and wash my cloths in it’s pools. The cool water felt amazing as it cut through the dirt and sweat I’d accumulated over the past two days.
From there the trail continued its roller coaster through dense woods.
Finally I popped out of the forest at Dome Cafe.
I headed inside to buy what would end up being the very best iced coffee I’d ever had. When I ordered it I thought I’d be served as coffee, with ice…but apparently Kiwis do things differently. This coffee had a scoop of ice cream in it, along with whipped cream and cinnamon on top. Soooo damn good!
From there I followed a series a road and farm tracks.
Finally I reached the Puhoi River Track. After crossing the river on a swing bridge, I cruised through the final few miles in anticipation of the pub that lay ahead.
After two mugs of the locally brewed Pug Life ale at the Puhoi Pub, I cruised across the street to setup camp in the park.
Cheers!