Hunterville to Mangaweka Awastone (18.0 miles/29.0 kms)

Woke up again not sure what I was going to do today, depending on the weather as the forecast was for rain. It was cold, 39 degrees, but the sky only looked partially cloudy. The time changed today too, back an hour, so I gained an hour and couldn’t use a late start as an excused.

I finally decided after 9:00 to go ahead and start trekking but I wasn’t out of bed yet when the owner knocked on the door and said I had two visitors looking for me. Visitors! I went out and there were Brian and Shirley, my friends from

Whangapataoa, Auckland area, who have been my support.

Apparently they drove down the day before to be here for the next two days if I needed any assistance as I headed into a more mountainous area. I was surprise because I haven’t seen them since they took me to the airport for my flight to Invercargill.

It was perfect timing because it made me move a little quicker, and kept me from stalling because my concern for the rain. I packed up and put the cover on the Wheelie and prepared for rain.

I met Brian and Shirley at the cafe and got something for breakfast, and for lunch. They had scouted the road for me and gave me information on the conditions and terrain, and offered to transport the Wheelie over some of the stepper climbs if I wanted. They were my Road Angels today.

They also brought me my new Icebreaker wool shirt to replace my worn out one. I ordered it three weeks ago from Amazon back home and it finally got here. Interesting that it is made from New Zealand merino wool, which was shipped to Vietnam manufactured into the shirt, sent to the USA, then bought by me and shipped to Irwin in Wellington, who shipped it to Brian and Shirley near Auckland, and who brought it out to me. It went full circle!

After having breakfast I started out feeling more energetic than I have in a while. I don’t know if it was the extra day of rest, two nights of great sleep, invigorated by having Brian and Shirley here, or maybe that cup of coffee I had, or, maybe all of them?

I have to admit it might also have been the movie I watched on Netflix last night. It was about a young guy who became a quadriplegic after an injury during a motor-cross race. He’d always been an active person and always pushed himself. The doctors said he would never walk again, yet he wouldn’t accept it and pushed himself for over five years to walk again, which he did. He then did tandem bicycle races, sitting behind his mother or best friend, and also rode a tandem bike across the States. Lastly, he walked across Death Valley pushing a three wheel cart, similar to my Wheelie. Amazing!

I sometimes have people tell me I inspire them, and I take it as a huge compliment because I think of myself as pretty average. However, my inspiration, which keeps me going, is stories like his or seeing other people going after their goals. Sometimes it’s people I meet out here on the road that inspire me. I do get some of my encouragement from people that stop to talk, or all those hundreds of people who simply hook their horns or wave at me, and the simple words of encouragement I get from messages or on my blog. Without these sometimes simple acknowledgements, I don’t know if I could be successful in achieving any of my goals. My next movie to hopefully inspire me is about a man that bicycles across the world in one year. Crazy guy, but then again, some people say that about me.

I prepared for the rain and figured that if I got a few hours of trekking before it started I’d try to find a place to camp or find some type of accommodations. Brian and Shirley scouted, and found, two places with cabins at various distance from my locations in case I needed to stop. They also stopped to check on me and asked if I needed food. I took them up on it and they brought me two bottles of orange juice. I have to say it was great to have them along today, and I could have used them the last 56 days.

It never rained, and the weather was perfect for trekking, cool and partially cloudy. Most of the road was flat until about ten miles and then I encountered the first long steep hill. Then there was a short but even steeper hill, and then a downhill with a guardrail and very little shoulder. This section was worrisome because it was a fairly long section of road and I found myself just stopping and moving all the way against the guardrail when traffic approached.

Because Brian and Shirley made it so much easier for me, I didn’t stick to my usual routine of stopping to drink, and then eating something. I felt so invigorated, especially after the orange juice gave me the energy going up the first steep climb, that I totally forgot or thought of eating. It came back to haunt me when I completely ran out of energy the last 3-4 miles. It was like a car running out of gas and sputtering. I didn’t realize it until I got to the motor camp and felt really grumpy. A few people came up to me to ask me questions and I found myself being short with them. Back home it’s an automatic red flag that if I am grumpy for no reason, it’s because I haven’t eaten. Not very smart of me!

Brian and Shirley had found cabins at two different locations with cabins, and at the time with the energy I had, I decided to go to the furthest one, the Awastone Mangaweka Campground. After I passed the first motor camp I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision as I was running out of energy. When I finally turned down the road to the campground I was happy because at least it was downhill. The road to the campground crosses the river on an old bridge and the campground is on a bluff with a beautiful view overlooking the river.

My cabin is all by itself and is accessed by a private gravel path that is lighted by string lights. It also has a patio area with a picnic bench and a great view of the river. I can hear the rushing sound of the water with the sliding door open.

There is also a cafe bar here and it is the kind of place, again, where I could easily spend a few zero days.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for a 90% chance of rain, but then again, there was an 80% chance of rain today and it did not rain. It’s about 14 miles to Taihape, and if it is not raining, or raining lightly, I will trek because having a place to stay there will allow me to dry things out. I’ll see in the morning?

Best wishes to all,

Ted