Rest, relax, recharge
Three day walk a chance to rest, recharge, reconnect and relax says
If the approach to Kawakawa Station is anything to go by, we were in for a spectacular three day walk, exploring this remote corner of the North Island. Winding around the wild and ruggedly beautiful Wairarapa Coast, the turn off to the station is just 15 minutes before Cape Palliser and its iconic lighthouse. It’s well worth the side trip and we ventured up the 250 steps to take in the stunning sunset on our first evening in this very special place. For those less adventurous, or wanting to conserve energy for the walk ahead, a stroll around the rocks at the bottom of the lighthouse will see you get up and close and personal with some local seals.
This was our third attempt at completing the walk (thanks Covid) and anticipation was high. Kawakawa Station walk, farm and glamping is owned and run by Rebecca Durry and her family. While the walk has been running for more than 10 years, Rebecca has made a number of changes and improvements in the three years she has been in charge. Hit hard by multiple lockdowns, they are now back up and running from October to April. It is undoubtedly one of the region’s best kept secrets, but with bookings coming in fast, it may not be that way much longer.
We spent our first night at Farm Cottage, previously the shearers’ quarters. The accommodation can take up to 11 people, but if you are a group of eight or more (which we were) you can have the walk to yourself. Rebecca spent some time giving us the low down on the next three days and answering our really insightful questions, like “can we get ice for our gin?” The next three days are spent ‘off grid’, with no power and minimal cellphone coverage. But, more importantly, at the end of each day there is a hot shower, a comfy bed and all the provisions for dinner. Minimal cooking is required, in fact ‘assembling’ is a more adequate description. Our bags are transported from hut to hut, leaving us to just carry our lunch, water and a few essentials.
The walk is fully catered with Rebecca describing the food as ‘country style’ cooking — but that doesn’t do it justice. There is an impressive attention to detail for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Delicious salads, superb cuts of meats and decadent desserts. Not to mention the fresh home baking we got to pack into our backpacks each day along. Our first night we dined on chicken roulade, delicious salads, a potato gratin and sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and cream. We were all tucked up in bed early, a sign of things to come, as we prepared for our first day walking.
Day one covers nine kilometres and starts as a stroll along the coast before heading onwards and upwards across farmland to ‘The Ant’, 616m above sea level. As a group of mixed fitness levels, we took it slowly and were well rewarded at the top with 360 views reaching right across to the South Island and a slice of Rebecca’s louise slice. There was a quick downhill to Jakeb’s Cabins, our home for the night. Nestled in a valley, it has views of the sea and bush and was the perfect place to rest and prepare for the next day’s adventure. We feasted on steak and garlic bread; washed down by some local pinot noir they had kindly transported in for us. We did some much needed stretching, played board games and climbed into our sleeping bags as the sun went down.
Day two of the walk was undoubtedly my favourite. Around 10 kilometres weaving through native bush with plenty of spots to stop, sit, snack and take in the birdsong and the views. With no cellphone coverage it really was an invaluable experience for this group of friends, busy parents and business owners to give ourselves the time to truly be in the moment. After around four hours walking, we came across our destination, ‘Purple Hut’, an ex army hut on the edge of Otakaha stream. We headed down to the stream for a quick dip/ice bath before preparing our final meal. The hut is full of memorabilia about the farm and the region and was a delight to explore.
The final day is just a couple of hours following the stream back to your starting point. There are a few water crossings to keep you on your toes and as the woolshed and stockyards came back into view, I had to fight the urge to turn around and do it all over again. You end up back at Farm Cottage for a cuppa and a hot shower before preparing to re-enter civilisation.
The three day walk feels like so much longer than that. A chance to rest, recharge, reconnect and relax. It caters for all ages and all fitness types and is the perfect antidote to the chaos and uncertainty of the past two years. It might be one of the more remote parts of our backyard, but it is truly a gem.