Whangarei to mangawhai heads

Saturday morning market at Whangarei wasn't much different from the Feilding Farmers' Market, except for the stall selling kina (sea urchins).

The bus to Waipu was so much delayed that I got walking immediately, no browsing the curious shops nor Museum time. Note to self to return there some day. 

Big ups to www.waipucyclewalk.com for this path constructed to separate hikers from traffic out of Waipu. 

Lots of roadwalking on a fine morning, until I was high enough  in a forestry block to look back towards Lion Mountain (walked it two days ago) and Whangarei. 

This photo shows you the beach back to Marsden Point (the white steam clouds) which is a wee part of Te Araroa I skipped.

There was a nice track through manuka, well west of Lang's Beach... 

... and long stretches of farm walking to bring me to Mangawhai cliffs and eventually downhill to rhe township of Mangawhai Heads. Camped by the estuary, replete after beer and veges at a brilliant hostelry on Wood St.