Start – TA km 736 (nr Hampton Downs)
Finish – Hakarimata Scenic Reserve (Remember When Guesthouse)
Daily Distance – 31km
TA Distance – 767km
Despite seeming to dawdle when packing up camp today Chris and I were ready to hit the road by 6:45.
After more than a month on the trail the daily acts of camp are starting to become routine. Perhaps now I
can sneak another 15 minutes in bed each morning. Imagine the luxury of a 05:45 wake-up!
Unfortunately, given that the sun will be appearing earlier each day for a while yet, my chances of staying
asleep any later than 05:30 are slim. I don’t know why it is the case, but NZ receives approximately 30
days more sunlight than the UK per year. It is certainly noticeable that the sun is setting later now than
when I began the trail. There is now a reasonable amount of sunlight until 21:00.
There was not much of interest to recount from today’s walk. The terrain was a continuation of yesterday’s
easy walking, the sun was blazingly hot, but overall I rather enjoyed it. Tough days are rewarding in their
own way, but I find myself enjoying the easy days of bimbling along in an unhurried fashion enjoyable
too.
Chris and I are staying in the friendly “Remember When” guesthouse tonight. It is essentially a bungalow
where the garage and part of the house has been converted into a bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette.
Our tents are happily pitched in the garden, I have had a lovely cool shower and we have both enjoyed a
frosty $2 beer from the small stock kept on site. A very enjoyable way to end a long day.
