Hukatere to Waipapakauri (17km) by Joanna

 We had decided to do this portion early to get down the stretch before high tide at 11.30am. However, as that meant leaving 4-5 hours before hand we decided to lounge around for the morning - out on the bay in kayaks for some of us, and leave mid afternoon. This was an excellent plan as it turned out. The sun was past it's peak, there was a gentle breeze from the sea, and all was flat and calm. We staggered into the car park - remember we'd walked 29 km the previous day so we were already a little haggard - just before 9, and about 10 minutes after that night crashed down. Normally night falls, but up here night comes with rather more alacrity. 

Here's some pics.  Notice how few people are around. In fact in the last two days we've encountered one hiker and one biker. Quite a few 4wd vehicles, and two doc workers on a quad bike. Also, zoom in on the picture of sand. It has the most exquisite patterns. Our God is an artist. 











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