Sanson to south of Hunterville (18.98 miles/30.56 kms)

I got an early start and was out the door before 8:00, the advantage again of not having to pack up the tent. I didn’t realize how cold it was until I stepped outside and saw the steam coming from my breath. It was in the forties and cold enough that I had to pull my hood on under my hat.

Thankfully I have a nice light weight wool hooded shirt that’s been my go to technical shirt. It is the only shirt I have worn here, and I even used it on my Camino in Spain last May, so it’s on it’s last leg. It’s 80% merino wool (New Zealand wool) and 20% polyester, so it is very versatile in cold or hot weather. The polyester gives it strength and make it more durable. I wash it almost ever day, but wool unlike other fabrics doesn’t retain body odor and can be worn days without stinking. The wool keeps me cool in the heat, and warm in the cold, and even maintains its insulation qualities when it’s wet from sweat or rain. It wicks moisture, breathes well, and dries quickly. It has long sleeves to keep me cool in the sun, thumb holes, and a 3/4 zipper collar so I can regulate my body temperature. Most people would use a short sleeve shirt in the heat, but contrary to what you might think, sleeves keep the sun off of you and actually keeps you cooler. And, it’s got a hood for when it’s cold. Other than my shoes, it’s one of the most important pieces of equipment I have. It’s got holes on the sides, and is starting to turn reddish and is faded, but I love it. Thankfully, I found another and had it shipped here, and Brian and Shirley are bringing it to me! I know, that was a lot about a shirt, and it sounds like an ad, but it’s something technical someone may want to know about gear. Ha ha!

Traffic was surprisingly heavy in the morning because both Highway 1 and Highway 3 merge into one highway in Sanson and then split again in two different directions in Bulls. Once past Bulls the traffic was much lighter.

I felt like I had a lot of energy this morning and I made Bulls in a little over an hour. I stopped at the market and got some food and drinks, with the thought I’d be camping tonight.

It’s interesting that every day my energy level can be so different that it puzzles me. Even though I may have a good and energetic day, I never know how I’ll be the next day. I’ve tried to figure it out and I think it’s mostly how well I have slept, and maybe even what I have eaten, or the combination of both?

Today I felt energetic, and with the cool sunny weather, and mainly fairly flat road, I felt in my rhythm. I know the flat road will end in few days, and I’ll savior that now, but as I start up the mountain range towards Taupo I will have some very challenging days, but, that’s just part of trekking and what I expect.

I have offers to assist me as I start up some of those steep climbs near Taihape, and sections of the road near Taupo Lake that have absolutely no shoulder and are dangerous. I am very thankful for that, and will likely take the offer on the dangerous sections of road. However, I want to complete as much of my trek unassisted as possible, so I will probably face the challenges of those uphill sections. I would prefer not to walk in the heat, rain, wind, or up steep hills, but it’s all part of my trek and challenges. I’ll see when I get there, and who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind.

About ten miles past Bulls I saw a beautiful little church on a side road. I could see there was also a cemetery there, and I love wandering around old cemeteries, so I took the time to look at it. Some of the graves were from the very early 1900s, and people born in the early 1800s. A few were noted as born in England, which is probably typical of the first settlers here. Some of the graves were more current and within the last ten years. I love trying to picture their lives all those years ago, and I could have spent hours there but I had to get back to trekking.

Most of the terrain was flat, and farms, with an occasional patch of old pine trees. I crossed Rangitikie River, and shockingly, it had a pedestrian walkway. When I first encountered the bridge I was frustrated thinking about how I was going to cross that long bridge with absolutely no shoulder. I stood there for a few minutes until I spotted the sign on the other side of the road. I doubled back and saw the asphalt path leading to it. Wow, and it even looked really old!

About 3:00 I was still over twelve miles from Hunterville and decided to start looking for a place to camp. There were nothing but farms for the next three miles or more, until I saw an old abandon silo between the road and railroad tracks. Prefect place to pitch a tent with a wind block. I couldn’t get to it from the road because of a deep ditch, but there was a side road with an abandoned dirt road leading to it. I had to work my way through the tall weeds and it turned out to be a great spot. I set up by 5:00 and it gave me plenty of time to relax.

Tomorrow I pass through Hunterville and will probably have to camp again. Hopefully I’ll be able to get supplies there for the next day or two. Snug in my tent and sleeping bag until tomorrow.

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.