Day 16-20: St Arnaud Village - Alpine Lodge to John Tait Hut. 1968km-1992.5km - 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿

Day 16/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Tuesday 16th January

Weather: hot & nice

Rest Day

Accommodation: private room - bottom bunk

💰Costs: $200 resupply 😯😯😯

$52.50 room

$30 vegan pizza & wine

Total $282.50

⭐️Highlights: dancing on the balcony with Destroyer @kellydesoyres , drinking G&T, chilling and chatting with other hikers

🏔️Challenges: the weather coming in is making it really difficult to plan! There is bad winds and lots of rain - not good walking conditions

💭Thoughts: trying not to get stressed about the current situation- as I have no control over it. I may need to stay here for a few more days as it’s not good to be in the mountains in the wind and the rain. Gotta be safe 😊

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Day 17+18+19/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Wednesday 17th January to Saturday 20th January

Weather: rainy 🌧️

Wasn’t planning these rest days - but it is what it is.

Accommodation: Alpine Lodge Dorm - bottom bunk - St. Arnaud.

17th 💰Costs: $65 accommodation

$24 breakfast. Eggs & bacon on gf toast with avocado on the side

18th Costs: $65 accommodation

$24 breakfast. Eggs & bacon on gf toast with avocado on the side

$15 Ben & Jerry fish food ice cream (dinner) 😂

19th Costs: $65 accommodation

$24 breakfast. Eggs & bacon on gf toast with avocado on the side

$35 resupply - 2x chocolate bars, 3x crisps, 2x packs of chewy nut bars.

I didn’t want to stay here for this long.

I decided this was the best decision for me - instead of pushing on into the mountains and just taking my time or being stuck in a hut while I wait for the weather to improve so I can carry on. I thought I’d wait it out here.

I’m so ready to leave - I’m getting cabin fever. This is not good for me.

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Day 20/64 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The South Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Saturday 20th January

Weather: cloudy with light rain 🌧️

From: alpine lodge

Start time: 10.25am

To: John Tait Hut

End time: 5.45pm

Accommodation: camped 🏕️

Terrain: flat, following a river, muddy forests, rooty, wet

🥾Km: 17

🦶Steps: 21,780

Total Km: 1992.5/3028 = 66% ✅

💰Costs: $24 breakfast - egg & bacon with avocado 🥑 on gf toast.

Subjective feeling out of 10 on:

Enjoyment: 6/10

Fatigue: 6/10

Ease of terrain: 5/10 although flat ish - it was still tough going.

⭐️Highlights: the lake and the river were pretty 😍

🏔️Challenges: I should have started earlier, as I wanted to get to the next hut. But it is what it is. I’ll start earlier tomorrow and push on.

💭Thoughts: so pleased to be walking again. I need some alone time!! Glad to be in my tent and not speaking to people. The social battery 🪫 needs to be recharged.

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