Day 79: Wellington to Picton

By Ruth

Today it begins: the South Island. We had a busy last morning in Wellington, sending off our bounce boxes at the post office, meeting Steffen (one of our trail friends whom we met in Northlands, and haven’t seen since November) for coffee breakfast, then doing our food resupply for the Queen Charlotte Track, then packing up all our stuff and heading to the ferry terminal.

It was so nice to see Steffen again since he is one of the people who we connected really well with and also tends to walk at a similar pace to us. He was surprised when we told him about our recent difficulties on trail, which was kind of nice to hear: we have been so filled with doubt about if we are suited to the trail or not, and here was someone who thought of us as solid TA walkers. It was a reminder that maybe we could actually get that confidence back. Other than that it was also just great to see him and catch up. It seems like we might be on a similar schedule for the start of the South Island so we are hoping to be seeing him a bit more.

Then, after a blur of activity, Harry was dropping us off at the ferry and we were on our way! Well, not quite. The ferry was scheduled to depart at 1 pm. We got there an hour early to check in, as was required. Then we waited. 1 rolled around and we were still waiting. Eventually at about 2, we were allowed to board. Then we waited some more, this time on the boat. We read (luckily I have a great book downloaded on my e-reader at the moment), ate some lunch, chatted to friends back home, and still we had yet to depart. Finally, at 3:40 pm, we set sail. Several times before we departed they came on the loudspeaker to apologize that the bar would not be open until we started going. But never once did they explain or apologize for the actual massive delay! So weird.

Once we were finally moving it was smooth sailing to Picton. We got lots of good reading in and enjoyed the scenery as the South Island came into view. It was beautiful. We were feeling excited and apprehensive, not too different from how we felt on the drive up to Cape Reinga on Day 1.

Day 78: Rest Day

By Elliot

The past few days we’ve been thinking about quitting the trail. We’ve thought about alternative things we could do, including going on hikes in the South Island unrelated to Te Araroa. Ultimately, our time in Wellington has been restorative enough that we are cautiously continuing. It helps that the first section on the South Island is meant to be relatively easy and very beautiful.

Our biggest concern is not the difficult of the trail, or the remoteness of the trail, but our relationship on trail. The last few days into Wellington we had a tough time dealing with each other’s moods, and found ourselves more annoyed and frustrated with each other.

The trail has exposed us to a situation we’ve rarely encountered before and never for very long. There are times when both of us are struggling, and as much as I want to be supportive of Ruth, I find my ability to do so diminished. Ruth has come to expect a certain level of support, which is flattering to know I can usually give, and so feels my lack of support more keenly. Meanwhile, I become withdrawn, monosyllabic, and quick to be annoyed when things aren’t going well, and I’m bad at accepting support no matter how hard Ruth tries. I usually end up annoyed at Ruth’s attempts.

It probably doesn’t help that we spend all day, every day together doing the exact same thing, facing the exact same external difficulties. We are going to try to give each other more alone time, especially in towns (on trail is not the time to be alone, for safety reasons). And we will try to be more aware of when the wheels start coming of the wagon, and attempt to be cooperative instead of combative. If it doesn’t work, that means the trail isn’t working for us and we will stop.

Today we made multiple trips to the outdoor store and grocery store to stock up food for 18 days. We are sending food parcels ahead to places in the South Island where we need to resupply, but the food options are very limited and expensive. It was overwhelming at times to see the amount of food we need and how heavy the food we have to carry will be!

We treated Harry and Annika this evening to dinner at a place that has fresh pasta. Given the generosity and hospitality they showed us, it is the least we could do! Plus it was a fun time.

Now that we are going to the South Island, the cadence of our posts might change. We no longer promise daily updates. The sections of trail without internet will be bigger and writing and formatting more than one post at a time is exhausting. So expect more posts to cover a range of days.

Day 77: Wellington

By Ruth

Distance: 21 km

After a restorative day yesterday filled with plenty of coffee, good food, a comfortable place to stay, and lovely friends to hang out with, we woke up this morning with fresh determination to officially finish walking the North Island. When we arrived on Friday we gave up walking at Crofton Downs, just over 20 km from the end of the trail, and today we went back to finish off those last kilometres in the beautiful sunshine.

First though, we went out for breakfast (being well-fed is very important). Then we took a bus to where we had left off before. We averted our eyes from the disappointing coffee cart as we went by. Then we were on a lovely path for a few kilometres through a small ravine, with a stream running next to the trail.

After that we popped back out into a neighbourhood where we walked up some steep streets to another little forested section with nice views and benches interspersed along the way. That led us to the botanical gardens which were nice, but nowhere near the level of the ones in Hamilton.

After that we headed down some pedestrian paths/stairs to the central district. We had an amazing coincidence as Isi and Michèle, Elliot’s aunt and uncle, happened to be in Wellington today for just a few hours as a stop on their cruise of New Zealand. So we were able to meet them for lunch and coffee! An unexpected perk of our stay in Wellington.

After lunch, Annika, who we are staying with, joined us for the Mount Victoria section of trail. It was so refreshing to have someone new keeping us company on trail. Mount Victoria was nice but pretty crowded with tourists. Also there are lots of trails in the park and the TA is not very well signposted – so it was not easy to figure out where we should be going.

But we did figure it out, and then Annika headed home while we headed towards another cafe for a snack and a drink (this one happened to be at the zoo). After that was Mount Albert with our first glimpse out at the south coast, and then down to the beach for the final few kilometres.

At the end of the trail was a rock with a plaque saying this was the end of the TA on the North Island. Underwhelming to say the least, but the walk today was overall very enjoyable, and we got a good taste of the city as we walked through lots of different neighborhoods. And now we are looking forward to starting the South Island with a renewed, if cautious, enthusiasm. We have one more rest day staying with Harry and Annika in Wellington before we sail onto the next leg of our adventure.

Day 75: Porirua to Wellington

By Ruth

Distance: 20 km

Today we arrived in Wellington! The day began rather inauspiciously, however. We were looking forward to getting a good coffee and breakfast in the suburb of Porirua – but both of the nice-looking cafes in town were closed for the holiday season. So we had to go to a very mediocre bakery/diner for some eggs and toast.

Afterwards we began the Colonial Knob walk and I was not in the best spirits. Yesterday was a long and tiring day and I was a bit daunted by the day we had ahead, and the thought that we might have a repeat of the difficulties and mood crashes of yesterday. But a break and a second breakfast helped rally my spirits and we continued up to the top of the Knob. This was a walk with many stairs and lots of other people out for a morning walk or run. At the top there was a view back over Porirua and the way we had walked yesterday.

Then we left the day hikers behind and continued along the ridge. It was interesting because suddenly it was like we were back in a rural area, with sheep and cow poops on the track. After that we popped out on a country road, which we weren’t expecting. There were six kilometres of paved road between the Colonial Knob walk and the next track. It was really a country road with horses and sheep on either side.

This wasn’t a great development for me: the pavement was hard on my tired feet, and it was approaching lunchtime with the only option for where we could stop to eat our wraps being the ditch on the side of road. My spirits took a serious hit. There weren’t many cars going by, but on a whim we tried to hitch, and succeeded on the first car! A nice local man drove us all the way to the start of the next track. And after 15 minutes of walking we got to a bench with a great view of the sea and windmills – a perfect lunch spot.

After lunch we continued up and up until we came around the side of a hill and suddenly there was a suburb!

A bit further along and the whole city came into view. It was so exciting to finally see the end of the North Island. Although I was mostly excited to have the end of our walking day in sight.

It started raining as we headed down into the city. I was feeling pretty tired of walking, my feet and ankles were hurting, and I was ready to sit down with a hot drink. Once we finally emerged from the park we made our way to the nearest local cafe only to find that it was closed for the holiday season. We kept walking twenty more minutes in the rain to a different cafe that was open, but it turned out to be a coffee cart at the train station. At that point I was ready to give up and just take the train into town to our hotel. But of course, the trains are also not running at the moment because of the holidays. In our desperation, we ended up taking an Uber for the last few kilometres of our day.

At the hotel I had a nap and a shower and began to feel better. We went to a nice Vietnamese place for dinner and a beer to celebrate making it to Wellington. It was not the note I was hoping to end the North Island on, but we made it.

Day 74: Paraparaumu to Porirua

By Elliot

Distance: 37km

We took advantage of being in civilization this morning by going out for coffee before starting today’s walk.

Well-caffeinated, we set out on the beach.

At a certain point the beach turned to coastal track. Following the TA trail, we came upon a closed trail. I was a bit annoyed. The trail has apparently been closed since 2018, but they haven’t updated the TA map to reflect that. So we went back on the beach, but found a way to join the track later on.

A little before noon we hit the next section of the trail: the escarpment. We walked up high above the railway and highway that hugged to coastline, and were rewarded with great views. The quality of the trail, and the lack of mud made it even better.

Even so, I wasn’t loving the trail. We’d set out to do a big day today, and I was worried we weren’t going to be able to do what we planned. I knew it didn’t matter whether we succeeded or not, as there is always tomorrow, but I was nevertheless feeling pressure. But then we had lunch, and my mood rebounded. It a little bit worrying how hard I’m crashing mentally when I need to eat, but I think I just need to manage it better.

After the escarpment, the trail became pavement, which is tiring on the feet, and remained pavement for the rest of the day.

We are getting very close to Wellington, as we keep being reminded by the traffic signs, and the built up roads and neighbourhoods that we are passing more and more of.

Tomorrow we should be in Wellington, and the day after should see us finishing the North Island. I hope my shoes with holes last me at least through tomorrow!

Day 73: Parawai Lodge (Hut) to Paraparamu

By Ruth

Distance: 26 km

Today was our final day in the Tararua range! If you’ve been reading the past two or three days you’ll know that we were pretty ready to be out. We set out early as usual for today’s walk which consisted of summitting a small (800-odd metre) peak, our last of the Tararuas, followed by 10 km road walk into town, unless we could get a hitch.

The day started out on a beauty of a trail, wide, not muddy, on a gentle incline which switchbacked gently through the forest. “No way this can last”, we said to ourselves, so we made sure to appreciate every step. Sure enough, after a kilometre or so the grade steepened. But not by too much, and the mud stayed very manageable.

We got into a great flow going up to the summit. This was probably helped by Elliot’s new snack regimen, wherein we try to avoid bad moods by stopping for a snack every couple of hours, thereby making sure not to let the blood sugar drop too much. The view from the summit was pretty decent, down to the coast and back out onto the mountains.

I was a bit worried about the descent today after how tough it was down from Mount Crawford yesterday, but this was a breeze. It was much less steep so we could actually get a rhythm and make good progress through the forest. It felt great. At the bottom we reached a small stream which we had to cross, after which we took an incredibly refreshing cold plunge. For the first time in the Tararuas we were both feeling amazing. Perhaps not coincidentally, we were also out of the Tararuas less than half an hour after that.

We had postponed lunch in order to eat at the parking lot. Partly this was because I thought there might be a picnic bench there (there wasn’t). But also we thought sitting there for a bit might allow us to catch someone as they were leaving and get a ride into Waikanae, the town 10 km down the road we were headed to next.

Sure enough, one cream cheese wrap into our lunch, a couple with a baby and little dog came out of the forest. We struck up a friendly conversation, and eventually revealed our angle. They were so nice and made room for us and our bags in the car, then drove us all the way to the New World in Waikanae. Once there we headed to the nearest cafe and ordered a drink we have been eyeing for a while now: the iced coffee. This is a bit of a misnomer because the drink is actually a milkshake. So decadent!

Because of the great timing of our hitch into Waikanae, we decided to push on 10 more kilometres to the beach town of Paraparamu for the night. The route there was a joy: a gravel path next to the river, where kids and dogs splashed in the water, then an estuary boardwalk with birds and views out to Kapiti Island, and then a few more kilometres on a hard-packed sand beach.

Tonight we are staying in a bed and breakfast with themed rooms; we are in the Bordeaux Room. With real bed linen, fluffy cotton towels and a hot shower, we are absolutely relishing the luxuries of being back in civilization.

Day 72: Nichols Hut to Parawai Lodge (Hut)

Distance: 18km

By Elliot

We woke up early, to a gorgeous sunrise. Ruth’s mattress was right next to a window, so she had front row seats to the sunrise, as soon as I prodded her to look.

As Ruth mentioned yesterday, I am struggling. Though today was better than yesterday, it still wasn’t ideal. After the first 1.5 hours to the summit of Mt. Crawford, I was lacking enthusiasm for where I was and what I was doing. We were on a mountain ridge with blue skies and views all around us, but I didn’t feel like I was appreciating it. Instead, it felt like work.

And then we started the steep descent from the ridge to the hut we stopped at for lunch. Physically, I felt great. But for the first time on this trip, I felt like I would rather be in front of my computer working than walking. There is a physical comfort that an office, especially home office, job provides that is missing from my current life.

I’ve lately been doubting whether through hiking is for me. We’ve gotten this far, but I find myself having more and more days where even though nothing is wrong, I can’t muster enthusiasm. Instead the prospect of tenting or sleeping in huts, camping meals, not being able to shower and not having clean clothes seem to be affecting me more. It probably doesn’t help being surrounded by people who seem unbothered by all the above.

All that being said, my mood seemed to turn as we washed our socks and shoes before swimming in the river at lunch. That’s when I discovered that both my shoes have giant holes in the side, which would explain how my insoles had mud caked on them. Somehow, the absurdity of the situation, knowing that I needed to walk another day and a half with these shoes, and having something to blame for my mood revived me. I had much more energy and enjoyed the trail more for the rest of the day.

Which was necessary, as we still had 5.5 more hours to go. We wasted a bunch of time crossing a river and crossing it back doing what was dubbed the dry weather route, only to discover that the other way would have only been 10 minutes longer. But because the weather wasn’t dry enough, the route we took ended up taking an hour instead of 20 minutes. And my shorts and underpants got completely soaked. And yet somehow that was still better than the morning.

In the end, the day took us 12.5 hours: we started just before seven am and ended just before seven thirty pm.

Day 71: Te Matawai Hut to Nichols Hut

By Ruth

Distance: 13 km

Finally, after all our weather delays, this morning we woke up to a beautiful day. Everyone in the hut wanted to get going early so it was a bit hectic eating breakfast and packing up. We had forgotten about these big TA groups and how there can sometimes be a bit of a competitive energy around getting in and out of camp.

Anyway, we were among the last to leave just before 7 am. The first couple hours of walking were a steep uphill along a ridge. The trail was in great condition, relatively dry and clear. The views were spectacular. We did a short detour up to a peak and we could see down to Levin, along the coast, out to Kapiti island, and even to the South Island.

After that we changed directions slightly and started downhill along an adjoining ridge. The views were still great but the trail deteriorated a lot. It became very muddy and slippery, with lots of long grasses to trip you up. We both were slipping and falling a lot, which was not great and kind of ruined the mood. Elliot in particular was struggling with the mud and getting very frustrated. At one rare dry point in the trail we just sat in the middle of the path for him to regain his composure.

It felt like a long time before we reached the Dracophyllum Hut, an adorable 2-person hut where we had lunch. Just as we were leaving, we saw two people we hadn’t met before arrive. They had stayed last night at the hut prior to ours, and told us there were fifteen people all expecting to stay at Nichols Hut (a 6-person hut) tonight. We were both a bit rattled by this. We were suddenly not sure if we would get a bunk in the hut or even a place to pitch a tent there. The number of people around us on the trail is very overwhelming.

After lunch we dropped back below the tree line into a cool mossy forest. The mud eased up a bit and so did the exposure. We made pretty good time, unfortunately spurred on a bit by the thought of the hordes all heading to the same hut as us.

A bit after 4 pm we arrived at Nichols Hut. To our surprise it was empty! It seemed that everyone who arrived before us had decided to continue on down to the next hut, more than five hours walk away. We decidedly did not have that kind of energy left, so we stayed put. We picked our bunks which have a great view out over the valley. Then we had our dinner and even got a little fire going, since it is pretty cold this evening. As it got later, we began to believe that maybe we would have the hut to ourselves tonight. That would have been incredible.

It was too good to be true though as we saw another hiker coming down the ridge at around 7pm. Eventually there are 7 of us in the hut tonight, so not too bad. The top bunks will have to squish a bit but we below are fine. Some of the people here are people we met when we were holed up in Kaitaia waiting out the cyclone. Funny for the trail to come full circle like that right near the end of the North Island.

Day 70: Te Matawai Hut

By Elliot

We woke up this morning, ready for a day in the hut. On the other hand, Jamie was looking to go on to the next hut. So we bid our goodbyes and wished him well.

Less than an hour later, he was back. The wind on the ridge had been so bad that he’d decided to turn around. It probably didn’t help that the visibility was awful as well.

So we spent the morning chatting and reading our books. Between around 9 and 12 it started raining heavily. That, coupled with the wind, made us happy with our decision to stay put. After we had lunch, two hikers showed up, soaking wet. We were hoping no one else would come up due to the weather, so that we would have the hut to ourselves. And those two decided to push on to the next hut.

But then another one came, and another. And another. By the end of the day there were 12 people in the hut. Jamie decided to go outside and set up his tent.

We’ve managed to avoid the TA bubble for a while. We were alone on the Whanganui river. We had the earlier huts on this section to ourselves. But it seems the TA has finally caught up to us. And it’s overwhelming, suddenly talking to and dealing with this many people. I’m worried about what the South Island will be like, given all these people, plus the people who are only doing the South Island, plus non TAs just hiking the nice sections of the South Island that we will also be doing.

Day 69: Poads Road (Levin) to Te Matawai Hut

By Ruth

Distance: 14 km

Excited to execute our latest plan for navigating the weather through the Tararuas, we woke up nice and early this morning. And so did Donna to drive us up to the trailhead at 7 am. What an angel.

Our new plan is to walk the first day of the Tararuas today, when it was supposed to be a bit rainy and windy, but not too bad. Then wait out Sunday in Te Matawai hut, when some severe gale force winds are predicted to be pounding the mountains. Then, Monday and Tuesday, we continue through the rest of the range, with the hopefully beautiful sunny weather that is forecast for those days.

So, despite knowing that it would be a wet day with low visibility, we waved goodbye to Donna at the trailhead and headed up into the mountains. The first twenty minutes or so were through farmland, easy. Then we reached the forest. The first thing that hit us was the darkness. It wasn’t a particularly bright morning because of the thick clouds, but in the trees it was positively dim. We half-joked about getting our headlamps out, but soon enough our eyes adjusted to the gloom.

The first few hours of the day were a steady uphill on the kind of track we are by now used to: wet, with lots of big muddy patches. It was just over four hours up to our first stop of the day, the Waiopehu hut where we had lunch. On the way up we encountered a day hiker heading up to the hut and back, and an older kiwi couple heading down from a five-day tramp through the Tararuas. More people than we expected!

For the last few hundred metres before our lunch hut we popped out of the tree line. You could tell there would be amazing views from there on a clear day, but for us all it meant was being exposed to the wind and the pure white cloud that covered everything. It was so great to get into the hut and have a dry place to eat and relax for an hour before heading out again (which was tough to do).

After leaving Waiopehu we went over a couple peaks and along a ridge for quite some time. We had thought almost all of today would be in trees, so we were a bit sad that we were missing the views from the cool mountain ridge we were on. Another thing about the ridge was the mud became relentless. At some points it was less a muddy path and more a small stream we were expected to walk in. It was very slippery too, so it was a tough four hours until the next hut, Te Matawai, where we plan to stay for the next two nights.

As we were finishing up our supper, two unexpected things happened. One, someone else arrived at the hut! We are sharing the bunk room with Jamie, a friendly Australian with lots of NZ hiking experience. So it ended up being a social evening for us. And second, the clouds began to clear! We thought we’d be completely socked in all day, so we were blown away when some views began to open up from the hut. We even got some sun for thirty seconds or so! It was magical. Overall it was a tough day but very rewarding.

Day 68: Levin (rest day)

By Elliot

Warning: this post is probably not to be read over breakfast

We’ve finally come to the inevitable toilet post. For those who don’t know, I’ve previously written stories involving toilets, and have a strong interest in toilets.

Over the course of this trip I’ve used a range of toilets. The gold standard is a private flush toilet, as we have in a motel room. There’s a comfort in knowing you have access anytime to a flush toilet whose cleanliness you are familiar with.

We’ve also stayed in places where there is one toilet for all the TA walkers which could be up to fifteen people. This can be further complicated by the one toilet and one shower being in the same room. There end up being long stretches where the toilet is not usable, which can cause me anxiety. Luckily, I usually wake up early needing to go, before things get busy. This has also given our blog some beautiful sunrise pictures, as I wake Ruth up on my way out of the tent and let her know the sky looks amazing.

There are the long-drop toilets, or outhouses. These are standard in most huts and campsites that we stayed at. These can be completely fine, clean, and not smell bad. They can also smell so bad and be dark so as to cause panic. You end up rushing, trying your best to get out of there as soon as possible and get some fresh air. The worst is when a long-drop has become a short-drop: splashback becomes a real risk.

We’ve also had the pleasure to use composting toilets. In these, you do your business, and then grab a handful of mulch from a bucket and throw it into the toilet to cover your addition. I’d never used one of these before, so this was a novelty. At one campsite, the composting “toilet” was just a big bucket with a toilet seat on it. The farmer whose land we were on would come and replace the bucket everyday. I was quite embarrassed when I was the last one to use it, leaving no room for anyone else to go.

Lastly, we’ve gone au naturel, with no toilet. First, you hope it’s not raining. Then you go looking for the right spot. It can’t be too close to camp, and it should be far enough off trail that others won’t accidentally stumble upon it. You try to dig your hole, which in the rich soil of New Zealand is not a problem. It still requires some work to dig with the small plastic trowel we have. Finally you squat down and do your business, then cover it up with the soil you just dug up. Honestly, this can be pretty great, being outdoors and not have to deal with the smells of hikers past.

There you have it. The hardest part is not knowing what to expect ahead of time. I miss my toilet back home.

Day 67: Rest Day (Levin)

By Ruth

Since I know you are all on the edge of your seats wanting to find out what we decided to do with regards to the Tararua range, let me explain. We have decided to wait for the weather system to pass, which means spending at least three nights in the town of Levin.

Today we spent the morning relaxing at the Makahika Outdoor centre, before our hosts (two TA walkers who were house sitting for the actual home owners who were away on their Christmas holidays) drove us into town. I say relaxing, but it was not that easy. When you have momentum and have everything ready to head up into the mountains, and it’s a beautiful day at that, it’s tough to come screeching to a halt. But it felt like the best choice for us, given the weather prediction for the next three days just keeps getting worse: more rain and wind.

Levin is a nice little town, and we enjoyed going to a cafe for lunch and coffee. Then, we headed to the grocery store to get a ride from Donna – our trail angel host for the next few days – to her home a few kilometres north of the town. Not for the first time on this trip we found ourselves sitting outside of the New World waiting for a lift. This one has a nice view of the mountains in the distance.

There are four other TAs staying with Donna tonight. After a pretty long time with mostly just the two of us on trail, it is so nice to meet some new people and be able to trade trail (and non-trail) stories! We wanted to make dinner for our hosts, but they ate too early. So we took advantage of Donna’s well-equipped kitchen to make dinner for all the TAs. We may not be trail angels but we try to bring a bit of trail magic where we can.

Nobody else is planning to wait in Levin for the weather to pass. Some are skipping straight to Wellington and starting the South Island in the new year. Another is thinking of going down to Wellington and then walking this section in reverse (south to north). There are so many different ways to do the trail and it’s interesting to see what others are choosing.

Overall, it’s not ideal to have to wait for bad weather to pass. In some ways, it reminds me of our first week on trail, when we had to wait in Kaitaia for three days for a cyclone to move through. (Dedicated readers will remember our many visits to the Pak’n’Save there.) I feel like I’m in a better place now than I was then, with a bit more patience and less insecurity about the trail. It helps that we are staying with Donna and not in a hostel, and that Levin has a bit more going on than Kaitaia did. But this is just day one of waiting, we will see if I have a different tune in a few days!

Day 66: Ian and Frank’s hut to Makahika Outdoor Centre

By Elliot

Distance: 18km

The weather cooperated with us today. We managed to get blue skies for a good portion of the day, and no rain. And we got to appreciate the “grand vistas” promised in the trail notes, even though the description is a bit of an exaggeration, which was doubly disappointing as we haven’t had any good viewpoints in over 3 weeks. But I’m sure the views will come soon enough.

We thought today might be long, so we were on the trail at 7am. Today’s trail was really nice, in a beautiful forest. At first there was some mud, but it didn’t bother me and I found ways around it. But eventually, I realized it had been several hours and almost every bit of trail I was walking on was muddy, and I was tired of the mud.

But a snack break managed to revive my spirits, and I powered through, all the way to the stream crossings. So many stream crossings.

We tried our best to keep our feet dry, but by the end of the day, we both had wet feet from missteps in the streams.

We arrived at camp at around 3:30pm, the day ending up taking less time than we thought. Our one remaining concern of the day was whether our grocery delivered would arrive. We ordered groceries a few days ago in Palmy to be delivered at this campsite. Luckily, the New World supermarket chain has their logistics under control and we got our groceries.

Another thing we did upon arriving to camp was check the weather, as we finally had internet. The next section of trail is three days through mountains, so it’s important for us to have good weather. Which, it looks like we won’t, with heavy rain and high wind expected on Friday. And then rain expected for Saturday as well.

So we are left with several options, none of which we like. One option is to push through and not pay attention to the weather. Another option is to make use of the extra day’s worth of food we have and wait out Friday in a hut, after walking tomorrow. But we would still have rain Saturday and Sunday, and potentially swollen streams which are less safe to cross. We can get a ride into Levin and wait out the worst of the weather: this would also mean giving up tomorrow, which is supposed to have great weather, as a walking day. The last option is to get a ride into Levin and then skip this section of trail entirely. But we were really looking forward to this section.

We are currently leaning towards waiting things out in Levin, but will check the weather forecast again tomorrow morning in case something changes for the better. We are both very frustrated as we want to keep going and get into the mountains. But as we need to remind ourselves, our goal is to enjoy the trail, and having a three day section through mountains with potentially unsafe conditions some of the time and unpleasant conditions at other times is not enjoyment.

Day 65: Moturimu Whare to Ian & Franks Hut

By Ruth

Distance: 15 km

After the feeling of utter slog we had yesterday, I started off walking today with some trepidation. Sure enough, it was 3 km of uphill on a gravel road right off the bat, and it was tough. My calves were sore from yesterday, and my feet were still adjusting to my new shoes which is never fun. Also, it was raining. Finally we reached the turn-off to the bush track. It was immediately a huge improvement. Yes, there was a massive mud puddle within five metres of the track beginning. But just being in a forest on a real trail was an immediate mood booster for me.

We hiked along for a while in a dense forest before reaching the first of two big-ish stream crossings today. When we arrived at the stream, we were surprised to see that the rain was coming down really hard. In the bush, we had trees protecting us so we couldn’t even tell.

Like I mentioned there were two large stream crossings today. There were also a whole lot of small stream crossings. The difference between the two (according to Ruth’s Official Definition) is that large stream crossings require taking your shoes off if you want to keep them dry, whereas small ones can be crossed by careful rock hopping.

So, not wanting wet feet the rest of the day, at the first large stream I took off my shoes. Then, before crossing I was fiddling around with my pack, and proceeded to accidentally drop one of my shoes into the stream! Horror. So, at the second stream, with one foot soaked and the other pretty damp too from all the mud puddles on trail, I just walked straight through.

Despite these trials, I really enjoyed the hiking today. When I’m in a forest surrounded by trees and ferns, I can really get into the zone where my mind is simply occupied with finding the next good foothold, and the time can fly by. It also helped that by lunchtime the sun had come out, and it was a shorter day today, so we were at our hut by mid-afternoon. Once again, we have the place to ourselves tonight.

Getting here early gave us time to have a wash in the stream, clean some clothes, and even have a read through one of the hiking magazines in the hut. For some reason all the huts here have outdoor-themed magazines in them, but usually we don’t have time to read any. This one issue we looked at this evening had stories of crazy people who quit their jobs to walk the TA! Can you imagine! Overall a big improvement over yesterday and a great day back on the trail.

Day 64: Palmerston North to Moturimu Whare (Hut)

By Elliot

Distance: 32km

This morning we set off after enjoying the luxury of toast and peanut butter. None of the forecast were calling for rain today, so I had a pair of underwear that I had washed in the sink hanging on the outside of my pack. Within 30 minutes, it started raining, and it proceeded to rain for the next two hours. But luckily it wasn’t too cold of a day and the rain wasn’t too heavy for our rain gear. I did have to move my underwear to the inside of my pack though.

Maybe it’s because we haven’t been hiking consistently since before we started canoeing down the Whanganui over a week ago, but we felt sluggish and moved slowly. It’s demoralizing: we’ve walked half the trail, and yet a day like today, which had a well-maintained track and no major elevation gain was a big struggle. I thought we would cruise through a day like today.

And yes, today marks the day that we are halfway done the trail! Though the sign we posed with was about 5-10km short of the actual halfway point. The TA route keeps changing slightly, and that sign was put there in the 2016/17 season.

Tonight we have a hut that can sleep 6 to ourselves. I guess there are fewer people walking at the moment due to Christmas . So we spread all our stuff out and are taking full advantage. Hopefully having our own hut helps us sleep well and wake up refreshed tomorrow morning.

Day 63: Palmerston North

By Ruth

Distance: 5 km

Today was another rest day for us in Palmy. We slept in until after 7, then went out for breakfast and coffee. The coffee shop we went to seemed to be a favourite local spot as the owner/barista knew everyone who came in by name and coffee order. We got to chatting with some of the regulars and one man in particular was very forthcoming with his opinions, including about Justin Trudeau (it was negative). Interestingly he’s not the first Kiwi we’ve met to express that particular opinion to us. Anyway we also discussed the declining sheep population in NZ (according to him, they are being replaced by dairy cows). This last fact was sad for us wooly wanderers to hear!

After breakfast we went to the mall to pick up some new travel-size soaps and a gas canister, then popped into the New World to resupply for the next three days on trail. It being Christmas Eve meant everything was pretty busy. At that point it started to rain and we returned to our motel – luxuriating in having a dry, comfortable place to be as the rain poured down outside. I got some good reading in and Elliot got a nap!

When we were staying at John and Ali’s in Hamilton, they had mentioned some trail angels in Palmerston North, who had built a replica DOC hut in their backyard, to host TA walkers. Although we had decided to treat ourselves to a motel room while we’re here, we really wanted to see this hut. So in the afternoon, we hit the trail. We walked about 5 km from our motel to the other side of town, along the TA route which follows a riverside walkway. It was raining heavily on and off but we borrowed an umbrella from the motel so it didn’t bother us too much.

Eventually, we came across the sign we were looking for.

We followed the orange TA markers through the adjacent suburb, until we reached the hut.

We knocked on the door and Anthony, one of the trail angels, took us around the back to see the hut! It did not disappoint. It looks just like the huts we’ve stayed at in the bush, complete with bunks, a rustic wooden table, and a log book to sign!

We chatted to Anthony for a while about the TA, the hut, and the conservation work he and his wife Fiona do in the area. He also gave us some reassurance and confidence about our upcoming week, when we will be heading into the Tararua mountain range. It was definitely a worthwhile stop for our rest day.

After that we headed back to the motel so Elliot could cook us a delicious dinner of rice, beans, and heaps of vegetables. Tomorrow we start walking again in earnest!

Day 62: Rest day (Bulls to Palmerston North)

By Elliot

There is something known as hiker’s restlessness that afflicts many of the people on trail. When some people on the TA take a rest day, they have a hard time sitting still; they need to do something. Even if the rest day is to give the body a chance to recover, people will want to walk. This often carries on when people are done the trail and go home. They can’t be still, so they go off in search of another thousands kilometre long walking adventure.

One thing that I’ve learned is that I am only restless tactically. On days that I know will be long, I’ll be up early and be nervous until we get going. But on a rest day? I’m happy to sit in front of a long-empty cup of coffee and luxuriate in the lack of urgency.

Today we caught a hitch into Palmerston North from Bulls.

We thought that it would be an easy hitch: the road we were on combined two different highways. And there were many cars. But that also meant many cars that didn’t stop for us. Still, it wasn’t too long before a man stopped. He was in an old car with the panel on the passenger side door missing on the inside, he had crutches in the backseat and he was shirtless. He was also going the wrong way for us, so we thanked him and passed up the hitch.

We waited over ten minutes, which felt like ages given the number of cars going past, before someone else stopped for us, this time in a gleaming orange pickup truck. And he was going to Palmerston North! So we hopped in, and learned that he worked on the airforce base in Bulls, which we didn’t know existed, and that he was going to the gym in “Palmy”, which was twenty minutes away. He actually went out of his way at to drop us off in the middle of town, no matter how much we insisted we didn’t want to inconvenience him.

Once in Palmy, we went for coffee, got new shoes for Ruth, and went out for lunch and dinner. On days when we aren’t walking, it feels like we are on vacation. We did manage to do something trail related: we ordered groceries to a place halfway through the next section of trail we are doing. That way we will only have to carry 3 days of food out of Palmy, instead of 8.

Day 61: Whanganui to Bulls

By Ruth

Distance: 28 km

This morning we had to leave the oasis of Rob and George’s wonderful home. The section of trail between Whanganui and Palmerston North is almost all on paved roads – which we like to skip if we can – except for about 20 km on a beach – which we wanted to walk if we could. Our original plan was to hitchhike out of Whanganui along the highway until the exit that would lead to the beach, then walk the road the rest of the way to the beach. The problem was there is a tidal river crossing about 5 km along the beach. We needed to be there at low tide to cross safely and with hitchhiking not being the most punctual method of transportation, we were not sure how it was going to go.

Luckily, our amazing guardians Rob and George once more were there with just what we needed. They offered to drive us down to the beach this morning, and even drop us beyond the tidal river so we wouldn’t need to stress about the tides. So we had a great morning, getting chauffeured, even stopping to see some sights along the way, before starting our walk at the beach.

Rob and George are truly the most generous and wonderful people and we are honoured to call them our friends.

The beach was really beautiful. We haven’t walked on a beach since before Auckland and at first we were feeling nostalgic. The sand, the sounds of the waves, the smell of decomposing sea creatures, it was all so familiar.

Pretty soon though I remembered that I don’t really like walking on the beach because it’s so monotonous. Luckily we only had about 3 hours of it today but even that felt like a lot by the end!

Afterwards we went through a weird pine forest, followed by quiet rural roads all the way into Bulls.

Bulls is a small town that takes its name seriously. There are a lot of statues of bulls around. The holiday park we’re staying at tonight has a sign declaring they pride themselves on being “hospita-bull”. They even have bulls in the paddock behind where we pitched our tent!

Overall, it is nice to be walking again. Our stay with Rob and George has left us feeling rejuvenated and once again excited to see what the long pathway brings.

And for those who are concerned about my face – it is doing a lot better, thank you!

Day 60: Rest day (Whanganui)

By Elliot

We had the most leisurely day. After a late breakfast, we spent time sitting outdoors in the shade, booking our ferry tickets to the South Island and looking ahead to the next few weeks and what food we might need to buy ahead of time. In some parts of the South Island, the distance between towns with supermarkets is too great, so you prepare a package with food ahead of time and send it to a place on trail where they hold it for you until you arrive. We wanted to know what places those were, because the thing to do is send those packages while still on the North island.

After our planning session, we went out for coffee and lunch, and to pick up some wine and groceries. We’d offered to cook a vegetarian dish, and while Rob and George’s garden had some of what we needed, the eggplants and tomatoes weren’t quite ripe yet.

The afternoon we cooked our dish and sat around socializing.

There’s another TA walker staying here tonight, whom we last saw at the Kaitieke war monument and before that in Waitomo. It’s funny how sometimes you can keep running into the same people even though you aren’t quite on the same schedule.

Dinner tonight was a feast, with Rob’s sister and her family being in town from Darwin, Australia.

As dinner was winding down, and there might have been some wine drunk by all, the topic of trail beards came up. Some people grow out their beards while walking the trail, me included. But a few days ago I’d decided I was going to get it trimmed because it was inconvenient. I was getting cereal and couscous stuck in my moustache hairs, and my towel, which I always hope can dry before I pack it away, had to absorb a ton of water from my beard after I would shower.

I mentioned that I was planning on having it trimmed, and Rob graciously offered to do it for me. So out came the clippers.

And I also needed a haircut. So most of my head hair is also gone.

I feel like a new man, refreshed, reinvented, and ready to tackle the rest of the trail!