D62- Orongorongo river to Turakirae head

Im blessed with perfect weather again for my final day. Continuing downriver, it opens up to the extent that 4wd can access from the beach, the flow becomes lost in the expanse of gravel. In many ways my last major river is a mirror imagae of the first. After 2km i take the Mt Mathews track on the true left. Its easy to miss if you're on the wrong side of the river, marker poles lead up the initaly dry bed of the Mathews stream. At the second forks a well maintained track climbs the steep spur between them. Its a bit of a slog, but my last climb so im not complaining. The Mt Mathews summit is an extra 2hrs (one way), so i dont bother, instead taking the track marked coast, which siddles to South saddle (545m).
South saddle sits in open tussock, with good veiws to the Orongorongo and the coast. Its all downhill from here. Passing the saddle marks my final crossing of the main devide. The track descends steeply into the head of the Mukamuka stream, where it stops with occasional markers continuing downstream to the coast. It starts off quite small and scrubby but soon opens out into vast shingle flats. By the time it reaches the mouth its 100's of metres across and the stream has become dry. Huge scree slopes drop into the stream on either side with occasional costal scrub clinging to the stable bits.
Reaching the beach is a milestone, being the first time I've seen the sea since Waiapu. Unlike the Rakumaras where there was a 3 day walk from ranges to sea, here the mountains drop right down to the coast. A quick dip is high on my priorities.
From here it's only 10km of coastline between me and Turakirae. A 4wd track runs above the high tide mark, removing the need to walk on the rocky beach. A doc sighn marks the start of the Wild coast track, and for the first time i see the words Turakirae head. The beach supposedly passes through a working farm, tho all i saw was a few undocked, sheep in costal scrub. Rounding windy point, the coastline changes from stony beaches and dunes to bolders and swamp. I wasn't intending to make it all the way today, i just got carried away when the head came into veiw. I pass Burneys Whare, private and locked, you probably could camp outside but the sandflies are terrible.
Approaching the head, the walking track leaves the 4wd track, taking a separate route closer to the coast. There's nothing to identify Turakirae head itself, and to most people its probably insigficant, but to me its the most important spot in the world right now. Almost running, i scamble across large bolders and lumps of bedrock, taking the reef which sticks out as far south as i can. It would be nice if there was a lighthouse to aim for, but instead i head for the furthest south point on the head without going in the water. Done.  From here the range ive been faithfully following drops below the sea level, only to resurface again in the Marlborough sounds. Im not sure how long i should stay here to justify the effort in getting here, i decide an hour should be surficent. I crack open the Ruatoria jet planes to celebrate. The weather is for once perfect for the occasion.
Finally leaving the rock, i continue around the head towards the road end ready to hitch out tommorow. The rocks turn back to dunes and i find a spot to camp amongst them. Its fitting that both my first and last nights were camped on the beach. There's a  beautiful sunset over the mainland as i set up my final camp on the beach.