Day 35. Sneezing While Slack Packing. December 7, 2015.

23 km
Te Kuiti km 912 to Mangaokewa North Rd km 935.

My love/hate relationshiop with the Te Araroa continued today. The trail meandered along Mangaokewa Stream. There were some gorgeous sections. But there were lots of overgrown sections and lots of pollen in the air. For much of the day I was in hay fever hell. It was definitely slow going. And frustrating.

Giant sheep shearer

This would have been a great place to camp.

I had decided to slackpack today. I emptied out most of my pack and just carried food, water and my rain coat. That way I could stay at the same hostel again. A lighter pack made the walking easier but not much faster.

Back in town I ran into Alex and Helen. Helen’s ankle is pretty much healed. We bought more food and headed back to the hostel.

Nils and Nathan spent all day watching football.

Dinner