Walking and stumbling until weary

6 April

Bulls to Koitiata

KM 1410

Distance: 31.9km

Elevation: ascent 236m, descent 286m

Steps: 48,000

Time: 7:30am - 3:30pm

Last night we were itching to get back on the Trail the following morning (after our enforced day off to sort out the tent) to tick off the 30km to Koitiata, south of Whanganui. It rained steadily overnight and we woke at 6am to a persistent grey drizzle. This wasn't what the forecast promised, but while it was tempting to wait it out in Palmerston North we stuck with our plan and got a ride out to Bulls to continue (thanks, Brother Adrian, for the early morning lift!).

Trusting the forecast and the Trail turned out to be the right decision because although we walked in rain for an hour or so, it eventually cleared and warmed up so that we stripped off our wet weather gear after 2 hours. 

What started out as sealed roads alongside golf courses (the first photo above) soon turned into unsealed/gravel rural roads passing fields containing herds of young bulls and cows, as well road workers and a fencing crew making repairs. People going about their every day working lives while we take a sabbatical from meetings, deadlines and reports. 

During this section, Eliza has been listening to an audio book version of The Lord of the Rings, and came across this apt phrase: "At first it seemed to the hobbits that although they walked and stumbled until they were wearied, they were creeping forward like snails, getting nowhere. Yet, steadily the mountains were drawing nearer." This very much describes our feelings, some days!

After 12 or so kilometers of roads we entered an exotic forest for a while before spilling out onto a wild west coast black sand beach!

The next 13 or so kilometers were walking up this beach, into the far distance obscured by the haze.

Drift wood piled up above the high tide mark, but also stranded at the waters edge, driven up there by the energetic wave action caused by a stiff northerly wind. Seaweed and seashells were also strewn on the beach by the stormy weather. 

While it felt good to be back on a beach, even better a west coast beach, even better a black sand beach, we were walking headlong into that northerly. In combination with the variable softness of the sand it made for strenuous walking for the next four hours.

We arrived at the campsite in good time, not worried about losing the sun as we set our tent up this time. And even with only one previous time for practice, we were still able to set up the tent in short order - less than 5 minutes, and definitely less time than it takes to set up our old orange Marmot tent.

This campsite is a community-run site, with the wardens living just across the road. It is in a relatively remote village, but not so far that you can't get any mobile reception...

Along the final pathway from the beach to the campsite, we saw what looks like a Spaniard in bloom - who knew that this spiky plant, that can cause so much pain and damage to the legs of the unwary, would be so beautiful?!

Addendum:

After we wrote the above, we made coffee, and as usual, left our food in the kitchen area for the hour or two until we were rested enough to make dinner. In that time, while Vaughan was taking a short walk to look for coastal birds and Eliza was having a short snooze in the tent, someone stole our cooker.

Yes, that is correct - someone stole our cooker, the gas cannister it was connected to, and 3/4 of the pot set we've been using since the beginning.

You can imagine that we were shocked, but also still very hungry! Our only dinner required a pot of simmering water.

This is when Robyn, another camper at the site and definite Trail Angel, came to our rescue! Not only did she let us use her camp cooker for the night, she gifted us the aluminum pot from her set which she has no need for. Robyn has recently made some signifcant life changes which has her building a house for herself in the bush on a block owned by her whanau. She was absolutely lovely, as shocked as we were at the theft, and so helpful and kind in getting us sorted for food! Thamnks Robyn!

Add to tomorrow's shopping list: a cooker :(