Jaggers Camp - Whangārei Heads

Vi startede tidligt i dag, da vi havde en lang dag forude. De første fire km var langs stranden, hvilket for en gangs skyld var en fornøjelse, da det var ret så smukt om morgenen, og sandet var forholdsvis godt at gå i. Langs stranden krydsede vi også 400 km-mærket fra startpunktet Cape Reinga. Tiden er fløjet afsted! I dag markerede også, at det nu er en måned siden, jeg fløj hjemmefra.

Efter stranden skulle vi gå Bream Head, Te Whara Track, hvor det højeste sted er 470 hm. Det blev dog ikke den smukke oplevelse, som jeg havde håbet på. På vejen op fik jeg en omgang migræne, som jeg heldigvis kunne få stoppet med en triptan og en længere pause, men kroppen var ikke helt sig selv bagefter, og jeg gik derfor kun lidt videre, hvorefter jeg måtte konkludere, at jeg ikke ville nå frem til Whangārei Heads, inden det ville blive mørkt, hvis jeg fortsatte i samme tempo. Jeg gik derfor ned ad en sidevej og kom ned til den strand, som vi var startet på om morgenen. Her mødte jeg en, jeg havde mødt på vejen op, og spurgte, om de skulle mod Whangārei, hvilket de, til mit held, skulle. Jeg endte med et lift med nogle virkelig søde mennesker mod Whangārei Heads. De var på forlænget weekend i området, men bor i Auckland, hvor de også tilbød mig overnatning samt mad, når jeg kom dertil, da ruten går lige forbi deres hus.

Jeg havde skrevet til de andre, at jeg var gået ned igen og havde fået et lift, men at vi kunne mødes ved en lille café, inden vi camperede. Her fik vi både spist is, burger og pizza! Helt perfekt oven på sådan en ret så træls dag! Men jeg ved, at de dage ikke er uundgåelige, så jeg må bare være så godt forberedt, som jeg kan være.

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We started early today, as we had a long day ahead of us. The first four kilometers were along the beach, which for once was a real pleasure, as it was quite beautiful in the morning and the sand was fairly easy to walk on. Along the beach, we also passed the 400 km mark from the starting point at Cape Reinga. Time has flown by! Today also marked one month since I left home.

After the beach, we had to walk Bream Head, the Te Whara Track, where the highest point is 470 meters of elevation. However, it didn’t turn out to be the beautiful experience I had hoped for. On the way up, I got a migraine, which I managed to stop with a triptan and a longer break, but my body wasn’t quite itself afterward, so I only walked a bit further before realizing that I wouldn’t reach Whangārei Heads before dark if I continued at the same pace. So, I went down a side road and ended up back at the same beach we had started from in the morning. There, I met someone I had seen on the way up and asked if they were heading toward Whangārei, which, luckily for me, they were. I ended up getting a ride with some really lovely people toward Whangārei Heads. They were on an extended weekend in the area but live in Auckland, where they also offered me dinner and a place to stay once I get there, as the trail passes right by their house.

I had texted the others to let them know that I had gone back down and gotten a ride but that we could meet at a small café before camping. There, we had ice cream, burgers, and pizza – absolutely perfect after such a rough day! But I know that days like this are inevitable, so I just have to be as well-prepared as I can.Read more