It's amazing how a clear sky can suddenly turn to rain. It's less amazing when it then rains all night. Even less amazing is a ute full of retatrds (aka Tuhoe) turning up at midnight with spotlights and a radio on full blast. Picking the campsite across the river would of solved half my issues.
Its a clear sky in the morning but everything soaked and not going to dry in a hurry. Best plan- pack up wet and hopefully dry later. Another long day. Continuing back down the road it's an easy 3km to the Hopuruahine bridge. Theres a track starting here but there's no sighn and the first markers have been removed. I get the feeling doc dont want people to use it as it bypasses the start of the great walk. For me it bypasses a big bend in the road. It actually starts about 50m back from the bridge. Once on it it's marked and sidles the river for a km before joing the track where the river exits into the lake.
Its about 15km along the Waikaramoa great walk to my turn off. Theres 3 huts along the way but without a booking and $35 theres no way il be using one, and they check, daily. On a previous trip they even tried to fine me for camping within 500m of one. Politics aside the track is second to none. There's bridges over every stream, board walks over every swamp and steps on every hill, they even mow the grass on the grassy sections.
Theres a slip part way along and i find the first section of tracks closed, explaining why i haven't seen a sole. The advised methord- a water taxi around the whole section. The challenge for me is not getting seen by the boats.
After the first section the track becomes 'open' again and the crowds appear. The track turns to mud. The smell of sunblock. I pass a hut warden mowing the lawn.
The suns out and there's a slight breeze. Despite the remaining ground to cover, it essential to stop for an hour and hang everything up to dry. Having not washed sinse the Waioeka, a dip in the lake is required.
Whatever was causing me a sore ankle a few days ago has been slowly coming back. I don't know if its got wore today or its the heavier pack from my resupply putting more pressure on it. Either way im having to hit the pain killers quite hard to keep walking.
Eventually passing Maraunui campsite i reach the turn off to Manganiuohou. A doc sighn states Manganiuohou valley 3hr. A piece of moldy laminate paper above says the tracks been badly damaged by snowfall and to double times. It's aready 3pm and I've gone further than most great walkers. Its starts off not too bad. Theres reguar permalot markers and the occasional doc triangle. Its quite followable up the obvious spur to the ridgeline. After this its a bit hit and miss and it's easier to follow the compass in the open forest.
Locating the spur down the otherside it's not too bad, tho there a lot a large windfall to be navigated near the bottom. On reaching the river its bluffed in and carefully scouting is required to find a safe route down.
The Manganiuohou river is unlike any other so far. Its flows in a single channel of slippery bedrock between its forested sides. The water has a teal stain and looks uninviting, there's no shingle, sand or possible campspots on the banks. Its slightly reminiscent of the Mangamatane but looks morw like something you might find in Northland/ Kaimi ranges.
If you're carfull you can jump from rock to rock to cross and avoid getting wet feet. Which are final dry. There's a clearing tucked into the beech forest where a major side creek comes out. Its a bit lumpy but that's what a sleeping pads for. Theres no shortage a firewood but findind some that will burn is another question. Its another clear night, and if experience is anything to go by im expecting rain. Spilling half the dinner in the fire is mildly annoying.
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