Friday 24.02.2023

• Te Araroa kilometres done: 2056.8km
• Official kms: 26km
• Garmin kms: 26.22km
• Total time: 5:39
• Calories burned: 2113
• Body battery: 8/10
• Accommodation: Anne hut
• Tent nights tally: 15
• Zero days had so far: 20

https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/walking-te-araroa-3000km-for-the-key-to-life

Track me live here:

https://aus-share.explore.garmin.com/curtiss

It rain almost all night but I stayed warm and dry in the tent. My new air mattress worked a treat, I didn’t lose any air!

After getting organised & packing up I was ready to go at 8am, Ladina & Alina told me to start as they weren’t ready & they would catch up, I was happy to wait but decided that I might as well. Mark was also not quite ready & said he would be a few minutes behind me.

I felt I started off slow but then found my rhythm. It was beautiful open valley & it wasn’t until 12 kilometres in that Mark & Liz were just behind me, we walked together for the rest of the day.

I only stopped to pee, other than that we walked the 26 kilometres without a break, I had a muesli bar & lollies on the go but knew that we would be at the hut not long after midday. The thought of a hot drink & hot food with a hot fire was motivation enough to just get there.

I arrived at the hut just before 2pm, Mark & Liz somehow took a wrong turn & were about 15 minutes later.

It was good to get here early & dry the tent out, get the fire going & have hot noodles & a hot chocolate in the warmth. Alina & Ladina turned up about an hour later & were happy to have a nice warm hut to come to.

There is currently only 1 other person here, Michael from Switzerland as well as us 5. Anne hut is a big 20 bed hut. Let’s see if we have more hikers turn up today?