Mangawhai to Matakana

Wednesday 10th March

Te Arai beach - Pakiri - up and over Mt Tamahunga - roads to Matakana - 31.4 km - 7.6 hours

Onto the top end of Te Arai beach, then down the beach, with Te Arai Point to climb over part way along. Then on for another couple of hours to Pakiri - with racing horses training their silky riders on the beach for something a little different. An easy wade through the Pakiri river near the mouth, and then via a dusty road to the start of the real hill section for the day.

This climbed steeply up through dry paddocks to a ridge top with views to the north (picture) and then up and down, and then up again to the top of Mt Tamahunga, now with views out east to Omaha and Kawau Island. Down the other side, onto a road, that soon became the busy road from Leigh to Matakana.

Now able to stay at home in Auckland, so a chance to catch up with my blog .. and the rest .. while I finish off the last of the north Auckland section in the next few days