26th November
9km
Bushcamp 862km to Te Kuiti 871km
All of my clothing was wet. I could have dried them by filling boiling water into my nalgene bottle and wrapping the clothing around the bottle. I’ve used this method many times over the years. Or I could take a half day of rest in the small town of Te Kuiti to do laundry, shower and rest. I was starting to smell a bit foul so a half day of rest was called for.
It was a short stroll through farmers fields and roads into town. The New World supermarket must be a popular place for hikers to go. Staff greeted me with the usual comments about how the hike was going. I suspect there are not too many people who go grocery shopping while carrying a backpack and trekking poles.
Next stop was to satisfy the pizza craving. With a large pizza demolished it was on to the full to overflowing backpackers. There were no rooms or dorm beds left but they allowed tents in the parking area. The other option was an overpriced hotel.
My body is holding up well, so is most of my hiking gear. As I move further south the days grow longer. In the last 34 days the sun is setting around 30 minutes later than on Day 1 and the sun is also rising much earlier. The result, it’s getting harder to wake up and hike at sunrise and just as hard to stay awake for sunset. Soon I’ll be going to bed when the sun is still out and waking when the sun is already up.
The rumour among hikers is that the trail ahead is very bad, the local Department of Conservation have already told hikers it’s too dangerous. I guess I’ll find out soon.
Next – Day 35 – A bit of Trail Maintenance Needed
All the tips you need to hike the Te Araroa Trail :
Complete Guide to the Te Araroa Trail
Te Araroa Trail Resupply Guide
Te Araroa Trail Gear List
Te Araroa Trail Gear Review
Hi I’ve been following your travels with interest since you did the Pct. I did the Te Araroa the year before it opened in 2010-11 and because it’s a journey I decided to canoe the Wanganui River from Taumarunui to Wanganui. Took me 5and a bit days. They dropped the canoe off and picked it up. It was the highlight of the North Island. If the tracks closed for any reason a paddle is an option. Take care Roger. Brisbane.
I’m at the canoe place right now getting things organized for the next week. I’ll be hiking into some basic weather then 5 days of canoeing. Should be fun
Oh gosh, take care on the trail ahead.
Thanks Peggy