Day 26 Pakiri - Dome Forest

Today's the day. The evening was clear and the morning as beautiful. I made a goal of trying to reach Warkworth caravan park to spent the night. Over 25km through thick buch over four peaks of 1000 feet.

I started with 3km of road walking, which turned off onto a farmers land. As I climbed toward the beginning of the Omaha forest track I had that feeling that something was watching me, and turned around to find a group of cows sneakily eyeing me. The photos will explain it better. I climbed up and up to the beginning of the Omaha forest track. The first and most challenging forest of the day. Two seperate 1300 foot summits are difficult enough, but I also know that with the heavy rain in the past 3 days these tracks will be heavy with mud. Its good to have the hardest part of my day in the morning when my legs are fresh and my spirits high.

The track followed a fence line for some time through a steep path - both up and down - that was muddy, slippery, and overgrown with gores. I completed this mess as fast as I could without taking a fall. The track then climbed and at the top I found an old helicopter platform where I took my first and only break of the day. I managed to grab some reception and was able to send a quick text to someone very special to me.

The track then went down, down and then back up, up to the second climb over 400 metres. When I finished the Omaha track, a road brought me around to the Govan Wilson track. I ripped through this track with speed, knowing that if I slowed my pase I would not make my goal.

There's a big difference between road walking and bush tramping. On the road I can see how far there is to go. My mind become weak, tired, unmotivated. I begin to think of my feet. The pain. But when I hit forest. Though it may be slower, more difficult, I find my mind focused. Focused on the now, on each step. Each moment. I lose all grasp of time, and though my muscles still burn, and my feet still hurt I feel stronger.

I eventually hit the Dome forest - my last forest of the day - and was immediately pushed on a steep climb to one of its 350 m tops. The track was much harder than I anticipated. My body was sluggish by this point. The ground became difficult to walk on, with roots that webbed the floor with every step. The roots would serve two purposes for my feet. Wet and slippery - giving a higher risk for a fall - but also strong and sturdy, providing a safe place to lock my feet in when going downhill.

I reached my second summit and was glad to be descending to the dome forest finish. It was around 4:30, and I only had a few kilometres to go before I would reach the end of my day. I managed the day with 2 litres of water, and made a poor choice of not refilling at a stream running through Govan Wilson track.

I then came to a lockout point, only 1km to the finish of the track. The dome cafe - located at the end of the track - was closed by this point. I decided I would camp at the lookout and go down to the cafe in the morning for a big hearty breakfast. Nothing beats a big breakfast to start the day. Though it was the beauty of the lookout spot that truly made me stay.

I was treated to a 98 % full moon, and as I cooked dinner with the small portion of water I rationed off I was able too see as far as the eye can see. Auckland glowed it's radiance off in the distance, and I had a moment to reflect on how far I have come.

Yet how far there still is to go.