By Ruth
Distance: 6 km (on foot) 16 km (by kayak)
After a real holiday rest day yesterday, today we set out by sea kayak on the next leg of our journey. It was a pretty “flash” (i.e. fancy) experience since we rented the kayaks from a place that came to collect them at the end of the paddle section and even ferried our big packs there as well!
The kayaking was really fun and relaxing. About halfway we stopped on a beach for a break and a snack. The end of the paddle was through some cool mangroves. Afterwards we walked about 2 km to Sheryl’s place, Sheryl being a lady who lets TA walkers camp on her rural property near the trail.
To get to her place we had to cross a decent-sized stream. Luckily, ever since Kerikeri we are the proud owners of crocs, which have been all kinds of wonderful. Today they let us cross the stream and keep our boots dry. Incredible.
Sheryl was out when we arrived so we set up our tents a little bit away from her house, in a field. But when she got home she asked us to move into her fenced-in yard because there are semi-wild horses and cattle in the area, and she was worried they might be running around scared and trample our tents – with tonight being Guy Fawkes night there will be a lot of firecrackers going off.
So we moved into her yard and she put the kettle on, showed us around her house which just recently got wired for electricity from her solar panels (she was pretty stoked about that) and we all had tea and chatted. There are six of us hikers camping here tonight.
Sheryl works part time as a tour guide in Russel, a historic town just across the bay from Paihia. She told us a bit about the history of the Maori and British settlement in the area, and also taught us some games using river stones. Elliot was very good at the games.
While we were eating supper the horses came by and it was lovely to see them running and grazing in the field.
Sheryl’s place is completely off-grid, there’s no cell reception at her house, and when it rains the stream can flood and she can’t even get out in her car. But she has chickens, vegetables and fruit trees, and makes her own salves and ointments from local herbs. It’s been a unique night’s camping here at Sheryl’s place.
