270 - 303 Morepork Track
Since we were already at the beginning of the Waikare River we jumped straight in. Literally.
My boots stayed dry for about 10 minutes and have been wet now for about 10 hrs (Damn you gortex!). Other than that it was a great walk up and alongside the river until we got to a DOC shelter and had to do a diversion due to a Kauri dieback rahui.
After that there was a lot of road walking. Hot, sweaty, hard on already wet feet, road walking. The last part after Helena Bay was on metal roads though and, although steep, was fantastic.
Finding a place to camp was a bit of a problem though so eventually we gave up and I have camped in the middle of the track. Ken is off the side in his smaller tent and we appear to have momentarily lost Emma and Harry.
Hindsight
- Don't bother trying to keep your feet dry in the river. You can't.
- We filtered some water out of a stream by a sculpture. That was our last water for the day.
- There is a Waikahoa Bay Campsite but you have to turn off before Morepork Track. It is supposedly very nice. I think Emma and Harry went there.
- Ken and I have a camping problem. He says, "Let's camp here" and I say "No". The roles oscillate back and forth and we don't end up camping anywhere. Yes, there will always be a better spot around the corner. Just camp. It saves time and effort.
Morepork Track Map
