Nov. 18, 2023, Paihia to Oakura Bay, 42 Km (km 296,1)
Today is a long, 12 hours day as it turns out.
I start at around 5:45 am. There is a 5 km walk along the coast to a small harbor from where I have to take a short ferry ride. I meet a woman with her daughter who tells me that every morning she sees hikers at the ferry, many in a lot of pain, and one woman even crying. In a way, it makes me feel "good." The body needs time to adapt. Still, today I am not giving that time.
After the ferry ride, I have a road walk of 13 km. At a petrol station, I buy some drinks. I meet a woman in front of it. She gives me lots of good wishes, disappears inside, and comes back with an extra big ice cream cone for me. Since with all the hiking, I can eat almost anything at any time, I now have a big morning ice cream.
The 13 km paved road, turns into an 11 km of gravel road and then another approximately 13 km of paved road. I am fine; my feet hurt, but they are much better since I do not use the bandage and keep my shoes completely loose.
A few kilometers before the intersection to Oakura Bay, my left calf feels like cramping. It is not, but I have to stop. I sit beside the road for 20 minutes, massaging my calf. The next hour is slow; I only make 2-3 km because of that calf.
When I finally reach the intersection where I leave the Te Araroa for the final kilometers to our accommodation, I try to hitch. I still have to walk for a while until a woman stops.
She takes me to a fish and chips shop where she picks up food for her family. X is already there. She offers to bring us the remaining few hundred meters to tonight's accommodation which is an old Caravan.
I order some takeaway chips, and finally, we arrive. I had a 12-hour day from leaving Paihia to getting to the fish and chips shop. Forty-four crazy kilometers of road walk.
There was rain all day on and off and I only have a few impressions:
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