Broke camp, got ready to tramp on - it took almost 5 hours, but was great. Went up to Cleopatra's Pool, saw just a lot of beautiful EVERYTHING! Ran into our two fellow trampers from Denmark, two girls just out of school who by the end didn't think they'd go on another tramp - we kept catching up with them!
By the last hour of the track we encountered more and more people just going in (good timing to escape then!) including a huge group of teenage girls and a smaller group of boys - finally, rather sadly, we caught sight of Marhau car park, then, joyously, HENRY!
Fun to take off our shoes, throw everything in the back, and DRIVE off!
Then we enjoyed retracing the route we'd taken on bike - weather much better, sunny and of course much easier via auto! Felt good to cruise up Takaka Hill. Stopped at Ngarua Caves where we had a tour of MY first cave by "Mike the Boss," a real ham! It was fun and awesome and educational! Then on we went, savoring it all, remembering how it was on bike, pausing to happily gaze at the hut we'd slept in - then on down the mountain and back into Takaka.
Stopped in for another jug at the same pub, and eventually found our way to a charming little motel about halfway out to the beach, called Terrace Bay View Motel. We were on the top (2nd) floor, nice view; they had a hot tub we had for 1/2 hr; our place had kitchen with complimentary milk, all utensils, plates, silverware, pans, etc etc etc - Had two beds in main room with t.v. (watched "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman on video at 8:00 - excellent!), double bed in other room, roomy bathroom, nice little table to eat at. We went and bought groceries and had a great dinner and pampered evening - both slept soundly - what a treat after the roughing it of tramping! Really the perfect place to stay after the tramp!
