Nearly there!

Takitimu track today. 22km to hut we were heading for. We didn’t start till midday and the weather was not good. I was also feeling a little anxious about the final 7 days, it seems soooo much.   We both have some cool projects to get started on when we get home and are feeling like we just want to finish this adventure, yet the thought of a slog to the end is tough.  Just like the first week we had to slip into thinking one day at a time, one step at a time and we can make it.

Started out ok with a forest walk and a steady climb. We met a few NOBO’s who said it was a steep climb… Hardly felt like a hill to us conditioned SOBO’s!

The pleasant bush was short lived as it got thicker and muddy. Then came the tussock… Tussock so tall it reached my shoulders, I couldn’t see the orange makers to guide me.  Lucky Bindi is a couple feet taller than me, I tried to stay close. I was close enough to hear him swear and curse at least every hour…

Cute little hut safe from the rain.  Morning was a drizzle as we headed out into the SWAMP for first 3km wearing our rain gear.   Then into the forest for the next 21 km. Both feeling tired which meant we weren’t really concentrating, we both took a few falls on the decent.

Set up camp on the boundary of Mt Linton Station. Sandfly paradise, Bindi reckons these guys know how to put down a scrum. Hot Chilli mashed potatoes, and straight into the tent.

Bindi woke this morning and said “just when u think u have seen everything on the TA it delivers you another one!” Tent was frozen solid this morning! But…. It was a glorious day🌄🌄

Long 26km hike over Mt Linton Station, beautiful farm with very strict rules and if u stray off trail you will get prosecuted. Well guess what… We got lost and ended up off trail, trying to right ourselves we got caught. Lucky it was the farm hand who told us best way to get out of here without being seen, we scurried off like school kids hiding in n out of trees hoping the owner wouldn’t spot us🤣🤣

I was thinking about the Queenstown half marathon end of last year, it was inconceivable that we would be doing that and much more every day for weeks on end. Never say “can’t”! It’s amazing what the body can adapt to when you put your mind to it.