Te Araroa, Day 4

Today, it turns out to be the hardest day yet.

I start at 6:45.

As usual, X started some time before me.

On the way to the beach, I see the wild horses again.

It is very, very windy. 31 kilometers of beach, beach, beach.

Everything looks the same. Walking is tough and it feels like there’s no end to it. The wind is really taking a toll on me. I’m suffering.

The last 4.5 kilometers seem to drag on even longer. It feels like there’s no end in sight.

I arrive at about 2:30 pm at the holiday park in Ahipara where we’ve booked a cabin. While X greets me there, full of energy, I am utterly exhausted. I never, ever want to do such a beach walk again. How crazy must one be?

Anyway, I savor the hot shower and look forward to an early sleep. Today, we’ve passed the 100 kilometer mark. 100 kilometers down, 2900 kilometers to go…