Cape Reinga to Hospital!

And we're off......

We met a group of Israeli and Czech guys in the hostel we were staying at in Paihia who kindly said they would give us a lift up to Cape Reinga.  They were good fun and had actually spent the summer in Den Haag in Holland which is where I spent a few days before coming to New Zealand and they had some good stories to tell.  They had a good travel ethic which was to go everywhere slowly and we stopped along they way in Kerikeri for an amazing Israeli meal in a cafe there.  It was a hot sunny afternoon and there was a group of 9 of us so a good atmosphere and the food was great - even for their tough standards.  After lunch we set off up north to 90 mile beach, where the guys were insistent on attempting a bit of sand surfing with a makeshift board and a piece of rope tide to the back of their car.  Needless to say they weren't entirely successful but they did have a lot of fun trying!  With a lot of perseverance and determination, they managed to use the board of skateboard and surf along the sand before falling in the water and getting freezing cold and wet!  It was more fun for us, the spectators I think.  We arrived at Cape Reinga and after inspecting the lighthouse, we made it to the campsite down the road.  We had dinner together before Shalane and I headed to bed early ready for day one.

Day 1 on the Te Araroa Trail (Done in a UK Big Brother style voice)

15 October 2010 

Taputaputa Campsite - Kahokawa Beach

We woke up at 5.30am in an attempt to leave at 6.30am but a lack of sleep (due to excitement) it was quite hard to motivate myself in the dark so a slightly slow start for me!  However, once up and awake I was properly excited and ready for anything.  Kirsten kindly woke up to wave us off and Shalane and I set off with an additional trekking buddy in tow.  Chen, another Israeli guy that we met at the hostel we'd been staying at in Paihia, wanted a short trek so decided to join us for 2 of our days. 

The first 2 hours of the day were spent just trekking to the start of the trail.  I wee warm up you could say.  It was nice and hilly and definitely got the blood pumping and by the time we got to the lighthouse I had to laugh to myself that we hadn't even started Te Araroa yet.  Chen had a coffee break while we overlooked the lighthouse and we were soon on our way once more.   The trail was up and down, hills, cliffs and dunes with a small section of beach walking and was a really great variety.  The weather was a bit rubbish, with a bit of rain and very overcast but a great temperature for us.  By 2pm my feet began to hurt and I was pleased to stop when we did.  We had trekked for 26 Kms and had found a camp at the start of the beach that we were set to walk on for the next 3 days solid.  I ran into the sea before I cooled down for a very invigorating dip, as it was Baltic, before settling down for a night around a fire with some yummy Back Country Cuisine to reward us for our hard days trek.  We were sitting and chatting when a young Dutch guy strolled up -  Dirk Jan.  He is also doing the Te Araroa and asked to trek with us for the next few days of beach walking.  It was only then, talking in the group that it suddenly hit me....I'm going to be trekking for 5 whole months ahd I don't think I really realised that before now.  Shit!


Day 2  16 October 2010 
Kahokawa Beach - The Bluff

Blisters!  3 years with the same trekking boots in countries all around the world and they start to give me blisters on day 2 of the biggest trek I'll ever do!!!!  7 in total and the one on my little toe is the size of a whole other toe!

The blisters on my heals actually started at the end of day one and one or 2 of my toes and as soon as I put my boots on I knew it would be a tough day.  The start was ok though, they hurt but it was bearable, however, with a guesstimate of 30 Kms ahead, something needed to be done.  The blisters got more painful and I realised I was walking strangely to try and avoid the pain, so after we said goodbye to Chen at Te Paki stream, Shalane, Kirk Jan and I walked another couple of hours when I decided I had to change my shoes.  On one of our breaks I swapped to sandals and it felt great - at first.  More blisters started appearing on the bottom of my toes and the afternoon was a bit of a flop.  We stopped and started quite a lot and only trekked a disappointing 23 Kms instead of our intended 30 which meant 2 long days ahead.

The beach walking is pretty tough considering it's all one level and I know once we start climbing those mountains I'll wish I was back on the beach, but with no real landmarks visable and nothing much to look at but sand, sea and dunes, it's just one foot in front of the other for 8 long hours!  The one level of walking means the pack and boots give constant friction in the same place for many hours but on the bright side, I managed to carry maximum water and food AND my trekking boots and all my heaviest clothes and am still alive to tell the tale.   The weather was good too and we set up camp near a lovely stream with an amazing view of the ocean and the sun was glorious in the afternoon.

With a now swollen Achilles and blisters galore we were still in good spirits.  It's amazing what a bit of sun can do!  I just hope my body doesn't let me down.



Day 3  17 October 2010
The Bluff - 3 Kms South of Hakatere

Well, the good news is my blisters weren't too bad in the morning.  I taped them up and when I put my boots on they felt fine.  Through the day a few points hurt but not as bad as the previous.  After 8 hours and 34 Kms it was a slightly different story.  The good news is that if you keep walking, they go kind of numb, it was only really when we had a break and started up again that I looked and felt like an old woman.

The weather was rainy on day 3 but the hardest thing for me on this day was pure, 100% boredom.  Don't get me wrong, the beach is beautiful but very much ready for some variety now.  The clouds were thick on all sides of us and there were no land marks to tell us how fast or far we were going.  At least with the sea on the right and dunes on the left we knew we were always going in the right direction.  I would set myself a landmark, like a stone or shell or a slightly larger dune and maybe through a loss of sanity I would sing to myself. There was also a lot of traffic on the beach and the odd wave from the sandy highway would perk me up a bit.  There was also a nice bus driver man who threw a couple of bottles of water at us out of the bus door as he drove by.  He must have known that water was scarce along this stretch of beach and when we reached the stream we had been trekking hard to reach , we were very grateful for the water.  The stream was full of rubbish and I'm not sure I'd even wash my feet in the still, moldy looking water.  Shalane found us a good spot under some trees behind the dunes and the sun came out just in time for dinner.  All in all a good day and knowing that the next day was destination day felt good.  We had a sneaky treat of two back country cuisine meals each as we felt doubly hungry after a long day - Naughty but nice!


Day 4  18 October 2010
South of Hakatere - Ahipara

Well well well, what a day!  We woke up and set off at our usual 6.45am and began our walk  in some moody, cloudy lighting over the ocean, with some clear sky in parts and a dark rim of clouds heading our way and you could see the rain in the distance.  We managed to avoid the first onset and even got to enjoy a beautiful rainbow that appeared in the distance but before long we were wet and cold with some very strong icy winds.  One thing I will say about walking on the beach is that it shows no mercy to the elements!

By the afternoon we had some sun, wind but sun and lots of beach.  We walked along the beach and strolled some more beach when we sat and had lunch we ate on the beach and every now and then I'd look behind me at the long stretch of beach before turning round to look ahead at the longer stretch of beach.

We saw a man running up the beach playing gulf as he ran, and lots of tour buses driving up the beach with hundreds of noses pressed against the window staring at 3 (now quite tanned) beached looking trekkers.

The great news was that when the clouds disappeared and the sun came out we could see little white dots in the hills ahead - Ahipara!  I had a little pep talk with myself after lunch and I said "hey Alex, toughen up princess.  Those blisters and muscles aren't getting any better but if you carry on walking slowly they will just hurt for longer".  So I walked and I walked fast, and those little white dots in the hills got bigger and I felt really good until we turned a slight corner in the beach and blimey that wind!  As much as we walked and pushed and pumped those legs that wind was pushing us back.  We were getting nowhere fast.  Some sailing buggies things and quad bikes roared past me, just to confirm that I had picked the wrong hobby and I found myself swearing so hard at the wind.  With a bit more swearing and a bit more pumping of those muscles we made it to tarmac and after having a celebratory cold soft drink and a packet of salt and vinegar, we found a campsite down the road and wearily set up our home.

After showering and sorting ourselves out, it became clear that my fankle (fat ankle for those that don't know) was now worryingly large and very hot and red and a trip to hospital on our day of rest was a must.  We awoke early and after waiting for the bus to not turn up for half an hour we hitched into Kataia for hospital and food shopping.  After a referral to the Physio and a quick appointment back in Ahipara, it turns out I have Achilles Peritendonitis (or something like that.  Basically tissue damage around my Achilles tendon which has caused internal bleeding0 and I have doctors orders to rest for a week. Not the best start to the trip but with 4 days down and 146 to go, it's best I listen to doc and sit tight until the swelling goes down.  The injury actually started on our trial trek but it was the beach walk that finished me off and some new trekking boots (bought with my magic beans as funds did not stretch that far) will be needed.

A bit disappointing and I feel guilty for poor Shalane but hopefully we'll be on our way soon.

Never a Dull Day

Though the idea of setting off into the wild  with a piece of tarp and a toothbrush does appeal to me, when trekking an entire country over a 5 month period with more weather changes and types of terrain than you can shake a stick at, I like the knowledge that we are fully prepared.

When the idea of trekking Te Araroa was first born Shalane and I agreed that we would need to start from scratch with clothing and equipment. Up until this point both of us have made do with what we had so instead of proper trekking boots, Shalane used trail runner shoes to trek 1000 kms and instead of quick-dry, light weight trekking trousers, I’ve used fashion combat trousers.  When planning to carry our wardrobe, bedroom and kitchen on our backs, we had to at least make sure we had a few practical, light weight items.

Having said all that, there was no way that we would be able to buy everything we needed and still have money left over for food and other essentials. So we put our heads together and decided that since we are doing the trek to raise money for Indigo Foundation, it would only make sense to try and get some outdoor gear companies on board through sponsorship.

We now have a complete gear list which was purchased through a mixture of sponsorship, shopping or  the reinventing of old faithfuls. It is safe to say, I have learnt a few things about what amazing products there are out there.

After ticking off the essentials, e.g. first aid kits and emergency kits, we have then made decisions based on comfort, fit and purpose.  Weight and price were a toss-up, depending on what item we were referring to. We definitely had to take into account durability for such a long journey.

I decided that boots and socks and anything that we were going to use and rely on the most would take priority and money would not be an issue.  I luckily had some very well broken in trekking boots and good socks from previous treks. I have a good enough pack that, although not ideal (as I was sold the wrong size 3 years ago) will do.  This item is essentially one that should be a perfect fit and I should ensure is a great fit but finances just won't stretch that far.  Luckily the guys in the store gave me new, larger straps and did they best they could with what they had!  I also had a good sleeping bag from a while back, and although it sheds a few hundred feathers a night, there are still one or two left in there.  My nickname bigbird certainly has a new meaning every morning.

We had a few teething problems with the tent.  The tent we were planning on using was put up in a hostel garden and turned out to no longer be water proof.  Shalane had the tent sent over from Canada and although it worked well at first, we believe that the sun in Australia may well have damaged the outer shell and the hard floor worn down the bottom, resulting in a couple of soggy (not so happy) campers!  After a bit of research and realising that plan B (spraying it with waterproofer) just wasn't going to cut the mustard and plan C (getting it exchanged via Canada) wasn't going to fit our time scale, it was reluctantly on to plan D -  A new tent.  Luckily Macpac had some amazing sales on, and we managed to get a light weight tent, fitting our fussy criteria with an extra added bonus of being suitable for 6 ft me!  The best bit was, it was half price.  Problem solved.

The rest of our shopping would have made my mum proud!  We went into each shop and found everything we needed, tried it on, wrote down prices and sizes and brands and then sat down to compare them all over lunch, before going round to each shop again and purchasing the best of each item based on weight, fit, price etc.  Needless to say we know each store member by name in Newmarket, Auckland.  It was pretty exhausting and with a few more trips back and forth for the odd item I felt well and truly shopped out!


Once our lists neared the end, all that was left was to pack it all up and go on a trial trek. We chose Hillary Trail in the Waitakere Ranges as it offered a variety of terrain and conditions that would maximize our ability to sort out which of our gear we’d keep and which we’d leave behind when we officially set out on Te Araroa.


We definitely learnt a lot after adding food and water to our packs and we have both removed a few, not so essential, items since.  I think that if we had the finances, it would be a lot easier to pack lighter, with some really great light weight materials and items on offer.  I have now managed to get my base weight down to 17 kgs.  I think I could probably have found lighter sandals for crossing rivers and a lighter coat but apart from that, I feel that I have pretty much the bare minimum.  My gear list can be found below.

There are some items that are shared between me and Shalane so please feel free to visit www.onelifeadventures.com to see what Shalane is carrying. The list below is just what is in my pack:

Essentials

First Aid Kit
Sleeping bag

Sleep sheet

Sleeping mat

Headlamp
Swiss Army Knife

Water Bottles 1L (4)

Osprey water bladder 2L
Gas canister
Tent
Sunglasses

Toothbrush/toothpaste
Sunscreen/Bug spray


Clothes

Trekking boots

Sandals

Socks (3)

Underwear (2)
Sports Bra
Shorts
Waterproof Trousers
Thermals (1 set)

T-shirt (2)
Long sleeved Thermal top

Fleece
Rain jacket
Beanie

Extras

Camera (includes spare battery and memory cards, charger, memory sticks)
Journal/pen

Food (we'll vary carrying anywhere from 4-14 days worth of food depending on where we are)


Breakfast

Oatmeal
Dried fruit
Dried milk

Tea

Lunch

Muesli power bar

Dried fruit/veggie fibre bar


Snacks

Trail mix

Dinner

Freeze dried meal

 Ready for the Off

My Uncle once said to me when I was living out of a van and travelling around, while he reminisced of his own amazing road trips - "there is never a dull day on the road". 

So it's off into the wilderness we go.  These boots were certainly made for walking and all this talk and preparation has gone on long enough.  We start with 4 days of beach walking along 90 Mile Beach, which is 60 Miles long (?????), and as we wave goodbye to Kirsten, who has come to visit us and see us off, we'll be looking forward to the 5 months, 150 days of steep mountains, stunning valleys, beaches and rivers, farmland, villages and a variety of weather conditions.  Living out of a tent with the beautiful things in life all around us.  Back to nature. Cooking on a camp stove or fire and washing in the rivers, listening to the birds while we sit and rest in the afternoons and write about the days events.  Meeting people along the way and testing our strengths on whatever New Zealand has to throw a us.  Never a dull day!

Take only Photographs, Leave only Footsteps

In the whirlwind of preparations and personal new journeys, it's easy to slip away from the core, important reasons we are embarking on such an adventure.

Environmental sustainability is something I have become increasingly more aware of as I've travelled from the UK to India, South-East Asia to Australasia, there is a wide variety of lessons to learn.

When I first set off on my travels with Laura in November 2007, we were both very much absorbed in "our experience" and it's safe to say we rinsed everything there was to rinse, every last drop from our travels.  We travelled very far on a tiny budget which meant sleeping in the cheapest, most cockroach infested places (including snuggling up on the floor of Mumbai train station), we ate the delicious local food and got on crazy buses instead of planes and didn't drink and party ourselves around the world.  We learnt so much about different cultures and history of all the countries that we were lucky enough to visit.  We both went on personal journeys but very much a journey together, which, as you can imagine, formed an unbreakable bond between us.  But I think I can speak for the both of us that after travelling for a while, you step out of the bubble and start becoming more of a conscious traveller.

It was a little while into my travels that I learnt about Ecotourism and it really helped me to be an Eco traveller.  Ecotourism (Ecological Tourism) is responsible travel to fragile, pristine and usually protected areas (but to be honest, I think that includes everywhere).  It strives to be low impact and small scale and educates the traveller, provides funds for ecological conservation; and directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities at the same time as respecting and human rights.  Ecotourism is important so that future generations may experience aspects of the environment relatively untouched by human intervention.

As a traveller you become increasingly aware of how much of an impact you have, as one of the millions who travel every year.  It is clearly a vicious circle between communities relying on tourism and the damage that tourism does to a place.  Not only physical damage but the attitude you have has an enormous affect on the people you meet.  Fellow travellers as well as locals. I was saddened to meet locals in the majority, if not all the countries I visited who felt bitter towards tourists.  For many different reasons but for valid reasons.  Sometimes a town had gained a reputation for all good party town so attracted drunken yob behaviour, sometimes the tourist couldn't grasp the concept that you can't always have all the home comforts but still demanded them and sometimes the town just grew too quickly to accommodate for the increasing tourists.

I found myself saying often "wow, this place is amazing, I would have loved to see it 10 years ago".  Now that we are all a little more aware of the impact our actions as a traveller has on the environment and the planet as a whole, I believe we can keep changes to a minimum so that in 10 years time, the adventurers of that day can see what we see now.

As a trekking fan I was already very aware of the problems caused by the constant use of the trails and keeping to the trail to prevent tracks widening was always something I took seriously.  When I arrived in Australia and went on an Eco Boat Tour on the South West coast, I was shocked to learn about Dieback.  Dieback was a disease being spread by trekkers/walkers, as well as animals and was killing Australia's amazing wild flower.  There is a similar case in New Zealand, which Shalane and I learnt about when we walked the Hillary Trail.  Dieback in that area is killing a large amount of Kauri trees and we were required to scrape and spray our boots at the beginning and end of each new track.  Luckily there is a prevention in place and in both New Zealand and Australia, there are already cases of the dead areas returning to it's beautiful, natural state. 

Even before I reached Australia we were becoming aware of the necessities surrounding well trodden paths.  Laura and I were both surprised when we visited the Taman Negara to find the oldest tropical rain forest in the world with wooden board ways and steps.  I had expectations of a wild Forest with paths you need to scramble up.

Having learnt a few things along my travelling ways, it completely and utterly shocked me to find out some people still carried on their lives littering and not mastering the most simple things such as common sense!  When sharing a lift with a few others in Australia, one passenger shamelessly wound his window down and threw a beer bottle into the hedge, and that wasn't the end of it.  People would have a BBQ and not take their rubbish away, they would drop wrappers on the floor a few metres from the bin.  I am not saying that I've never littered of course. When I was younger and wasn't so aware of the affects it had on the environment, I was "too cool" to pick up my rubbish.  My belief in Karma also assisted in cancelling out that bad habit.

I was often pleasantly surprised at times too!  I remember feeling a warn fuzzy feeling when I was hanging around with some friends in Australia.  They were lads, for any English person reading this you'll know what I mean.  Cool, laid back and blokey.  They all smoked but after every cigarette they would ensure the butt went in the bin, even if it meant getting up walking 5 minutes and coming all the way back.  If we ever camped over night anywhere, they would check the whole area the next morning for the smallest of butts.  It really impressed me and it always made me think - "if only everyone did that".

That's what it all comes down to in my eyes.  We are each one of a huge circle of travellers.  That circle increases every year and I would encourage anybody to travel for the life experience it brings.  If each and every one of us was aware of the knock on effect our actions have, not only on the environment but on the people we meet there would be a substantial difference.

I've learnt as much from fellow travellers caring about their actions than I have about them caring very little.  If you are one of the traveller to care, you will gradually create awareness to everyone you meet and you will no longer be the minority.  You are never too cool to care! 

Our Te Araroa adventure is also an attempt to promote women's adventure travel.  You will see newspapers and magazines full of stories about men completely amazing adventures but you rarely see stories about females.  When you research further you will find that women do go out there and do amazing things but you just don't really hear about it as much.  The truth is, male or female there are many of us that at one point in our lives have said the words "oh, I'd love to do that" and never even begin to look into it.  I am definitely one of those people.  I only ever did anything great if somebody booked it for me and picked me up from my doorstep.  I also look at some of these incredible adventurers and convince myself that some people are just born with the motivation and determination to go out and do it!  This probably isn't true but basically became my excuse.

I have never been snowboarding and I don't have a crazy extreme sport as a hobby and I am not a repeat conqueror of all things adventure.  But, for once in my life, I heard of something that made me think "I want to do that" and this time there are no excuses!

For anybody who has a slight desire to do something similar, something outside you comfort zone, something that excites you but feels unreachable then just go for it!  My advice is honestly, honestly, if I can do it, anyone can.  I'm 6 ft tall, they don't make trekking trousers to fit people like me, I'm boney in the exact place my bad sits on my hips and shoulders, I'm flat footed and I'm just not built for carrying 25 kgs but I'll give it a go!  There are so much advice on the Internet, there are forums, fellow travellers and general support and absolutely no more excuses!  Release your inner adventurer.

Of course I am not forgetting the Indigo Foundation.  Their Soloman Islands project is our focus and AUD $10,000 is our goal.  In reaching this goal we will fun the whole project for 2 more years.  Visit the Indigo Foundation page for more details and help out if you can.

And remember - Take only Photographs, Leaave only Footsteps!

A Taste of Life on the Trail

 

"It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves" ~ Edmund Hillary

 

We chose to do our  trial trek in the Waitakere ranges on the Hillary Trail for a number of different reasons.  Not only did we need to go somewhere close to Auckland so it was cheap and easy to get to but we also got 2 recommendations for the trail stretching as far as London to New Zealand.  We later found out that it was where Edmund Hillary trained for his climb up Everest so it felt the perfect place to start!

The trail stretches for 70 kms and the terrain is a mix of just about everything you can expect from New Zealand (apart from snow).  That, combined with some varying weather conditions certainly gave us an opportunity to test out our gear, abilities and team work!

Sunday 26 September (11 kms)

We woke up a little late due to us not realising  that the clocks changed for daylight savings!  We packed up in the morning and having practice packed the day before I felt good about the weight of my pack.  Adding 5 litres of water to it however, made a huge difference and I left the hostel feeling quite nervous.  We began the trek at the Arataki visitors centre where our friend Ray kindly dropped us off.  We gathered all the relevant information regarding the trail conditions and maps.  It appeared that the very wet winter had caused a river to flood which meant a detour was required and the muddy track meant our estimated times may change.



Our campsite long drop - with a view!



From the visitors centre we trekked in some really deep mud.  Every

step we took we crossed our fingers that we would stop sinking just before the mud reached the top of our boots and we had that feeling of getting nowhere fast!  Although the trail itself was muddy it was manageable and as we climbed steep banks and over and under fallen trees, crossed streams and walked mountain ridges and I thought to myself, it was nothing I hadn't done before.  However, doing all of that with 25+ kgs on my back was a whole different story.  I walked along feeling a little defeated from the start and with the first river crossing being followed by a steep muddy bank that required our scrambling skills, the pack slipped a little causing me to feel unbalanced.  I also noticed that being quite heavy footed, the pressure each step had on my legs meant that going down hill was just a painful as going up hill.  I always knew that the pack would be the biggest challenge and by the end of the first day, my shoulders, back, feet, hips and just about everything in my body HURT!  However, I finished the first day feeling positive.  I had made it to the end of the first day and already stepped out of my comfort zone and won!  I felt a determination inside me, quite deep inside me, but it was there and it will be what keeps me going!

Monday 26 September (10 Kms)

The second day started off easier than I thought it would.  We were up and packing at 6, although we took a little longer than we should have to pack up but I'm sure we'll get it down to a fine art as the mornings roll on. Trying to pack the bag so that the weight is balanced at the same time as certain things being accessible throughout the day is a mission, but the weather being nice made it easy to play around.  I stuffed and restuffed and balanced but finally it was time for the pack to go back on!  As I heaved it up and plopped it on my shoulders, the pain wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be!

I was lucky that my leg muscles weren't aching.  I just felt battered and bruised and the pack hurt but it was a pain that I became used to very quickly.  The trek on the second day was tough with some very steep ascents and descents.  The ascents turned my weak knees to rubber, making the descents just as tricky.  I had to stop and take it slow just to give my legs a chance to stop wobbling.  Negotiating my way along narrow mountain ridges with legs made of rubber and 25 kgs on my back is now officially my new party trick!

Shalane and I chatted and sung our way up and down the hills and it was reassuring to hear that Shalane was finding her trail tough too.  She has done a long self supported trail not so long ago so to find out her pack was hurting and the trail was tough helped me soldier on.  We both agreed that having to be careful with every step due to small ridges, ankle deep mud and tree roots did make the trail mentally draining.

The last section of the trek was very tough.  We walked for 6 hours altogether but that is including a half hour lunch (slackers).  We did roughly 10 Kms which was shorter than the official day 2 of the trail as we had to re-route due to flooding on the next day.  We summited a 240m  mountain at the end which was nothing compared to the 389m we did at 8am, but what made it tough was that when we looked down and saw our campsite, it took all the determination and motivation to carry on as we had to descend slightly before climbing yet another mountain before the trail led us all the way down to Whatipu lodge!  (i know you are probably all thinking it sounds nothing considering we will soon be climbing 900m but it was a tough start for my rubber legs)

The campground was a happy haven surrounded by green mountains and a beach.  The sun was shining and as we made a washing line between our hiking poles and sat with the sun beating down on our faces, resting our weary legs, we got a taste of what life on the trail is really going to feel like.  Early starts walking and afternoons appreciating our surroundings!  That all topped off with Thia Chicken curry by Back Country  Cuisine made a perfect day!

Tuesday 28 September (20 kms)

On day three we both started the morning well by packing up nice and early.  The trail began with us walking along the beach as the sun rose behind the hills.  The black sand was almost purple in places and glistened in the sun.  We were in pain, but it was familiar pain!  The first hour flew by which lead us into a false sense of security as the following hours were slow and tough.  We only just saw the marker leading us off the beach and back onto the official trail and after a lot of guessing with our non topographical map, we decided it was definitely the correct route!  No sooner were we off the beach we were climbing again, up the Zion Ridge Track and we pushed on up and down the cliffs.  I noticed that I was having to stop regularly to slow my heart beat down and every few steep steps and I had to recover and I started to wonder if my body was more unfit than I thought! 

The sun was fierce, the route was muddy and by the time we made it to Kerekere, the first town we reached and a good 6.5 hours into our journey, i was beaten.  It was 1.40pm and we'd been going since 7.30am and in my head I felt like we'd arrived at our destination and the thought of doing another 3 hours felt impossible.  It came clear to me then, that the whole thing is a mind game.  Feeding your mind with small rewards, realistic targets and trail expectations!  The heat really got to me over the next hour and I think Shalane thought I was on the edge but with a quick change into my shorts and I felt like I was starting a new day!

The last stretch of an hour long, steep, down hill road walking was painful on the feet and shoulders and it was then that we decided that we'd earned ourselves a rest day.  We'd thrown ourselves into these long day on a tough trail with no training (so not at our fittest) and then wondered why we ached and felt tired!!!  We needed to give our bodies time to recover!

We arrived at Piha at 5.20pm, just in time to run to the shop and get some well deserved crisps and chocolate.  We had been living off a really healthy diet of oatmeal for breakfast, energy bars for lunch and Back Country Cuisine yummy freeze dried dinners with trail mix for snack and heaps of water.  We felt healthy and good but the thought of a little treat make it all worth while.  We had a hot shower, dinner and I think I drifted off into contented sleep before finishing my mouthful of chocolate.  I'd made it through a 10 hour day!

Wednesday 29 September (The day of rest)

The rest day felt good!  My thigh muscles had really done some work and I giggled to myself every time I tried to sit on the toilet.  My legs would support me 60% of the way down and I had to fall the other 40% and getting back up was just as fun.  We did nothing but chilled, enjoyed the beach and read and it was just what we needed.

Thursday 30 September (17 kms)

By day 5 I was ready and raring to go.  We trekked at a good pace and covered a good distance.  We came off the Hillary trail slightly in order to begin our journey to Swanson railway station so we could get back to Auckland.  The campsite we were heading to was beyond rolling hills, great views and farmland and by the time we got there we were feeling fitter and stronger.  We chatted along the way and soaked up the countryside and the ups and downs of the trail seemed nothing to our newly rested muscles.  We even got to test out our Swazi rain coats in the on/off rain!  The thunder that roared in the background suggested we were in for an interesting night of camping too! 

We were just walking over a farmers field at the top of the hill when I realised my backpack cover had blown off!  So we left the cows to guard our bags and ran back to find it sitting happily in the hedge!  Phew!

The campsite we looked forward to reaching turned out to be non existent and after walking up and down the muddy trail a good 4 times, we pitched our home on the side of the track feeling confused.com.  Rain was due so we ensured we were high enough from the river before we drifted into an early sleep state.  Well, Shalane did!  My body and mind decided to stay awake most of that night so I spent the first few hours watching the hundreds of mosquitoes  begin to gather outside.

For anybody who has seen the film Birds by Alfred Hitchcock would have been amused by this "moment".  The mozzies were landing on the fly net, looking at me, saying "I'm watching you" and "you've got to come out eventually" and by the time it got light again in the morning there was close to 100 mozzies sitting on our tent, waiting for our fresh, young, tasty blood.  The rain was pounding down heavily on the tent and poor Shalane had been laying there needing the toilet for hours and even now she couldn't go for fear of getting eaten alive and soaked.  So we covered every inch of our skin, ready to face the day, the rain and the mozzies.

The last day was short and easy.  Setting off at 8am as it got light so late, with rain jackets on we trekked up and down more gradual hills but the mud was bad and rivers flooded.  luckily they were small and we could still wade across but the current was fast and made me nervous for the bigger rivers I know we have ahead of us.  I was grateful for the rain as it gave us a taster of the weather we will have to face and I was equally as grateful that it wasn't heavier.  Knowing we'd soon be home to dry off made it all that much easier to contend with.

So, I definitely used some new muscles and I definitely introduced a new pain which

I'm sure will become like an old friend soon enough.  I certainly had a realisation that my pack will be the bane of my life over the next 5 months and I learnt that earlier starts and shorter breaks will mean a more enjoyable experience.  Shalane and I both learnt a bit more about each other and how we tick and we both felt great on our healthy diet with heaps of water and exercise so we are looking forward to our bodies becoming temples!!

But the most important thing I learnt is that I am going to have to become so mentally and emotionally strong to ensure this trek will not beat me!  I can put one leg in front of the other (even if they are made of rubber) and I can suffer and bit of pain but remaining determined and positive when I'm wet, cold, tired and aching and miles away from anywhere with dangerous mountains to climb and HUGE rivers to wade with 2, maybe 3 or 4 months still left ahead of me is the challenge!

I can do this and I will complete this trek!

Saving Lives - All in a Days Work!

Shalane and I attended a Wilderness First Aid course for 2 days recently, thanks to one of our sponsors First Training.  The first day was at a university campus just north of Auckland and we were promised by James, the course Trainer that he would try and prevent any casualties that may suffer from death by PowerPoint and I have to say he did a good job.

The course was relaxed and fun with a lot of interaction from us and the other huge group of younger students who were doing the course as part of there Outdoor Leader course.  We covered the basics on day one and it felt good to have a refresher of it all.  Obviously it wasn't long before the good old CPR dummies came out to help us!

But it was day 2 that really exceeded expectations!  The course was held out of the city around the grounds of the Scout Headquarters for Auckland City.  The grounds consisted of forests and rivers and a gorgeous deserted beach.  The afternoon included role plays that we had briefly discussed in teams the previous day.

The first team went off into the bush to set up their emergency and the other two teams waited at base for the radio call.  When the call came over the radio, we were encouraged, using the theory information we had been taught, to collect location details, situation details and the number of people involved.  We then had to rush in with first aid kits and attend to each casualty as best we could.  Poor pregnant Shalane was involved in a terrible explosion out in the bush when something blew up on her campfire, resulting in her and her camping buddies full of shock and burns and asthma attacks.  There was an after event briefing at the end of each emergency which was really great as we got the chance to learn mistakes or improvements.

Next, Shalane and I were part of an emergency team who saved a large group from a tragic rafting accident down on the rocks by the sea.  There were bodies thrown around everywhere!  Some with Hypothermia, some neck injuries and some unconscious!  Blood and bruising everywhere you looked!  But with hope of the air ambulance on it's way and a shelter being set up while we waited, I think it's safe to say we did out best!

And if all that wasn't traumatic enough for one day, I was involved in a scary incident when a bridge collapsed over a river while walking in the forest.  One of my friends lost his arm in the fall and another got carried down the river in the current, while I laid there on the bank of the river with part of the wooden bridge protruding out of my stomach!  The water levels were rising due to rain further up stream so needless to say, the emergency team had their work cut out but handled the situation very well with 100% survival rate.

All that life saving was exhausting but it was a great afternoon and a great way to learn and know how you would react in an emergency situation.


Shalane and I definitely feel more prepared and just hope we never have to learn our new skills!

There is a video of our experience on it's way!