The Joys & Jubilation, Trials & Tribulation of a Long Distance Walker

Locals thoughts on Insurance companies.

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Blythe Valley Sheep Stations

Looking down on Camping Ground Hurunui Mouth

Port Robinson Walkway is a big disappointment

Cathedral Cliffs Gore Bay

It has been awhile since I last posted so this will be a long post. I am now in Kaikoura and have walked a total of 1500km since I started in Stewart Island over a year ago!

On Tuesday 6th of November I flew back to Christchurch and spent a couple of nights with my friends Karla & Troy. They once again opened their home up to me. On Wednesday morning I caught buses to New Brighton Pier and restarted walking from where I had left off two weeks prior. The first 8km was up the beach and I saw numerous people walking their dogs. After I left the beach I found the Spencer Park camp office and received directions for walking the track alongside Broadlands Lagoon. At the end of the sandy track I spoke to Charles and Tricia who live there but also have a house bus alongside the lagoon. I told Charles that my second name is Charles and he told me their dogs name is Charlie. In celebration of the meeting of the Charlies he gave me a cap full of bourbon from the bottle he was swigging on! The next 6km was all on stopbanks which brought me to the main road and the Waimakariri bridge. There is no footpath and it was quite scary crossing it with cars, trucks and buses all having to slow down for me. A further 5km of stopbanks brought me to Kaiapoi. I had seen lots of evidence of earthquake damage in Christchurch but it seems worse in Kaiapoi with lots of cleared sections and abandoned houses. Total distance walked for the day was 21km. After a visit to the I Site and an ice cream another couple of buses took me back to Karla and Troys.

On Thursday morning before starting work Karla kindly drove me to Kaiapoi after dropping my pack at Woodend. This was a short day of just 10km. 5km of  stopbanks to Kairaki, where I once again saw lots of evidence of earthquake damage. 1km road and then a mixture of beach and tracks. On arrival at the Woodend Camping Ground the owner Jan waived the camping fee and gave me a free Ice Cream. ( I challenge all other camping ground owners to do the same or better!!!) This is a large but quiet camp with well maintained grounds and friendly staff.

The reason for only walking a short distance that day was that I had friends at Woodend who I hoped to catch up with. I have known them for years and when they lived in Wellington and we lived in Rotorua we would sometimes go out for a meal together when visiting the others city. When I first planned my walk I emailed them that when I got to their area I would let them know and hopefully they would have a bed for me. I received an email in reply that they were not hospitable people and would be unable to put me up. As they had been badly affected by the earthquakes I accepted this and said perhaps we could catch up for a cuppa. A phone call to them brought the response that they were too busy to catch up! I pondered on the kindness I had received from complete strangers and yet my friends couldn't even bother to drive 3km down the road for a catch up!! 

On Friday 9th I walked with my full pack for the first time for a few weeks. The first 6km up the beach on nice hard sand. I left the beach at Waikuku and followed a stopbank for a short way before crossing the Ashley River after confirming with a couple of whitebaiters a safe place to cross. This avoided crossing another road bridge further up. Another short stretch of stopbanks and then 6km of  walking on SH1. There is a good wide mown grass verge so walking was better than I had anticipated. There was a cafe where I turned off the main road so stopped for tea and cake. 1.5km down road to the beach and a further 2km of soft sand and stones along the beach brought me to the Leithfield Beach Camping Ground. A total of 18km for the day. As it was a Friday they were doing Fish & Chips so I didn't need to cook.  That night I phoned the local PGG Wrightson agent who gave me the contact details of a farmer who's land I would need to cross the following day. John Mckingtosh happily gave me permission and gave me directions.

On Saturday morning I discovered that the fridge I had placed my water bottles in the night before was in fact a freezer. One of my bottles had split across the bottom so I was down to 2lt of water. Meeting a man further along the beach I told him the water bottle saga and he offered to drive me 6km to the nearest shops to purchase another bottle then return me to the beach. I declined his offer but once again thought about the kindness of strangers. At Amberly Beach village I met two ladies chatting outside. Frances provided me with a 2lt milk bottle of water. While she was inside filling it her friend Fion told me her own interesting story.

A few years ago she was running on Summit Road in Christchurch and she remembers thinking that she should run downhill as fast as possible. The next thing she remembers is waking from a coma 11 months later. She had to learn to talk and walk again. She hails from Northern Ireland and has quite a strong accent but her speech therapist was from Canada, so for awhile she spoke with a Canadian accent. 

I followed a formed track and then the beach to the end of Amberly Beach.
From here on I would be heading cross country. A steep climb through a pine forest and then uphill on grass forestry roads with my large pack had me huffing and puffing.Then it was downhill following farm roads and tracks to Mckingtosh's Bay where I camped for the night. 17km walked for the day.

Sunday was a hard day, only managed 15km but it was up and down across sheep country avoiding gullies all day.  I filled my water bottle from a stream but then found my sterilising pen was not working. When I finally made camp after a 10hour day I boiled the stream water. I had been rationing water all day taking just a few sips but now used half a litre to make a cup of tea. This meant I did not then have enough to boil dinner with so made do with corn thins, salami and cheese. What a night that was. I had selected a sheltered spot on a headland amongst pine trees for a camp site. About 7pm the wind got up and I could see a storm approaching out at sea. Thunder and lightening, rain and high winds continued for a few hours. I got little sleep that night as not only did the wind flap the tent but a flock of sheep milled around bleating all night! At one stage I also heard a large branch cracking and crashing to the ground. One good thing  was that I managed to collect about half litre of rainwater in my pots overnight.


By morning the wind had died down and I was away at 7.30am just as it started to rain again. Found a farm track which led to the road to Motunau Beach where I arrived 1hour and 20 minutes later.  I found the camping ground which has no facilities other than a toilet and spent two days there waiting for the weather to improve. Experimenting with my Sterilising Pen I discovered that I had used it wrong the day before and it was in fact still working. I scrounged some old newspapers and magazines from some locals and spent two boring days reading and doing crosswords. I was running short of fresh fruit and vege and unsure when I would next find a shop. Auke & Christine  two German ladies, who are travelling in a van with Christines 5 year old son Ole, stayed one night. They provided me with lots of supplies and refused any payment. (The kindness of strangers!) Despite being in NZ for several weeks the only English words Ole can say is "Octopus" and "bluebottle"!

I was glad to depart Motunau Beach on a fine Wednesday morning. This turned out to be a big day of 29km, all along country roads. I only spoke to 2 people all day. The first I had seen go into a paddock and call a horse by name and had tractor parts in his car. When I said "your obviously a local" his response was "nah". I then said I was wondering if you could tell me about the road ahead, his response was the same "nah"!!

The second person I spoke to was a really nice man but he had a speech impediment  and I could hardly understand a word he said! I camped in a wooded area alongside the road.

By contrast the next day, the first person I spoke to talked non stop. Paul Davies came out of a farm gateway to ask who I was and what I was about.
A nice guy, he spoke for an hour and quarter mostly about how intrusive local and central government are! He gave me permission to walk across his land and gave me a ride about 4km back up the road so that I could complete
a walk along the beach. His wife Pattie used to be a herd tester and knew people that I know. Arrived at the Huranui camping ground which is in a pleasant spot but once again no shower or kitchen.

Friday 16th was a short walking day of just 8km. I was looking forward to doing the Robinson Point Walkway. The path is overgrown and hard to find in places. When I got to the other end I found a sign saying the track was only being maintained to half way, but I had not noticed any difference! I took to the road from Manuka Bay and walked the final 3km to Gore Bay. Booked into the camping ground and introduced myself to the manager Kerry. As this was the first day of the Canterbury anniversary weekend, the camp was very busy. After setting my tent up I had my first shower for a week! Wonderful!

As Kerry was going into Cheviot I got a ride in with him and bought some supplies. On the way back Kerry diverted past the old Robinson Estate, a vast estate planted in trees. Back at camp Kerry loaned me a deck chair and a clothes line. There is another camp just down the road from where I was staying and I walked down that night to check out a music festival. I had a great night listening to blues/rock, some of the best music I've heard in ages.

While there I met a lady called Totana who it turned out does massage for a living. When she heard about my walk she offered me a complementary massage the following day. This was too good an offer to miss. In a a couple of months Totana is due to massage an Australian who will be running the length of NZ and wanted to practise on me. On Saturday morning I arrived for my one hour session and an hour and a half later I emerged feeling very relaxed. Totana and her husband Neil live in Christchurch and also have an old Austin house bus. Neil is in a wheelchair after a motorbike accident 35 years ago.

Totana also arranged for one of the musicians to take my pack into Cheviot. I walked the 8km to Chevoit along a sealed road and booked into the Camping Ground. Rain was forecast so stayed in a cabin there for two nights.

On Monday 19th Di the owner of the camp offered to take my pack onto Parnassus and drop it at the petrol station. I walked up 2km of back roads where wild roses had been allowed to climb up the shelterbelts. This was really pleasant to walk alongside. Reached Parnassus on SH1 about 10.30am and collected my pack. Unfortunately my stick Pak n Save had not been dropped off. This has been with me since Stewart Island and is a treasured possession.

I continued on up SH1 to Hawkswood for 8km to The Staging Post. When I arrived I discovered it was closed.  As there was nowhere else to officially camp close by I enquired further. Mike told me they were closed as his wife   
was in hospital but happily allowed me to stay and opened up the facilities. As I was the only one there, rather than set up my tent I slept in the games room. Mike left a message with Di re the stick. I was surprised when Di turned up later with Pak n Save. She had driven 21km in each direction to reunite me and my mate. The kindness of strangers! Mike also phoned a couple of local landowners and arranged for me to walk over their land the next day. He also arranged for his cousin Heather to take my pack part way.

On Tuesday it was another 10km up SH1before turning off towards Claverly about 6km down a country road, picking up my pack en route. At the end of the road I followed a track alongside the railway until the railway disappeared into a tunnel. I then walked over farmland. At this point things went wrong. It started to rain, I couldn't find a safe way to get back down to the railway and ended up following a farm track that jinked and twisted for several kilometres up hill and down dale. I eventually come back out onto SH1 and walked towards Goose Bay. The first camp ground I came to required registration at the main camp 1.5km further north. I'd already walked 30km that day and was muttering under my breath when Mark who was staying there came to my rescue. He offered to drive me up to the main camp and I stayed there the night. As it was still raining I had hoped to get a cabin but there were none available. Rather than set my tent up in the rain I slept (or didn't) in the BBQ area. Unfortunately the BBQ area had lights that came on at dusk and stayed on all night. There was piped music in the showers which I could also hear and SH1 and the train track both ran alongside the camp. I could hear trucks and trains and music most of the night.

That brings me to yesterday. I left the main camp at 8am and walked the 1.5 kms back to where I got the ride from the day before then walked back to  the main camp again. The first 10km were all up SH1 including some very narrow winding places with many trucks. There are also two places where there are road tunnels. The first was alongside a short rail tunnel and luckily enough the Coastal Pacific train went through while I was contemplating the tunnel. As it is only single track I knew there would not be another train so walked through the rail tunnel. At the second tunnel I could see the road for some way back so waiting until there was no traffic I ran through. I also came across a dead truck and trailer lying on its side, freight spilled out and men wearing hi vis vests standing around. The final 6km I was pleased to be walking on the beach again even though it was soft shingle and hard going.

I am booked in here for 3 nights and Whale Watch Kaikoura are sponsoring me by providing a free trip whale watching tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to that. Hope you've all managed to read this far and not given up with boredom!

Finally thanks to Kirsty at Bivouac in Hamilton who provided me with a complimentary Buff and a silver treated T shirt. The T shirt is to see if it helps reduce my back being covered in perspiration on warm days. Feedback for you Kirsty is that yes indeed it reduces the perspiration markedly. I do feel that it needs a collar as the first time I wore it I got a sunburnt neck (despite wearing the Buff in the pirate configuration!). I'm really liking it though. I'm using the Buff all the time too.  Also the new Earth, Sea, Sky raincoat I purchased has been brilliant.