Day 17: Peach Cove Hut to Whangarei (369-385)

Today I woke up around 6:30 and hit the trail around 7:30. I really like sleeping in the huts. No need to pack up my tent or air mattress in the morning! And I was able to hear kiwis last night. They're nocturnal and burrow during the day so I haven't seen one yet. Maybe when I'm in Auckland around Christmas I'll see one at the zoo.

The trail to Smugglers Bay had lots and lots of steps, but steps make hills easier so I appreciated them. I made it up to the high point of Mt Lion and it was all downhill and down steps from there! I probably finished hay tail around 10. After I was on the road for a bit a lady began pulling out of a driveway as I was walking by and asked if I needed a ride. She was going through Whangarei to get to Kerikeri so I happily said yes! Whangarei is not technically on the trail, but about 20-kilometers off it, so it's a good town to visit and resupply. Now I just have to figure out how to get back on the trail on Sunday.

Once she dropped me off in town, I walked about an hour and a half to the Holiday Park and YHA. It's a little out of town but right next to a bus stop and a waterfall. I checked in, showered and took the bus into town to get and resend my bounce box and stock up on food til I get to Auckland.

I took the bus back to the YHA and made a ton of tortellini for dinner and did laundry. Tomorrow I have a zero day to explore the city!

From today's hike you can see the beach I walked yesterday.  

This reminded me of granite tors in Alaska

Nearly the end of the trail, after all the stairs.  

This is a pohutukawa tree. New Zealanders refer to them as their native Christmas tree because it gets these red blooms around the holiday, but they still use pine trees like we do in their homes an for decoration.  

Christmas Llamas!  

My bed for the next two nights. The Holiday Park YHA combos I've stayed at have been so nice!