Legs and Borders

The tidal navigation adventures continued today with Taiharuru river, walkable only at low tide which happened to be really early in the morning. I've woke up ten past four in the morning to the sounds of Ollie and Arthur already stuffing their backpacks. I've joined their efforts and after twenty minutes I was ready to go, since they were still wrestling with their tents in the dark I left our trail angels backyard and proceeded towards the river. I've got there an hour later. I begun walking through the muddy bank of the river and soon after I said goodbye to my freshly washed, dry socks and shoes as the trail was going through a knee deep water. I was waving my walking sticks in front of me trying to chase away any eventual sting rays which were populating these waters. After ten minutes I was back on the mud path, following Topo signs left in the water by DOC rangers. One more walk in the water and after completely submerging my shoes in the mud of the other river bank ...

"Possums, rats, rabbits pigs and goats are all considered pests in New Zealand. I get 10$ per possum, can catch 40 per day, gives me 2000$ a week" Steve, pest control guy Tuesday, 28th of November 2023 Day of hitchhikes around the trail closures and river crossings. I woke up early and left Dave's and Alex place while they were still sleeping. I've walked back to the beach and then up through Helena Ridge, beautiful but overgrown forest section. At about 11am I came out to the gravel road where a cyclist looking like Santa informed me that I will have to take 20 kilometres long detour around the closed section of the trail. The land owners here didn't want TA hikers to walk through their land and denied access - it was part of 'Kauri dieback' disease dispute, causing one of New Zealand's most iconic trees to decay, I encountered measures to stop it before, like disinfecting and brushing shoes along certain sections of the trail. ...