0 km One would think with the most comfortable bed and no time-specific obligations, sleeping in would be no problem. Living with the light though, means sunrise is still rise and shine. We snarfle through whatever pizza leftovers and food bag dregs that will pass as breakfast, then Ellie and Prana and I walk to …
Month: November 2017
11/21 Layover in Auckland, Act I
0 km The bed in this townhouse is possibly the most comfortable on trail. Prana and I spend the whole morning chatting with Parker, throw in some laundry, take another shower, and go hunt up a late lunch. We collect our resupply for the next 6 days while we are out and about, as well …
11/20 Closing the Lollipop
Okura River to Auckland 33 trail k Today, we will arrive in Auckland. Even though this marks only the 20% point, it feels like a huge milestone. Oftentimes, it seems if a hiker can make it through the first month, their odds of success multiply. Also, we will have walked back to our starting point, …
11/19 Heuristic Tidings
Orewa Holiday Park to Okura River 19 km Tap tap. Tap tappity tappity tappity tap. Tappity. Sounds like rain again this morning. I wake refreshed very early, maybe 5:30, and just listen to the rain for awhile, to its gentle percussion solo. Eventually my mind gets restless and I wonder about a morning project. To …
11/18 Dance of the Kites
0 k Layover at Orewa Holiday Park It looks like a layover day today. Not a terrible choice, considering the weather prediction of high winds and storms; but a little tough mentally, as the ready-to-be-burned energy swirls and builds. Luckily the Holiday Park has a beautiful, mostly glassed in gazebo, decorated in nautical colors to …
11/17 Paddle to the Hibiscus Coast
Puhoi Overlook to Orewa Holiday Park 19 k Prana and I pack up our tiny homes and convert them to carrying mode bright and early. Today we will travel part way by water, as the official trail goes down the Puhoi River! I am very happy about this, not only because it will be a …
11/16 Prince Hector’s Domain
Not Dome Peak to Puhoi Overlook 29 k One of the most effective wake up alarms is the siren song of a breakfast cafe. And there was one crooning from only 3 km away. Up at 5:30, those 3 ks take an hour and a half. At the Dome Summit, the track finally switched over …
11/15 Not All Orange Triangles are Created Equal
Mt Tamahunga to Not the Dome Summit 15 Trail K It is a bit of a business to get out of camp this morning. No one’s tent was all that flat, and the condensation on the summit soaked everything as though it had rained all night. There’s a lot of pep talking each other. Ellie …
Continue reading 11/15 Not All Orange Triangles are Created Equal
11/14 School Days and Squalls
The Goretress to the Helipad on Mt Tamahunga 24 km A nice long beach walk starts our morning. Several ships out on the horizon display exotic silhouettes in the backlighting, making my mind drift and wonder. One of my favorite books as a kid was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and while it probably …
11/13 The Stoicism of Hedgehogs
Meadow on the Langview Track to The Gortress 24 k The glorious beach grass mattress makes for a great night’s sleep. The first set of roads out in the morning ride the ridge with views over the ocean on both sides. Brutally steep downhill pavement leads to a farm crossing, and dozens of sheep flee …