• Te Araroa Day 15
• Paihia to Paihia Rd – 3.71 km in 45 minutes
• Step count for my ‘rest’ day: 26,723 – oops
• Calories consumed: a lot hopefully!

It was raining in the morning and I didn’t do a great job of sleeping in, despite really wanting to. Last night I stayed up way too late trying to figure out how many cattle encounters might be coming up in the next legs. Over breakfast Andrew suggested I check how Ian got on yesterday so I texted him. A plan started to form, maybe I could catch up with him?? Ian was kindly happy to take another rest day and wait for me, at the cool place he was staying. If I did a bit of the trail later today without a pack, I might just manage a big day?

The rain seemed to have cleared, the sun came out, and I had to get going! I had a calorific and yummy lunch at The Third Wheel – highly recommend if you’re in the vicinity.

Good news on the weight front too, the scales here seem to read about the same as the ones in Kaitaia, so no further weight loss at least, I’ll take that!

Barry and Bernie were really healing up well, and I didn’t even need to pop plasters on them today. It was a nice stroll back to Waitangi.

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds really are a place every kiwi should visit. After wandering the very well designed museum a bit, it was time for the tour. Hearing the story from our guide, who’d grown up locally and paddled in the big waka Ngātokimatawhaorua was special. He could remember the visit of Charles and Diana and added a unique perspective, and much authenticity to the tour.

I could have happily spent the whole day there but my feet needed a rest and I had to do some errands. I got to the post office, pharmacy (first aid kit resupply) and supermarket (parmesan cheese) before they closed. Just ten minutes from the hostel the heavens opened and it poured!! I had a cup of tea while waiting for the rain to lift so I could get some kilometres done this evening. In the end it got a bit too dark and I was hungry, so it was only 3.71km but better than nothing! It will probably save me 45 minutes of pack walking tomorrow.

Although today was a busy rest day, I’m really glad I went to Waitangi. I had looked forward to it, but didn’t expect to feel as emotional and upset as I was at points – hearing about the translation discrepancies and behaviour of early European trading visitors to Russell, and the history that led to the treaty. Cross-cultural communication has been a big part of my working life, and I felt sad about some of the misunderstandings that had happened, but could certainly empathise and imagine how they had come about. At the same time, I could see there were some instrumental people on both sides who did great things. I went back to finish off the museum after the tour, and was really glad I did. It completed the journey into modern times and I was heartened to read words like these: