• Official distance 30km
• Garmin distance 30.62km
• Total time 8.40hrs
• Calories burnt 3855
• Body battery 6/10, slept well, body is a bit sore. Blister count = 0.
• Accommodation: Cabin at Hakatere lodge
• Tenting count = still 2

This morning Gokul & I set the alarm for 4.30am where we anticipated leaving around 6am.

It wasn’t until about the 6:30am mark that we were finally packed and ready to hit the Trail. About 1 km into the Trail three dogs came running at me, this scared me, then I realised they had collars on but they still barked and then took off and headed towards Gokul who proceeded to head for the ocean. Not long after the owner emerged from the dunes on a quad & they took off in the opposite direction.

With this being a 30km day we took off into the first 10 km before stopping for a break. From this point on we agreed that we would stop every 4 km for a quick 5 to 10 minute break and when we got close to lunch at a 4km break that would be a 20 minute to half an hour lunch break.

The beach was relentless but we managed to get it done still with no blisters! Just very sore feet. It was great getting to Hakatere lodge & checking into our cabin, pure luxury! Real beds, power, lights & hot showers. It’s amazing how good that is after spending 3 days covered in sand & having wet gear from the morning condensation.

Tomorrow is a 17km day to the Waipapakauri holiday park where we have another cabin booked. We are looking forward to an easy day & a nice cabin to spend the afternoon.