• Te Araroa Day 3
• Maunganui Bluff to Hukatere Camp – 30.5km in 7 hrs 35 mins
• Blister count: 2 + a hotspot

Remember those famous last words from yesterday? 😂

After writing that post, I tried to extract a compeed blister patch that got mashed up from the sticky mess on my heel. Eventually I got it off with only half the blister ripped, cleaned, put a new patch on and tape firmly over the top to hold it in place. By this afternoon I had another matching one on the other foot…not a place I’ve ever had blisters before!

Also last night, as I was finally starting to doze off, I awoke to be face to face with a creature (presumably little possum?) between the tent fly and the inner. As I slammed a hand down to make some noise, it seemed to jump 20cm in the air, but landed and quickly ran off. My food was all with me in my tent inner, as I’d read all the stories and knew a possum encounter had to happen sometime!

It was a relaxing morning waiting for the high tide to go down a bit so we could hopefully avoid the soft sand. After a couple of showers in the morning and one overnight I was stoked my washing dried and I’ll have clean clothes to wear tonight at camp. Ian seemed keen to walk together while Andrew left at 7 or 8ish. Setting off at 11:30, the going was good but the body was undeniably sore and only going to get sorer really. During 30km of walking, not a lot happened!

The rescue helicopter flew up the beach about an hour in, and back again a bit later, as well as two police vehicles that drive past us heading up. Hopefully nothing went wrong at the Bluff but there were some precarious fisherman on rocks the day before.

About 6 Tour Aotearoa riders passed us at various points, none very talkative except for Peter, Glenn and ?? who stopped to have a yarn while we had a break. They asked to have a go holding my pack and couldn’t believe how much it weighed! It’s been good to eat food, but yes I’m beginning to think it weighs too much too.

The day wore on, my feet and legs wore out, and we hobbled into camp at about 7:30pm. Ian thanked me for my company, and likewise I was very grateful for his. He’s lived a life of adventure in more recent times, but has worked in some hard jobs too, and was full of stories about his experiences.

Gabi at Hukatere Lodge was an interesting character, so relaxed she was almost horizontal, except when it came to complicated instructions on how to get the shower hot. I was unsuccessful, but managed to have a cold one and was too tired to care. By this stage, any shower is a great shower. There was at least a beautiful sunset followed by a full moon rising.

I had a panadol for second dessert and enjoyed catching up on the online world with some solid reception. Sucks to hear about Auckland, but at least the emergency phone alert was before I went to sleep this time around.