• Official kms: 23km
• Garmin kms: 22.94km
• Total time: 5.31
• Calories burned: 2439
• Body battery: 7/10. Sore feet but doing well.
• Accommodation: 2 nights at an Airbnb in Paihia. Having a zero day tomorrow.
• Tent nights = still 3

Todays plan started with the alarm clock going off at 6am & for us to slowly get moving & leave by 8am. We want to get to the Airbnb by 2pm to get life admin (washing etc) done & out of the way so we can enjoy a zero day tomorrow without to much admin needed.

We left just before 8am after saying goodbye & thanking Andrew & Rosie for the use of their amazing cottage & hospitality.

It was only 500 metres down the road & we were straight onto the Kerikeri river track again.

Within a couple of kms we were at the Stone store & Kemp house & walked our way to Pa road.

After Pa rd Gokul & I took off & headed towards Waitangi Forest, at the beginning of the Forest Gokul stopped for a break & I decided to head on, I didn’t see the crew for the rest of the day as I powered on ahead. Just before the 12km point, Felix was sitting on the ground having a break so I joined him for my 1st break & a catch up as I hadn’t seen him since Mangamuka. He had had a zero day in Kerikeri yesterday.

I took off again after this & from that point I was solo hiking as I was on a mission to get to Paihia for a late lunch. That was going to be my next break, this was 10km later.

It was only 700 metres to the Airbnb from here so I walked around to it & arrived at 1.45pm where I called the host Margaret to check in. What an amazing place this is to spend the next two nights (another zero day tomorrow). I started cleaning my shoes & socks & emptying my pack & Gokul turned up not long after. Jon & Caroline were another half an hour behind. We all got showered, washing done & went supermarket shopping for tonight’s dinner & breakfast.

Dinner was amazing, bbq, salad, potatoes & a curry. We all ate together & felt very satisfied! And yes Stu, I am enjoying my cafe tour of the country! Lol.

Now I’m just having a couple of cold beers on the balcony, relaxing & reflecting on the mammoth effort so far. Jon has gone fishing, Gokul is watching live cricket & Caroline is chilling out. I’m looking forward to a zero day tomorrow. Oh & I have a Thai massage booked for the morning, apparently they are hard massages & not the soft ones I like! I hope I survive! Wish me luck……..