Start – Maunganui Bluff Camp
Finish – Utea Park
Daily Distance – 30km
TA Distance – 70km
Rain! Oh Lord did it rain! Starting just as I was packing up my tent and continuing for hour after penetrating hour the rain sheeted down. Trudging down a shelterless beach for 8 hours has proven a pretty grim task. My efforts at making a break time wrap descended into farce when my tortilla resembled nothing so much as a small duckpond by the time it was ready to eat. I don’t usually mind walking in the wet, but this wasn’t UK standard rain. It was the type of weather that would lead bluff old sea dogs to grudgingly admit that it was a bit drizzly(, although still not as bad as rain used to be mind you…)
Arriving at Utea park was an exceedingly happy moment. I’m not sure what the collective noun for a group of drowned rats is, but it would certainly be applicable for the common room tonight. Thousand yard stares, giant helpings of dinner and hobbling gaits on blistered feet were all very much in evidence.
Unfortunately, having survived with all but my good cheer intact, my plan to forgo a rain cover and just rely on dry bags looks to have been I’ll conceived. Having spent much of the day basking in a small pool of water at the bottom of my rucksack, my sleeping bag is now rather damp. Given that down provides virtually no thermal insulation when wet I’m anticipating a singularly unpleasant night.
Set against these trials, it almost escapes remark that the showers provide somewhat less privacy than I am accustomed to. A rail with a shower curtain screening 2 shower heads in a (presumably) unisex arrangement was a surprise, but after a little contemplation I realised that it was really just like taking the tube in London. Look down, avoid eye contact and at all costs don’t smile!
I had originally planned to push on for the next 31km to Ahipara tomorrow, but nobody seems keen to do that after today and I’m inclined to agree. A relatively short 17km day sounds lovely right now…
Highlight of the day – The dry common room after an exceedingly wet day
