After losing my way in panic through a muddy forest, I entered the third one and faced the challenge of fording a stream. I’d been worried the water would be high or dangerous, but it turned out to be my favourite part.
Starting south on the Te Araroa Trail in nearly December was a late departure, but fortunately this season also meant better weather—unlike October’s rain. The stream water wasn’t high, reaching only up to my hobbit-sized thighs at most, and the cool water was a soothing relief after nearly twelve hours of hiking the day before.
From mud to stream, yesterday’s getting lost felt like a dream. Even more dreamlike was that I was nearly finished with these gruelling first ten days of the Te Araroa Trail!
Yay~
(Looking back: 2016/12/5)
After embarking on the 3,000-kilometre Te Araroa Trail, my needs in life became incredibly simple…
Treasuring every moment of setting down my backpack and sitting.
Pitching my tent and cooking dinner inside—that was happiness.
Staying inside a house and taking a hot shower felt luxurious.
Near the end of completing the fourth forest that day, torrential rain poured down. Wet and freezing, we finally reached the mountain hut at Puketit Forest. Huddled there for an hour, we managed to book the hut on weak signal, got the fire going, and contentedly ate our hot dinner…
Then we celebrated successfully completing the first ten days of the Te Araroa Trail!
(Looking back: 2016/12/6)
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