For the past few days we have been hiking with four others, two South Bound Te Araroa hikers, and two German girls just hiking a three week section. Let us introduce them. There is Ed Snell (name sounds like snail but is no reflection of his walking abilities), a through hiker we have been following from the beginning of the trail, he is from England and generally an all round good guy. Then there is Tom, a rather free spirited Australian who eats cheeseburgers in the outback (guess they are so full of rubbish that they will never rot...well only your stomach). The final two are our German friends, the ones who found Tinny (the wild cat) and are hiking a section of the trail.
It is really nice to have others around, and to know that others will be there to share stories of the day. Ed was informed that the weather was due to turn and that heavy rain, not just rain, but heavy, was due for this evening. Our initial plans were to hike as far as we could and then pitch on the side of the road, but instead we all opted for going to a nearby hut for shelter.
It is really nice to have others around, and to know that others will be there to share stories of the day. Ed was informed that the weather was due to turn and that heavy rain, not just rain, but heavy, was due for this evening. Our initial plans were to hike as far as we could and then pitch on the side of the road, but instead we all opted for going to a nearby hut for shelter.
Normally our hiking strategy is to start early, hike fast, take food breaks, and get to the hut early enough to have a bit of a rest. We decided to try a new approach. We hiked, met a local lady, walked with her and stopped at her tent for an hour long green tea drinking morning tea. Later we wandered through the river trails, stopped for a long lunch at a lovely spot, and arrived at the later in the afternoon. Different, and nice.