719 - 745 Rangiriri
Despite fairly heavy rain during the night the weather looked like it was lifting by about 7:30am so I set off.
I hadn't really counted on how wet the grass would be during the Whangamarino Redoubt Track and by the time we reached the Redoubt (where the crown fired cannon at Meremere during the Maori Wars) I was soaked to the waist and my socks had acted in reverse wick mode to fill my boots with water.
From there it was a long rough walk initially between SH1 and the Waikato and then through farmland along the riverbank.
On the bright side of things I appear to have a magical raincoat. I put it on and it stops raining. I take it of and it starts.
Another piece of luck was when I got to Rangiriri I saw a pie shop and while ordering the pie (lamb) I also found that she was the accommodation person I was looking for so I have splashed out on a tent less night and she is cooking us all (Lyndsay and Alison are here too) dinner....hopefully soon....with salad.
Hindsight
- It's a good idea to wear your wet weather pants first thing if there is a heavy dew.
- Sometimes you can't see the markers....or there are none.
- Sometimes the GPS track is wrong.
- When you reach the flood gate after the Redoubt go over it. The other track leads back up the Redoubt.
- The track leads along swampy river bank in order to keep you off the motorway. It's bad but it's the only way through.
- Sometimes you are so wet and bedraggled that getting an expensive bed is a good idea.
Rangiriri Map
