Day 21/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Tuesday 21st November
Weather: hot & sunny all day - until 8pm when it started to rain 🌧️
From: Totara Park
Start time: 6.25am
To: Mercer
End time: 8.10pm
Accommodation: camped
Terrain: roads, roads, motorways, farm lands
🥾Km: 45.1
🦶Steps: 57,343
1️⃣ Stream crossing
1️⃣ hitch - about 3k along the road - Janice.
Total Km: 688/1715 = 40%✅
💰Costs: $0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 5/10
Fatigue: 6/10
Ease of terrain: 9/10
⭐️Highlights: getting water, snacks and a lift from Janice 🙏
🏔️Challenges: some of the motorway sections - were horrendous - super dangerous - I’m so surprised this is the route.
💭Thoughts: how do you set up the MSR when it rains and not get the inner wet? If you know please share the knowledge!!
Day 22/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Wednesday 22nd November
Weather: hot & sunny
From: Mercer
Start time: 6am
To: Huntly Camping Ground
End time: 6pm
Accommodation: cabin with a bed 🛌
Terrain: mud, swamp, forest, river beds, beside motorways, through animal 🐄 pastures. Gravel roads, grassy banks.
🥾Km: 22
🦶Steps: 28,158
Hitch 1️⃣6.5k - thanks Mat 🙏
Hitch 2️⃣7.5k (6k from the trail and then 1.5k extra to the campsite 🏕️ - thanks Pourewa 🙏
Total Km: 729/1715 = 42.5% ✅
💰Costs: Cabin $35 ($20 to camp) I decided to spend the extra $15 for the bed and electricity!
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 4/10 averaged it out from between 1 - falling in the swamp - to 8 for having good weather and a bed to sleep in
Fatigue: 8/10 - felt tired out
Ease of terrain: 9/10 - the whole day was tough going and the blister/hot spot on the sole of my foot isn’t helping.
⭐️Highlights: 🚗🚗2x hitch on the road sections.
Getting a small cabin and having my laundry done for free. 🥳 (first time in 3 weeks!!)
⚡️Electricity and being able to charge everything. hot shower 🚿, having a bed 🛌.
🏔️Challenges: everything is damp/wet from last night.
I fell hip deep into a swamp at 7am . 😂
I’m getting a rash on my inner thighs - 🥓where my wet shorts are rubbing.
Two fields of cows 🐄 and I needed to go through the middle. Wasted 20 mins trying to get through.
🦶Blister on the bottom in my left food - can’t/ don’t want to pop it - as it will get infected too easily - as feet are constantly wet and going through mud/water.
💭Thoughts: what would you prefer - fields of cows or walking by the side of the motorway/road- I’d pick the motorway/road every-time! #hatecows 🐄
Day 23/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Thursday 23rd November
Weather: hot and sunny ☀️
From: Huntly Camping Ground
Start time: 8.30am
To: Hamilton Liam's place
End time: 6.45pm
Accommodation: 🏕️camped
🥾Km: 30.9
🦶Steps: 39,443
🚗 2 Hitch
💰Costs: camping $20, food $120
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 8/10
Fatigue: 3/10
Ease of terrain: 8/10
Day 24/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Friday 24th November
Weather: rainy and cold most of the day with a few spots of sunshine ☀️
From: 790km marker - old mountain road
Start time: 7.30am
To: Pahautea Campsite 816.4km
End time: 6.45pm
Accommodation: 🏕️camped - free
Terrain: farm land, forest, river paths, roots, mud, boardwalks.
🥾Km: 26
🦶Steps: 33,463
🚗 1 Hitch (rode with fellow TA hiker Annuck) : avoiding the road from Hamilton and being dropped off at Old Mountain Road 790km (thanks Liam 🙏)
Total Km: 816/1715 = 48% ✅
💰Costs: $0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 5/10
Fatigue: 5/10
Ease of terrain: 9/10
⭐️Highlights: avoiding a big road walk. Setting up the tent in the dry and being in my sleeping bag at 8pm ready for hiker midnight (8.30pm 💤). The tent site is protected by trees so the wind can’t get to me.
🏔️Challenges: Pirongia Traverse - a tough walk going up to a night point of 959m.
Very muddy, rocky, rooty, & slippery stones. 🌳Some steep sections where you needed to use the trees to pull yourself up and help you get across muddy/swampy sections.
💭Thoughts: I can see why they suggest you spend the night at the summit of Pirongia before carrying on. It’s a beast of a walk. The last 3km - super tough going.
Day 25/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Saturday 25th November
Weather: very cold in the morning- blue sky in the afternoon
From: Pahautea Campsite 816.4km
Start time: 9.10am
To: Jo’s Funny Farm (by 831km marker)
End time: 2.30pm
Accommodation: bed in a garage 🛏️
Terrain: long descent down tramping track - wet, with mud and roots all the way
🥾Km: 6.4km
🦶Steps: 8151
🚗 Hitch 1️⃣ - with Ash (822 - 831) gravel roads and state highway. 9k
Total Km: 831/1715 = 48% ✅
💰Costs: $30 - accommodation + dinner + breakfast
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10 met Robert 🇩🇪, Yawn 🇩🇪, Sophie 🇨🇿, Ash 🇮🇪, Jo 🇳🇿
Fatigue: 8/10
Ease of terrain: 9/10
⭐️Highlights: Meeting Ash on the trail - getting a hitch to the accommodation. Being able to relax from 2.30pm. It’s like a Nero day!
🏔️Challenges: so cold in the morning. I always forget how bad I am when it is cold weather. I just don’t function as well. And I don’t enjoy it.
💭Thoughts: I finally feel as though things are starting to come together with the hike - with my understanding of what I’m going to be doing next - and how I’m gonna be able to make it to Wellington by the 19th Dec