Longstride

After two weeks on the trail (and river), we took a much-needed day off in Palmerston North.

• We returned to the Pak ‘n Save to get three days of food, which will get us to the Makahika Outdoor Pursuits Center, about three days and 65 km away.
• We ordered six days of food from New World, to be delivered to the OPC, which will cover us through the Tararua Range to the next town, Waikanae. We expect the Tararuas to only take four days, but they are notorious for (rapidly changing) bad weather, so we want to ensure we have enough food in case we have to hole up in a hut for a day or two.
• We got lunch at Burger King, and dinner at Namaste Bharat, an Indian place.
• Otherwise, we did very little, giving our feet a chance to rest before the upcoming hard stretch.
• The weather today was unexpectedly good. It didn’t rain anywhere near as much had been forecast this morning, and the rest of the day was mostly overcast with a light breeze. It would have been a great day for hiking, though we were still glad we took a rest.

Weather permitting, our next zero will be in about ten days and 233 km: Wellington, at the end of the North Island.