Start:
National Park (1,113km)
Finish:
Bridge to Nowhere (1,191km)
Distance
for the day: 78km
2200
- Outside the camper van: I hurt. I really hurt. Mentally and physically. I have
pounded the mud, gravel, Tarmac, and today even volcanic lava, for over 14 hours
a day, every day for 17 days. I have covered 1113km with hardly any rest. My rubber
is inflamed, my laces stretched, and my insoles sore. Why can't he just stop and
let me dry off in the sunshine and rest?
2330:
Thank goodness he at least had the sense to put me under the camper van step to
shield me from the heavy rain. I got wet enough today, the last thing I need
now is rain. It's almost midnight, and we started at 0630 this morning, why are
the lights still on in that van? Why doesn't he just sleep so that I can stop
worrying that he might come out and use me? It's that blog. After a full day of
running he comes back, drops me off outside, showers, eats and then writes his blog.
I don't understand why he doesn't just forget the blog and give in to his deep and
overpowering fatigue.
0000:
Finally the lights have gone out. Thank goodness. I have the next 6 hours off duty.
Sleep time.
0300:
I was told it was summer in New Zealand, so why has it been raining every day for
a week. I just want to be dry.
My view of one of the buildings along this remote track |
0630:
There it is again - the clicking of the gas cooker. They are up and making breakfast.
It's almost time. At least he won't use me to go to the shower block. That's
what his sandals are for. I get another hour to lie in.....yawwnnnn. I doze off
again.
0700
- Leaving the car park at National Park: No, no. Be gentle, I'm sore all over.
He has put those feet back into me. I am a mess and I'm made of tough stuff, so
how are his feet not a rotten mess? It's not even 0700 yet, it's cold, raining
heavily and this guy still wants to run. At least it's Tarmac. Tarmac is clean.
1000
- Crossing the Erua Forest, East of National Park: Not more mud, please. There
we
go, wet and muddy again. We have covered another 14kms through forest and over
a
ridge.
At least it's downhill a bit now.
1200
- Following the Retaruke River North: As I'm bashed relentlessly against the ground,
with a never endless rhythm, I wonder why is he doing this? As I look up each
time I'm swung forward I can see that he looks strong and determined today.
We
have covered another 18km along this gravel road and his pace has not slowed.
The valley, from what I can see of it from this low perspective, is stunning,
yet littered with decaying colonial outposts. I heard that the New Zealand
government tried to build a community here by giving large plots of land to soldiers
returning from WW1, but that it was too remote even for them and the community
collapsed with the last settler leaving in the 40's. However, don't quote me on
that. My eyelets are very small and so I can't see or hear too well.
The trail is littered with these decaying colonial houses |
I
can see the camper van in the distance. Van = rest. He sits. I swing freely.
Such bliss. He always sits on the plastic sheet that the blond guy with the
beard keeps putting out in haste every time that we arrive. I think he is
trying to protect the seats in the camper van from Master's sweat. I don't get that
luxury, it pours down onto me all day. He has yet another Coke, more chocolate and
a Sprite. I feel sick watching what he forces himself to eat, and I don't even have
a gastric system.
1400
- Heading East along Oio Road towards Whakahoro Camp: The sun has taken the place
of the rain. Sweat has replaced precipitate. Either way, I am still wet. The run
has been long today, but he still looks strong. Every 8kms I get a brief rest when
the blond guy turns up in the camper van and forces Master to drink yet more Coke
and eat yet more chocolate. Except this time it was different. He ate half of a
fruit cake with a tub of crème fraiche. Disguising.
I
hurt, it has been a long day already, but this trail is picturesque. We (by
way, when I say 'we' I mean the three of us; me, master and my twin. I don't
get on well with my twin, we are identical, but he does everything I do but the
opposite. We are always passing by each other in such a rush, and never have
time to talk) have been running along a trail that follows a river for the past
few hours. The valley sides are steep and impressive with jungle spilling down
onto the trail, after which the jungle clings to the side of the trail above an
impressive drop to the furious river below. I am enjoying this stretch.
Stunning scenery |
1500
- Arriving at Whakahoro Camp: Its lunch time and we have already ran 55km in 8 hours.
I was hurting when I woke up, now I have gone beyond pain. Master is a machine.
This
is most definitely a frontier hamlet. We are several hours drive down a dirt road
to even reach the nearest town, and that town is a frontier town with just a few
houses. This is remote.
An example of the buildings in this remote outpost |
He
sits in the van, on the sweat proof sheet, and has lunch. This is good. Lunch means
15 minutes without his frame pressing down on me. I'm hungry. I look up and see
that the blond guy has made him an enormous pasta dish covered in melted
cheese. Master eats a lot. Today he has had a large bowl of porridge with
banana and honey, a tea, a cooked English breakfast, four cans of Coke, two
cans of Sprite, a bottle of sparkling water, another bowl of porridge with
another banana and sugar, two 400g bars of chocolate, a fruit cake, a huge bowl
of pasta with ham, bacon and cheese and a pint of orange and lemonade....and it
it only lunch time.
Normally
he makes me run 68km a day, so that means I should only have 11km left. Except,
I've seen the sign to today's finish point - Mangapurua Landing - and it's over
40km away. Is this guy crazy? Can't he read the sign. "Look" i try to
shout, but he has tied my laces so tight that my tongue is pressed firmly
against the ridge of his foot gagging my speech. The sign says that this
section should take 13hrs to walk or 6hrs by bike. It is 1500, so he can't
possibly think about running this section now. I can hear him tell the blond
guy that he is going to go for it. This will mean that we run 95km today, over
15hrs. Master is very tough.
My view of the sign - suggested 13hrs - Master and I achieved it in 6hrs |
1530
- Leaving Whakahoro for Mangapura Landing: He says goodbye to the blond guy that
keeps making him eat. Just as we are off down the trail we meet a local cowboy.
He has 5 sheepdogs. Master is enjoying talking to the cowboy. I am not enjoying
the dogs. 5 dogs means high statistical probability of dog pooh. I am running
almost 100km today, having my back pressed into dog pooh would be the last
straw.
Don't ask how I took this shot - he must have taken me off to get some fresh air to his feet.... |
As
he says goodbye to the last person that we will see for 40km, and we run into
the forest, I am thinking about that sign. It says that this section will take
13hrs, it's now 1530. It's going to be a long night. I'm pleased that I saw him
pack the head torch. I hate stepping on things that I can't see.