Te Araroa, Day 66

The first 20 km today we walk on paved bike lanes alongside a new and very big highway.

The sun is scorching, and I am grappling again with foot pain today.
The bike lanes are designed for use by walkers and horse riders as well. Consequently, the traffic lights are built to accommodate those elevated on horseback too.

Break along the highway. Behind my feet is the bike lane; behind that and the bushes is the highway.

I am glad when we leave the highway after those 20 km and walk along a river:

At some point there is this very important sign:

Then the river walk transitions into an estuary. There are lots of birds to see and besides the birds we also encounter the "bird guys" again.

We met them before, I wrote about it. Collin works for the Wellington Te Papa Museum and counts and documents birds along the way. His brother accompanies him. At this place here Collin has a lot to count and document.

There are many big flogs with hundreds of birds.

The estuary transitions into a beach, and we follow that beach for about 7 km.

It is the first time we can see the South Island in the distance. South Island, we are coming closer! The island does not show on the pictures though.

During the beach walk, people wave or cheer us to keep up the walk.

An older German guy walks a short distance with me.

I usually forget to mention it, but almost daily there are people asking about the walk, wishing us well, waving from cars.

Nice gestures.

The beach transitions into a 6 km walk behind the dunes. This area is extremely hot and dry. Those last kilometers are very hard on my feet and the sun feels once more excruciating aggressive.

There is one place to stay in Paekakariki, and there we stay. The room has a SPA bathtub. I take advantage of it and let my hard-working muscles get soaked. Then, a sunset view from the room's balcony before my body gets its well-deserved rest.