🗓️ November 15, 2025

🏁 Kilometers : 554

As we left our accommodation this morning, our quirky hosts insisted on saying goodbye before we departed. They emerged from their house, Roma in a dressing gown and Graham sporting a poncho and rain boots that would have given Ru

Paul and the late Karl Lagerfeld a run for their money! Their enthusiasm and authenticity truly touched me.

We walk together in a cheerful trio, sharing stories about our lives, work anecdotes, and joking around (I learned a great one, which I'll gladly tell you next time we see each other!). We are trying to arrive as early as possible to enjoy the English pub that awaited us in the village where we will arrive, although with Greg and Ashley, "hurried" is an understatement; they love to punctuate their walk with little stops to talk to farm animals, observe plants, or marvel at some unexpected curiosities. I love their spontaneity; it's a pleasure to be around people so full of genuine warmth.

After a good five-hour walk, we arrive at the Puhoi Pub, a renowned establishment for its beer and all kinds of spirits. The main room is covered in banknotes from all over the world, which customers attach to the walls—a tradition preserved since its opening in 1879. We have a few drinks, lunch, and then head to the kayak rental place for a 7-kilometer descent of the Puhoi River. The unusual thing about this waterway is that it's at sea level, meaning that fresh water mixes with seawater when the tide is coming in. We need an outgoing tide to paddle it, and since the manager got the tide times wrong, we can go back to the pub for another round!

At 4 p.m., we embark in our kayaks, positively cheerful, for an easy descent. The scenery is stunning with the setting sun, long shadows, and birds nesting along the river. Weeping willows bend over the water, dipping their lower branches, and the thick reeds provide cover for ducks and swans. As we approach the sea, the mangrove becomes denser. After a good hour and a half, we reach the jetty where we unload our kayaks and collect our backpacks. We'll spend the evening in our tents at the nearby campground.

🗓️ November 16, 2025

🏁 Kilometers : 572

Today's hike begins along a well-maintained path that climbs 150 meters, overlooking several cliffs. I then descend along a beach, before walking along the base of more cliffs, alternating between beaches and rocky sections for four kilometers. With the high cliffs to my right, the blue ocean to my left, and the lush greenery clinging to the precipices, I'm treated to a magnificent view. I then arrive in the town of Ōrewa, which I cross for 9 kilometers, stopping for a hearty breakfast along the way. I spend the evening in a room I found on Airbnb.

🗓️ November 17, 2025

🏁 Kilometers : 602

My last day of hiking before resting in Auckland begins with an 8-kilometer walk along particularly busy roads. There are no sidewalks or shoulders, making my progress difficult. However, for the last two kilometers, I reach a construction zone with alternating traffic controlled by traffic lights. The site security officer allows me to pass and let me walk along the kilometer of construction, blocking traffic on both sides. For 10 minutes, I walk without seeing a single car. When I reach the end, a long line of cars are waiting... if they only knew that it is because of me they have been waiting so long! I feel like a giant oversized load!

After reaching the small village of Stillwater, I set off along a 4-kilometer coastal path. At the end, I join a small group of 10 hikers patiently waiting for the tide to go out before crossing the Okura estuary. At a kilometer wide, crossing the estuary is relatively easy, its waters being shallow except for a hundred-meter stretch where the water comes up to our hips. Drying our clothes on a fallen tree after crossing the estuary, we look like shipwreck survivors.

I have 17 kilometers left to finish my day, part of which I cover with Greg and Ashley along the cliffs on the rocks exposed at low tide. They introduce me to oyster tasting, kicking them off the rocks and then using their Swiss Army knives to open them. We don't have any lemons, but the freshness is guaranteed! I then say goodbye to the Americans, who will spend the night at a nearby campground. My progress is punctuated by beaches to walk along, long streets through residential areas to cross, and sometimes rocks to scramble over beneath the cliffs. I know the way, having already hiked it three years earlier during one of my layover. The memories come flooding back; I wondered back then what it would feel like to be on this trek I'd dreamed about for so long. It's fantastic to go from dream to reality!

On one of the long beaches, I see a woman approaching, waving. She asks me if I'm hiking Te Araroa and insists on buying me an ice cream! These people have hearts of gold! We take a little time to chat, and then I continue on my way. The weather is superb; I feel lucky to be here. I proudly cross my 600th kilometer and exit the trail at kilometer 602, where my friend Marylène lives.

I'm ready for a good rest!