Cape Brett Hut

There are places out there that are still pure. The air is clean, the trees are thriving and the birds fly in huge flocks over clear blue seas. It took traveling across the world, hiking for a week and then a boat ride deep into the Bay of Islands but I was there today and it was spectacular. I was a little anxious about getting off trail for this boat ride and the hike out to Cape Brett but it turned out to be simply amazing. I’ve been to some pretty cool places but this one took my breath away. Literally and figuratively.

Ten of us set off from Kerikeri early for a fast twelve mile hike through forest roads to Paihia. I found a great coffee shop and we had a long relaxing lunch until we met Captain Bob for our water taxi across the Bay of Islands to a place called Deep Water Cove. Along the way, Bob made a few stops and gave us some history of the area from hidden canon balls from Captain Cook to the final resting place of the original Smokie the Bear statue (seriously – Smokie ended up in New Zealand!). Bob dropped us off on a rocky cliff face and we had to scramble with our packs to the trailhead for a three mile hike to the Cape Brett hut on the northern most tip of the peninsula.

The hike out to the Cape was steep but beautiful. Once we got up to the ridge, the trail was very narrow and had 360 degree views of the Pacific. We came down to meet the lighthouse and then to the small hut. The cliff face in front of the hut is home to thousands of nesting seagulls. We threw off our packs, ran down the stairs and jumped off the cliffs into the ocean. It was cold, clear and so refreshing. There was another couple from New Zealand named Sue and Adrian staying here and we settled in with them for dinner and then for a long game of Farkle.

The hike out the next morning took us back out on the same trail but we continued on another six miles to the trailhead that intersected the road. This trail was the most beautiful I’ve seen on this trip – sweeping views of the bay on both sides dotted with pristine white beaches and turquoise water. But, there was some payback for this great trail. When we got to the end we stopped for lunch before heading out on a really long road walk to our next hostel.

About ten miles into the road section, a van pulled up and offered us a ride – it was Sue and Adrian! They had parked their camper van at the end of the trail and saw us huffing it on the road. We gladly accepted the ride into our next hostel and it saved us about five miles of pretty but boring walking. We arrived at The Farm hostel just in time as the wind and rain started to pick up. We are starting to get some harsh weather coming through as the last bit of a cyclone comes across the north island. A good time for us to take a zero day – my first since starting the trail. I’m going to kick my feet up, sleep in and watch the New Zealand vs. South Africa rugby final.