Walking, Boating and Cooking

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Well after leaving Napier for Lake Waikaremoana we encountered firstly the return of the killer biting thingys around our ankles and secondly a juicy gravel road for Frank to get his teeth into. Lots of fun with drift, ditches and not being able to see very much for the 68km drive to get to the start of our walk. Once we had loaded up our supplies we were driven around to the start of the walk and got strainght into a 600m climb through the forest. Also lucky enough to get intermitent views of a staggeringly picturesque lake. Managing to smash the recomemkded walking time by a half (go us) we eventually got to our home for the night - a very small looking hut perched on the top of the mounatin overlooking the lake. Afetr having a time on the walk when being simultaneously hailed and sunned on we were relieved when we had got into it's relative safety.

The nights sleep is best described as chilly and we were woken early by a combination of shivers and the various other trampers in the hut. A swift breakfast of hot chocolate and wheetbix (thats hot they spell it) bars and we headed off for a 600m decent followed by a nice lake side stroll. The night saw us get to a deserted camping sight, so the evening was just a tent, fire, lake, a marc, a claire , lots of trees and pasta for tea.

The final day we were behind our scheduled redezvous with a water taxi to take us back to Frank all day untill suddenly with a quck fell running style burst we got back on time and even had time for a quick swim before the boat picked us up and took us back. All in all a very enjoyable ans scenic 46km of walking leaving sore legs but big smiles.

The drive out was down the same gravel road and then onto gisbourne where we are now. The city was the first place where captain cook landed so we're off to be terribly british again and salute his finding.

Same old same old about us being fine a loving our time out here. The walk is definately a highli9ght so far as it made us feel like proper backpackers living in a tent (a new one by the way) and walking and smelling and all those wholesome persuits.

Anyway off to be british to ammuse some surfers we met now.

sure claire will (possibly) blog again soon. bye to friends hers and mine.

marc

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Photos

Lake W
Raring to go (after this photo we managed to walk for 10 minutes before we had to stop for food!)

Comments

[Mayrad]

Tara!
Hey dude!Sounds like you're having a great time! I fly out in a couple of hours, so it's goodbye from me, shame we couldn't meet up. Keep up the blogs which i enjoy reading, and i hope the it's mutual for you to me. All the best mate! Simo