well i am back from over 50km of 'tramping' (walking and staying overnight along the way as its known in NZ) on the queen charlotte track. it was amazing. the combination of solitude, natural beauty and exercise is just perfect for me. sadly my feet are now a little worse for wear as you can maybe see, two messy blisters, one toenail going black, some sort of rash around both heels... i have a tendancy to overestimate my physical strength and had, of course, assumed this would all be no problem for a fit girl like me. but oh no, i am knackered! its a bit wierd but walking 14km seems a heck of a lot harder than running it as i did on the city to surf in sydney. i am definitely worse off now than i was then!
so its a day of rest in nelson before pushing on through the pain barrier tomorrow for another couple of days of tramping on the abel tasman coastal track (yes helen, i have taken your top tip on board!).
the accommodation so far has been great. one hostel (the villa in picton - highly recommend it) even provided free apple crumble! can't say fairer than that. noeline's homestay was the best possible place to get rained in on the track, i can recommend it to anyone. she is a 73 year old inspiriation who sleeps on an inflatable mattress in her lounge in order to rent out 5 beds in her home every night to backpackers. the income from this then funds her trips around the world which she takes every year. she spent two months travelling in laos and cambodia, arriving with no plans, just a lonely planet! so i got some top tips from her for my future journey.
i just cannot believe this country, it is so beautiful and full of such friendly people. i love it here. this place is awe-inspiring, i can't believe the sheer beauty i see every day. i am so aware of what a lucky girl i am to be here.
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