70 - 101 Ahipara Holiday Park
I managed to get up slightly before dawn thanks to a great sleep at Utea Park, had a brief conversation with the owner and got underway.
Perfect walking weather! Light in the morning, slightly overcast once the sun rose a bit, tail wind, the whole caboose really.
Things began to go downhill from there.
I think the rain started about the same time the wind changed. Pretty soon visibility was down to about half a kilometre and then I began to get tired.
By the time I reached Ahipara it was probably about 2pm. I had seen it many times between showers and it just never seemed to be any closer.
The last two hours were pretty interminable and by the time I got to the holiday park I was in no fit state of mind to set up camp in the rain so I got myself a little cabin, ate two meals, and now at the happy hour of 8pm I am going to go to bed.
Hindsight
- Maybe I should have camped up when it started raining. I had set a goal and I made it but there was no reason I couldn't have taken an extra day.
- I ended up staying a couple of days in Ahipara waiting for some guys that I met in Utea Park to do the Herikino with them. Don't wait for other people. When they arrived at Ahipara they were taking a week off for their feet to recover.
