Nov. 15, 2023, Kerikeri to Paihia, 21,5 km (km 254,1)
I leave at about 7:15. The section today is easy walking. There is a short walk through a park in the beginning:
Then a few km on pavement through a residential area before a long stretch of gravel road that is used for heavy lumbering:
I want to get this day done so that I can give a good break to my feet.
At some point, I meet a guy from Christchurch, and we have a chat about painful feet and about "The Wizard," who is a famous person in Christchurch that I listened to in the nineties while I was traveling there. He still exists, being over 90 years old now. Soon, the lumbering part is over, and I get new views on the way down to Paihia.
Just before Paihia, I stumble upon another guy. I have met him before, he hikes with a foldable chair. He can hardly walk and is in significant pain; both of his feet hurt a lot. This seems to be a common experience for us people who are not used to walking every day with heavy backpacks for more than 20 or 30 km.
I arrive in Paihia at 11:30 but take my time. I order a large pizza and eat it at the little harbor. We can't check in to the "Aloha Seaview Resort" before 2:00 pm, so I do some food shopping at the supermarket. That is what you do when you are not walking: eating or buying food, getting cleaned, washing clothes, or sleeping.
I am glad when we finally can check in. Paihia is quite a touristy town, and the Aloha is the only one left with vacancies. We quickly find out why: it is very much run down, with no investments for tenths of years, I guess. Not the greatest place for a day off, but it will do.
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