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Grey Hiker

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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 13, 20221 min read
Day 39. Dec 13. Waitomo. Zero Day.
Took a rest day at Waitomo with a plan to do a glowworm cave tour. Was picked up at the campsite in the morning to go to Spellbound...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 12, 20221 min read
Day 38. Dec 12. Kaimango Rd to Waitomo. 35km.
Another big 10hr day but I really enjoyed it. All in quiet forest gravel roads, grassy tracks through hilly farmland and most or it in...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 11, 20222 min read
Day 37. Dec 11. Pahautea Hut to Kaimango Rd. 19km.
We were concerned that the guy who didn’t leave his bunk might have COVID. Sam left a COVID test kit and a note. I didn’t think he’d see...
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Katie O'Brien
Dec 10, 20222 min read
Day 36. Dec 10. Karamu Homestead to Pahautea Hut. 18km.
Another day, another poem. In the morning as I passed a meadow with cows grazing among rusting cars, an idea and a few lines of a poem...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 9, 20221 min read
Day 35. Dec 9. Hamilton via Whatawhata to Karamu Homestead. 19km.
Took the bus to Whatawhata to start there rather than doing a long 30km hike in the forecasted rain. Was joined by Justin, Sam and Chas....
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 8, 20221 min read
Day 34. Dec 8. Ngāruawāhia to Hamilton. 22km.
Took the early morning bus to Ngāruawāhia again to start the section from Ngāruawāhia to Hamilton. A long walk along a paved cycle track,...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 7, 20221 min read
Day 33. Dec 7. Ngāruawāhia to Huntly. 27km.
Left my tent and gear at Huntly campsite and took an early morning bus with Jai, Stacey and Ren to Ngāruawāhia so I could walk back with...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 6, 20221 min read
Day 32. Dec 6. Totara Park to Papakura. 8km.
Finished my short stay with Katie and Nick and rejoined the trail at the Botanical Gardens. It was a hot day and probably the most...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 5, 20221 min read
Day 31. Dec 5. Mangere to Totara Park. 27km.
Continuing with my plan to not skip any sections of the trail and to walk as much as possible, I restarted by the sewage works west of...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 3, 20221 min read
Day 29/30. Dec 3/4. Flat Bush. Zero Days
Spent a nice couple of days off the trail at the start of December in Auckland with Katie, partner Nick and Nick's brother Matt and...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 2, 20221 min read
Day 28. Dec 2. Auckland CBD to Mangere. 27km.
A lot of TAs skip Auckland for various reasons. Am glad I didn’t as I really enjoyed the changing aspects of trail as it winds its way...
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Dermot O'Brien
Dec 1, 20221 min read
Day 27. Dec 1. Browns Bay to Auckland CBD. 20km.
After a big breakfast with the family, Nicole dropped me back at Browns Bay on a beautiful sunny morning. The trail weaved it’s way along...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 30, 20222 min read
Day 26. Nov 30. Orewa to Browns Bay. 35km.
Set off through Orewa, wandering past the school drop off rush. Suburban walking for what seemed like hours through to Silverdale and...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 29, 20221 min read
Day 25. Nov 29. Remiger Rd to Orewa. 21km.
Day 25. Nov 29. Remiger Rd to Orewa. 21km. Mostly road walking today (“Te Ara-road-a”), the first bit was nicely quiet. Stopped in at...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 28, 20221 min read
Day 24. Nov 28. Dome cafe to Remiger Rd. 25km.
There were five us at the closed Dome Cafe and we slept under the verandah and out of the rain. Peter, Armand, Brad, myself and a bearded...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 27, 20221 min read
Day 23. Nov 27. Pākiri to Dome Cafe. 31km.
Well that was probably the hardest day so far. I expected Pakiri to Dome cafe (permanently closed) to be 25km according to official guide...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 26, 20222 min read
Day 22. Nov. 26th. Mangawhai Heads to Pakiri. 29km.
The tent site was near a boat ramp, and we were awoken before dawn by the clatter of boaties, eager to get out on the water on the fine...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 25, 20221 min read
Day 21. Nov. 25th. Waipu Cove to Mangawhai Heads. 25km.
Lisa had been having trouble with her foot for a while and made the difficult decision to return to Auckland to see a chiropractor. So...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 24, 20221 min read
Day 20. Nov. 24th. Ruakaka to Waipu Cove. 25km.
The sun was shining when I started, but the rain soon set in. I walked towards Ruakaka in the rain along state highway one, with the road...
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Dermot O'Brien
Nov 23, 20221 min read
Day 19. Nov. 23rd. Ruakaka. Zero day.
I had originally intended to take a zero day at Marsden Cove but owner Ann didn’t have a second night free. But her friend Vero had a...
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