Te Araroa, Day 101

X begins at 7 a.m. I must wait for the postal service to open at 8:30 a.m. as I need to forward my resupply box. Around 8:45 a.m., I'm walking along the highway to Ashburton. It's unlikely I'll reach the physiotherapist by 3:30 p.m., so I plan to walk until about 2:30 p.m. and then hitch the remaining kilometers. I still have about 4 km to walk from the physiotherapist to the Tinwald holiday park outside of town.

I'm now using the new backpack. The first thing I notice is that for the first time in months, I don't feel the weight on my shoulders. The load lifters are effective, and the pack fits slightly better. However, I find myself in between two sizes. I should wear it a bit lower, but I can't. My usual cramping muscle remains quiet, but another muscle seems unhappy. The pack sits flat against my back, which is very hollow. It touches below the neck and my sacrum, leaving a lot of space in between, and a new muscle is unhappy.

If I wear the pack higher, the muscle is quiet, but the load doesn't transfer properly onto the hips. I'll somehow manage, I suppose. But it seems I may need to go back to purchasing a Deuter backpack. It appears to be better for my body, although they are much heavier, and the design doesn't suit my needs. Nonetheless, I require something on my back that is comfortable.

The road walk is pleasant. There is ample space along the road. I take two breaks before I start hitching after 22 km. A transporter from the Countdown supermarket stops. The Indian driver laughs a lot when he offers me a ride. He mentions that he's seen me and "another guy" (X) walking along this road since this morning and he couldn't understand why. So, I explain it to him. He delivers online purchases between Ashburton and Methven, which is why he saw us several times. It's nice talking to him, and he even drops me right at the door of the physiotherapist.

The session with the physiotherapist proves useful once again. Afterward, I stop by a supermarket to buy some food and drinks before walking the remaining 4 km. At one point, a boy, about 12 years old, passes me on his bike, stops, and turns toward me saying, "Are you hiking the whole country?" "Yes." "Good on you! You're doing well. All the best." And off he goes. I am amazed. A 12-year-old...

I am tired when I reach the holiday park, and my right foot hurts. Since the very beginning, I somehow overused it, plus it still carries some damage from an injury in 2019. Now, it always complains (gets painful) after 10-20 km on roads or hard flat ground. Tomorrow's section is long—45 km to Geraldine. Not that we want to walk that much. There's simply no accommodation in between. I'll see how it goes and walk as much as I can.

lmpressions from the road walk:

And this was one of two vehicles that just stopped on the highway, asking if I wanted a lift...: