Day 36-40: Ngaporo Campsite to Mayhem Roost. 1275km - 1437km - 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿

Day 36/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Date: Wednesday 6th December

Weather: rainy 🌧️

From: Ngaporo Campsite 🏕️

Start time: 8am

To: Flying Fox Campsite

End time: 3.36pm

Accommodation: camped

Terrain: wet & wild 💦

River Km: 40km

Total Km: 1314/1715 = 77% ✅

💰Costs: $20 camping ⛺️

Subjective feeling out of 10 on:

Enjoyment: 4/10 - I’m not a fan of being wet & cold all day. If the sun had been out it would have been different!

Fatigue: 6/10 - I’m so tired at the moment. I’m not sleeping well.

Ease of terrain: 8/10 - some of the rapids were tricky! and the waves swamped the boat.

⭐️Highlights: getting to the campsite before 4pm and having a very hot shower 🚿 😀

🏔️Challenges: ending up in the water 3x - it was a very wet and cold day!

💭Thoughts: canoeing is hard work - my left bicep is hurting and my bottom - from sitting all day

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Day 37/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Date: Thursday 7th December

Weather: dry and then glorious sunshine all afternoon ☀️

From: Flying Fox Campsite

Start time: 8.50am

To: Hipango Park

End time: 2.45pm

Accommodation: camped 🏕️

Terrain: gentle rapids, sometimes some strong headwind which made the paddling challenging

🥾Km: 5.4

🦶Steps: 6907

River Km: 33

Total Km: 1347/1715 = 79% ✅

💰Costs: $0

Enjoyment: 9/10 helped a lot by the weather ☀️

Fatigue: 5/10 - finally getting warm and getting chance to chill in the sun - such a great day. It feels like a rest day. (Which I haven’t had yet!)

Ease of terrain: 4/10 one of the easier days

⭐️Highlights: reaching the dock, the amazing weather. Sunbathing all afternoon. Chatting with other hikers. Getting damp and wet stuff dry. Meeting Muzz & his dog Trixie - helping to herd sheep. Eating lamb cooked on the BBQ by Margo (🇫🇷) followed by smores 😋. Being given medicinal grade Manuka honey 🙏.

🏔️Challenges: will be leaving here tomorrow- but only 19km to go!

💭Thoughts: I’ve got so much food I’ll never be able to eat it all, before I need to start walking again. I’ll have to carry it - it’s going to be a super heavy pack. I’m not even sure it will fit into the pack!!!

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Day 38/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Date: Friday 8th December

Weather: sunny & hot 🥵

From: Hipango Park

Start time: 8.45am

To: Wanganui Top 10 Holiday Park.

End time: 12.40pm

Accommodation: camped 🏕️

Terrain: very flat water, with a little bit of headwind.

🥾Km: 4.8

🦶Steps: 6177

River km:19

Total Km: 1367/1715 80% ✅

💰Costs: camping $30

Subjective feeling out of 10 on:

Enjoyment: 6/10 - it’s been a fun/chilled day. Nice to stop early.

Fatigue: 7/10 - feeling tired and sore (bum & left bicep)

Ease of terrain: 5/10 - it was only the last few Km when we were paddling into a headwind which was hard. Otherwise it was going with the current.

⭐️Highlights: sunshine ☀️ makes a massive difference. Plus it’s great to be making progress on the journey and getting closer to Wellington.

🏔️Challenges:deciding what to do next? Having so much food left over from the river section. I’m going to be staying here - sunbathing and eating as much food as possible.

💭Thoughts: I enjoyed the canoeing experience, but glad to stop when I did.

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Day 39/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Date: Saturday 9th December

Weather: hot & sunny ☀️

From: Wanganui Top 10 Holiday Park

Start time: 9.20am left campsite - got 2 hitches

10.15am started walking down the road to the beach

To: Koitiata camping grounds - really pretty in a good location

End time: 1.30pm (so happy to stop walking)

Accommodation: camped 🏕️

Terrain: road & beach

🥾Km: 19.7

🦶Steps: 25,267

🚗 Hitch 1- from campsite to city 🙏 Andrew 6k

🚗 Hitch 2 - to Wanganui Beach Road 🙏 John (1374 - 1394) - 20km

Total Km: 1406/1715 = 82% ✅

💰Costs: $10 camping 🏕️

Subjective feeling out of 10 on:

Enjoyment: 7/10 - nice to be walking again - lovely day.

Fatigue: 7/10 - so tired and so glad to stop when I did.

Ease of terrain: 5/10 not bad walking.

⭐️Highlights: stopping at 1.30pm and having an afternoon nap in the sun was glorious.

🏔️Challenges: I got a bit stressed trying to find the river crossing point and doing it at the right time - low tide.

1st attempt. I sank soooo much into the sand/mud - I thought I was in quick sand and decided to backtrack, take a breath & choose a different route.

💭Thoughts: I wonder if I can make it to Wellington without doing another resupply. I should have enough food to last me.

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Day 40/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿

📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

ℹ️Stats: Date: Sunday 10th December

Weather: rainy & windy 🌬️

From: Koitiata camping grounds

Start time: 8.50am

To: Mayhem Roost - Trail Angels 😇 1437

End time: 2.30pm

Accommodation: cabin with a bed 🛏️

Terrain: beach, forest road, gravel road, road

🥾Km: 25.2

🦶Steps: 32,340

🚗 Hitch - Julie 🙏 8km

Total Km: 1437/1715 84% ✅

💰Costs:$20 accommodation & dinner & I got 4 fresh eggs for breakfast 🍳

Subjective feeling out of 10 on:

Enjoyment: 6/10 - a very normal day

Fatigue: 8/10 - glad to stop when I did.

Ease of terrain: 5/10

⭐️Highlights: being in the cabin when it’s raining constantly outside. Pleased to have got a hitch and to get to the accommodation early.

📝Gives me some time to do some planning for the next few days.

🍽️Got invited for a BBQ dinner - loads of amazing food & desert! Always great to eat a proper meal

🏔️Challenges: beach walk and forest walk was all fine. Didn’t want to walk the road section - nothing to see - very dull.

💭Thoughts: The weather in the mountains is really bad - 120km gusts of winds, snow and wind chill. I’m not sure it’s going to have cleared before I get there. I may have to miss the Tararua Ranges as it’s to dangerous. I’ll play it by ear and see what happens over the next few days. I need to be flexible.

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