Day 46 - Tekapo Rest day

Today is a good day, for my feet have grown a great deal of pain after this last section and they need a rest. Road walking in particular brings out all sorts of discomfort - mostly in my left foot - that resemble the shadows of my plantar fasciitis coming back. When Im hiking on a trail my left foot feels fine, almost like it's getting a constant massage throughout the day, so a long stretch of flat road is actually more challenging to me than the hardest saddle or river crossing.

Rest days always consist of good coffee, food and a catch up on personal life and preparations for the next section. Lake Takepo sort of works as a good reflection point on the trail for its about a 1 month walk from here to bluff, and the most challenging part of the journey - and longest stretches without resupply - are now over. But this is Te Araroa, and even when it looks easy its not. It's about 60km from Takepo to Twizel, all on flat road. The trail notes say that if you don't think you can do the 60km in one day (which is absolute insanity to do in one day) then to hire a bike and bike the section instead as their is no camping permitted in between since it's all privately owned land. Wietse, Dylan, and many other people I know are renting bikes to get to Twizel, but there's something about jumping on a bike after walking for so long that doesn't sit well in my stomach. I wouldn't call myself a purest (hikers who hike every kilometer religiously, not matter the obstacle) but this is my journey, and something in my gut is telling me not to bike. I always trust my gut, even past solid logic my gut has proven to be a valuable tool, and Im quite happy to say its responsible for many decision that have made me into who I am today. So tomorrow I will aim to leave town by 12pm or 1pm or 2pm, who knows really, but I'm planning to make it about 25km outside of Takepo and set up camp as the sun is setting somewhere out of sight and mind. The next morning I'll leave early, without a trace, and make it into Twizle by early evening. There's rain coming up, but I've been so fortunate with the weather over the past month that It feels wrong to complain.