Blog Archives

Waitangi forest track

9/26/2015

We were lucky enough to be dropped to the start of the Waitangi Forest track by Kerri from the Kerikeri Motor Court Motel, this saved us 5kms of road walking and was a great start to the day. We came across a few cyclists and a few horse riders, Bella had her picture taken with them and they were really friendly but now Bella wants a horse. The horses were beautiful creatures. The views along the trail were devine, we found an awesome clearing to have lunch and soaked up all the beauty that is the Bay of Islands....and it just got better around every bend. The disappointment of the day was at Waitangi itself, not wanting to pay $45 (the cheapest option available) for our family to just enter the grounds we gave it a miss, total downer. Also I think people these days when giving advice on distance especially just around the corner distance are just plain wrong. "Fab resturant just around the corner"... may be in a car yes just around the corner, not when your on two legs and those legs have been doing overtime for the last week.
Bella had an awesome day with BS control and often left us eating her dust as she powered on.

1 Comment

hop, skip and no jumping to rainbow falls

9/25/2015

0 Comments

We made an executive family decision based on the weather and another trailer getting lost, two days ago, to by pass the Herekino Forest. Today we made our way to the Rainbow Falls and on to KeriKeri, though the Kerikeri basin. The old stone home with beautiful winter gardens where a pleasure to be in. Rosters, baby rabbits, amazing coloured ducks, geese, large Pukeko's and native pigeons all greeting us off the Rainbow track, was quite surreal, at least 20 large rosters different breeds running around. Reminded of how green and beautiful New Zealand is. Feet not healing as fast as I would like, blisters on blisters is no fun. The accommodation Pegoda which is mentioned in the notes and is on the trail, has not opened yet, so had to back track into Kerikeri township for accommodation. Bella had a high last night... not surprising the hunger is huge it's like you can't get enough in, both food and water. It was managed well and woke at 4.6. So proud of her efforts to get back in check.

0 Comments

wind, rain, pain and rainbows

9/24/2015

2 Comments

We have made it to the end of 90Mile Beach, sore, blistered, tired but very happy to have made it safely. We've had good days and bad, weather of four seasons in one day, rain, sand storms, sunshine and rainbows. Then more sand and in places there shouldn't be sand. Laughs, lots of baby seals, some living, some seperated from their mothers and or injured and not long to live, whale remains, washed up shark, lots of birds and beautiful sunsets. We got caught in a sandstorm, Bella was having a hypo, and while trying to put up the tent, it blew away. Who would have thought? We put Bella inside and put it up around her, it's crazy that the sound of the ocean sounds like a cyclone when you want to feel safe. Being so tired we quickly fell asleep and awoke the next day to a beautiful morning of the sun rising over the sand dunes. (Yes we did hourly checks until Bella stabalised). We have had three nights of camping in the sand dunes, which has been great, we have done big days of walking our longest 30kms. We got to the Bluff, just past the island with the hole right through it, there was no water available, and that island should really be the island that never wants to be behind you, 5kms later it's still staring, I thought it looked like a bull waiting to pounce, then the imaginary smoke started, then started to imagine it was behind us...then finally 5 hrs later it was.
We are tucked up all nice and warm in the Baylinks motel, they have been totally fantastic, above and beyond awesome service and have lots of TA walkers through.
Bella's metabolic basel rate has gone to 80% down 20% from her Melbourne rate and we are still altering and managing as we go along.

2 Comments

Too many electronics......

9/19/2015

2 Comments

It's been a stressful time for all of us. The packs are getting heavier as we start to include food, water, etc. Chris's red dress is ready to be packed and we are all having our last night with wifi. We got a NZ phone number for family & friends to contact us during the walk and we're all resting up before the first day. At the moment we have a laptop, camera, go pro, iPad, kindle and a couple of phones which we are just now realizing may have been too many electronics to have. We are taking a tour bus up to Cape Reinga where we will finally start the Te Araroa Trail and our most anticipated journey.

2 Comments

want to see chris walking in a dress

9/16/2015

3 Comments

Chris has offered to walk 100km in a dress if he gets a nominated donation to JDRF of $200. I would love to see this, would you?
Two days now until we fly into New Zealand..... excited and nervous for our expedition, lots of months of planning coming together.
Body reserves now in place, fuller figures tick....yes winter has helped this process.

3 Comments

No we aren't doomsday preppers

9/9/2015

0 Comments

Just feels like we are doomsday preppers, emergency beacon, check, portable solar panels check. Bella has a newly aquired Kindle, happy daughter....check. The back packs aren't big enough saga, ongoing. Packing repacking and then packing again. No tears just yet.

0 Comments

Waitangi forest track

hop, skip and no jumping to rainbow falls

wind, rain, pain and rainbows

Too many electronics......

want to see chris walking in a dress

No we aren't doomsday preppers

Hi, We're the Foote family

Archives