10km Day : 1065km Total
16 March 2015
-40.873374, 175.232077

Rain was not forecast until this afternoon but at three o’clock this morning I was awakened by a downpour on the roof of the hut.  It made me worry about a wet day ahead, but fortunately it didn’t last long.  When I woke up again at 6am Dave was already up and around.  He had left his motorcycle at Otaki Forks and was making a long day of it by this morning’s hike followed by a ride all the way to Auckland on his bike in the expected rain.  He left at the first hint of twilight.  I was in no hurry because I was planning another short day, and had a second cup of coffee before I took to the trail.

This section of trail stared out as very easy and pleasant walking but after a few kilometers it switched to a detour around what the trail notes call a big slip.  This was difficult trail to walk that sidled on a steep incline for several kilometers.  After what seemed like ages it came back to the main track , which was wide and smooth with occasional rail tracks and ties sticking out if it as it follows an old logging tramway that was abandoned years ago.  This then reached an open area just before Otaki Forks.

I reached Parawai Hut early, and since I only had a granola bar for lunch I pulled out the prized packet at the bottom of my food sack of a double serving Backcountry Meal (Beef and Pasta Hotpot) for an early gourmet dinner.

The rain held off until 6pm and just when I started thinking that I would have the hut to myself a young couple arrived.  They had driven up from Wellington specifically to stay at this hut.  It was clear that this was suppose to be a romantic getaway for them complete with full picnic gear and bottle of wine.  I certainly felt like a 5th wheel on this cart. Parawai hut has a covered porch so they spent their quality picnic time out there while I read a book curled up in my sleeping bag inside.

The next morning I got away early on my way out to Otaki via the road.  I expected this to be a 12km road walk considering that the road is isolated with little traffic and considering my history of bad luck hitchhiking.   After 45 minutes I reached Shields Flat where there are dry stone walls throughout a sheep pasture.  These were built during the Great Depression as a project to put men back to work.  They are very unique and something you might expect to see in Hobbiton.

A half hour later a car stopped to offer me a ride without me even sticking out a thumb.  This was only the 4th car I had seen all morning.  The generous driver (Charlene) that gave me a ride, pointed out a stand of tall trees that were used as a backdrop for a scene in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.

Just a note to other TA trampers, the trail notes discourage walking this road, labeling it narrow and winding.  But it is less dangerous than most of the road walks on the official TA trail. There is very little traffic, and on the winding section the cars are traveling slowly.