Is it Christmas already?

And just like that, another year has gone by. Time to carry on down the Te Araroa!

I've left my preparations rather late this year, and the dose of COVID I caught a month ago hasn't helped. I've really only had 2 weeks to try and get some hiking in, so I've been wandering around my usual training routes in a desperate attempt to get fitter.

Warm-up route: to the top of Mt Eden

A bit harder: tramping around Kauri Point on the North Shore 

Once again the plan is to set off on Boxing Day. Paul will drive me down to Te Kuiti first thing, so I can continue from where I left off last time. The route will take me through the Pureora Forest, to Taumaranui, the Tongariro Crossing, National Park, and down the Whanganui River (by kayak!) to Whanganui - 3 weeks in total. If all goes to plan I hope to be in Whanganui on January 16th and back home on the 18th.

As always a year off gives me time to lose my mojo a bit, so while I'm excited about getting underway I'm also rather nervous. There will be a number of challenges this time:

• Fitness: The first day will be arduous, and the second is very long! I'll have a full pack and won't be trail-fit, so these first two days are going to be testing as I won't be able to take it easy at the start.
• Heavy pack: To add to the above, I won't be able to restock for the first 7 days! So I will have to carry a whole week's worth of food to see me through the Pureora Forest section. My pack weighs a ton...
• Mobile coverage: As soon as I leave Te Kuiti I will also probably have no mobile phone coverage for 7 days, until I reach Taumaranui, so you may not see any updates for the first week. With the need to conserve phone power and the long periods off the grid, I will probably need to make my posts shorter this season. 
• Deadlines: Because the Tongariro Crossing and Whanganui River form part of two Great Walks, the huts there are heavily booked. To meet my booking times I must do the Crossing on Jan 6th, and I must start the Whanganui River kayak on Jan 11th. This means that I have no flexibility, so I have to stick to a rigid schedule to get there on time. 
• Closures: I have just found out that a section of the Te Araroa trail approaching Tongariro has been washed out in a major slip. Disaster! I hear that TA trampers are needing to hitchhike or travel by bus to get around this, but if I want to try to hike then the only option is several days of walking on highways to get to Tongariro. So, some tough decisions for me to make in the second week.

Well, I guess the challenge is all part of it. We'll see what happens!

For now, it's Christmas Day tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone! The next time you hear from me, I'll be on my way.