Day 394: Rētāruke River

Highlight:

Do you want a ride?

No thank you, I can't.

Can't was probably not the right word. I could, but I didn't want to. I had started something on foot and I was going to finish it.

Can we take your bag then? I think we are going to the same place, chuck it on the trailer.

Whooho! I pulled a couple of chocolate bars and my water bottle, from my pack and lifted the bag in to the boat they were towing. 4 more kms to Whakahoro...

Pass one empty lemonade stand, I arrived at Whakahoro, and headed to the river I had spend all day looking at. Warned my 2 bike packers of a eel, I  jumped in the deep water! So refreshing, I forgot to wash. My legs still caked with a sunscreen and dust.

Not sure where the couple were that had transported my bag, I headed back to the campsite semi dressed and introduced my self to the group of 3 that looked most like Te Araroa walkers. Here I meet Charlie, Kerstie and Roger, who I would be paddling with down the Whanganui.

I pitched tent (quiet close to the hut) to minimize any extra foot steps.

Challenge:

Melting in the sun along ~40km of gravel road.

I sat down once I got to the Kaitieke monument. A short stop and I left not really as refreshed as other breaks. Aiming for a break again at the next intersection in 3 km, I got about 2 km and lied down under a tree. I took my shoes of this time, had more food and just rested. I think I almost nodded of here briefly. I realized the shade was disappearing from my spot I would have to move on.

I will never know the pace I traveled this afternoon. I didn't have my watch turn on activity mode, to conserve battery.   It did feel like walk a km, break for 10, walk another 1. Maybe ~ 2km/hour.

There was one plum tree over hanging the road, I couldn't see any undamaged fruit on the ground. So I reached up with my pole and knocked a couple off.

Learning:

Had I taken a right at an intersection 122km ago (and followed the Ngā Haerenga cycle trails), I would of arrived at this point more directly. Te Araroa consistently takes you the long way around. This time to include the Tongariro National Park.

Summary: