Three days of beach, to be precise!
Yup, Cape Reinga to Ahipara is complete. Phew! The closer I got to being dropped off at the Cape (thanks for the ride Andrea!) the more excited I got. Finally – excitement, after weeks of thinking, planning, fretting and basically being too busy to realise this dream was about to happen.
[I hope this blog post appears OK – strange internet terminal does strange things…]
What were the highlights of this leg? Seeing the turbulent waters as the Tasman Sea clashed with the Pacific Ocean. Realising (wild?) horses had run the beach overnight, near my tent – two foals included. Sun, sun and more sun.
Joke time: what do walkers on 90 Mile Beach eat for lunch? Sandwiches! hahahaha. Seriously, in a howling head-wind there is no place to protection your food from grit.
Saw plenty of trash washed up on shore, including two sandshoes (oohhh… is there no end to beach jokes?) and lots of dead puffer-type fish. Not sure if the dead seagulls died from eating them or not.
So yesterday was a h-u-g-e day walking. Too far in fact. Had felt good at the end-of-day-three option and so being able to see the destination in the distance, struck for that. Mistake. By the time I’d completed the 40-odd kilometres I was totally spent. And then having to hobble from the campground another kilometre or so in search for an icecream almost made me cry. But the fish-n-chips were worth it 😉
Today is a rest day. A chance for my enormous blister to heal (good luck!), sort through gear and plan the next leg to Kerikeri. Strange to think I’ve just done a ‘standard’ hike of three days duration, only to now embark on another, and another, and another…
Thanks for all your words of encouragement (especially Windsor School!) and best wishes. The story will continue soon…
MyAdventurePlus 
Good to hear you made it across the beach.
Here are some more beach and sea jokes to make you smile…
What do you call a cat on a beach at Christmas time??
… Sandy Paws!
Why is the ocean wet?
Because the sea weed!
How do you cut the ocean in half?
With a see-saw
Why did the sea roar?
It had crabs on its bottom!
Looking forward to reading the next installment 🙂
Room 20,
Windsor School
What’s the fastest thing on the beach?
A hippie pipi on a Paua-saki 😀
Hey Stuart
Great to read about your adventure-so-far. Sounds like you’re learning as you go, when to push it, when to rein in your enthusiasm, and when to go with the flow. I’m still thinking those anti-blister thoughts – even though the first ones obviously didn’t get through! Bother!
Take care, amico
Jo
I’m not a quick learner Jo. Pushed too hard again yesterday, and even when presented with an ideal campsite mid-afternoon, forged on to Kerikeri. Didn’t quite make it, getting picked up in time for dinner (such luxury! Even ice-cream and jelly!). Probably tomorrow will get taken back to where I finished up, to continue the strolling… this time (he said hopefully) with a clearer mind to go easy on my body!
Hi Stuart, hope you remembered to pack your jandals…can’t do without them after a day’s hiking…just like wearing slippers. An essential item for the intrepid traveller. Hope the next leg is progressing well. Thoughts are with you. D
I almost left the jandals at home (in the interest of conserving weight) but have been very, very glad to have them. Interestingly, even those they expose bare flesh, the mozzies and sandflies don’t tend to get too near. I wonder why…? hahaha!
Whoohoo you are well on your way, awesome, I am so looking forward to more stories of your adventure. Not too sure about the jokes though… 🙂
Here’s to fast healing blisters.
Love
Wendy
Thanks Wendy! Oh come on… there’s nothing wrong with my jokes, is there? Give me some credit – I’d been alone for three days! 😀