Te Araroa, Day 75

What a day!

I start walking today at 9:00. It is raining lightly. First, there is a section along a paved road, then a gravel road, and then on farmland, just in the grass, climbing fences every few hundred meters. The first 8 km are okay. Then it rains cats and dogs, or I would say at least lions and wolves!

The water that runs between my backpack and my back gets pressed through the jacket. My shirt is soon drenched at the back, and the water travels along the arms, around the torso, and down to my pants underneath the rain pants. Soon there is no dry patch on me. Shoes and socks are completely wet anyway.

I am drenched and cold and walk and walk and walk. After today, I will have to get into a long section to and in the Richmond Mountains. Up to 9 days in tough wilderness and at high altitudes. There is an Alpine track to follow after the next 3 days. I realize I cannot go on like this, meaning getting fully drenched in rainy conditions, especially up there, where temperatures can be easily in the single-digit range. I need my poncho, that will cover me and my backpack, to keep dry. 

I get to Pelorus Bridge after 2 pm. This place is no more than a small office that holds resupply boxes (also one of mine that I sent here) and organizes the simple DOC campsite where I am supposed to stay tonight. In front of the office that one cannot enter, there is a table with two benches and a roof. I am freezing and so wet. I put some dry clothes on and get my resupply box for the Richmond ranges. Then I call B., my "Trail Angel," who is so kind to hold stuff for me in Auckland. I ask him to send my rain poncho to Nelson, the next bigger town from here. (Thank you B.!)

I am not happy about this because it means that for now, I cannot continue with the walk and will have to wait in Nelson. B. promises to send the poncho tomorrow, poste restante to the post office that I will send him the address of. 

Next, I call that post office to ask how long it will take to get there, from Auckland to Nelson, sent by courier. They tell me that if it gets sent tomorrow, it will be in Nelson the next day. Sounds good to me.

It is still raining like crazy. The bus that stops here once a day to go to Nelson already passed. I will have to hitch. I am waiting for the rain to stop and for X to arrive. After 3:30 pm, none of it has happened. I am still cold and decide to go out into the rain for a hitch. I send a message to X.

At the road, there is an open but roofed phone booth. I drop my stuff there and get myself rained on again. Luckily, soon a car stops. Turns out the driver is German, spending a 2-week holiday in New Zealand. He works for an American outdoor company in Germany, and soon we discuss the quality and lack of of outdoor products.

Once I get mobile reception again, I book a place to sleep for 2 nights in Nelson. The guy drops me right there, and dripping wet again, I check in.
Meanwhile, X got in touch with me. He will walk on.  
I will have to wait for the poncho.

I turn on the heating in the room and have a long shower.

What a day!