Nicky & Cookie

Yes! We had our first celebration by the stream that night as we’ve officially finished the first region of NZ! Being pretty much a total novice hiker I had no idea how I’d do or how far I’d get. I’m not really that much of an exerciser to be honest! So I’m super proud of myself for hanging in there and getting through some actually pretty tough terrain, and miles, ( 4-hours-a-mile-jungle!) even though it was a bit of shock to the system! :D

This is us enjoying my first attempt at a river-bed camp fire!

Miles Walked = 150 approx.
( a small chunk but we’re just warming up eh ;) )

Best Free Item = Offer of a house for the week by a woman literally just driving past.

Best Animals Spotted = River Eel / Shark / Stingray / Wild Pigs

Most Fun = Kayaking around the waterfall

Biggest Relief = Getting out of the jungle / Finding water / A Flush-toilet !

Best Meal = Pepper Fillet Steak at Beachcomber in Kaitaia

Most interesting character = Alan. Bus driver, tourguide, lighthouse keeper, bee keeper, environmentalist, farmer, historian and comedian. This guy needs to go on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Most Interesting Facts Learned =
#1 = You can make socks out of Possums
#2 = Leaves preserved in sand can stay green for 40,000 years
#3 = Pulling a needle and thread through a blister can fix it
#4 = Don’t flip over an object on the beach (especially if its dead) unless you want a mouthful of evil bugs… Again - yawning in the jungle can rapidly lead to unwanted protein intake…
#5 = Gorse is bloody sharp!