Te Araroa Trail – Hanmer Springs (Zero Day)
I had an amazing sleep in a wonderful bed in the Airbnb and really didn’t get going until about 9.30 am. Mike and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of fruit, yoghurt, croissants and Nutella then headed out in the rain for a little wander around town to find the laundromat we’d seen online. Turns out it didn’t exist so we plodded back and got our gear together for a trip to the famous Hanmer Springs hot pools.
I hired togs and a towel, and we spent a couple of hours soaking in the different baths ranging from 37-41 degrees. As we hadn’t eaten for at least 2 hours, we stopped on the way home for a pie (steak & cheese, no cheese… very disappointing!) and an apple cream turnover.
In the afternoon I visited the local Chiropractor as I’ve developed pain just inside my right shoulder blade down my back. The massage he gave was superb if a tad painful.. freeing up my tight muscles, and he clicked a few vertebrae in my neck/lower back. The problems stem from my glutes – and my pelvis tilts in slightly on one side which makes me over-compensate in other areas (which I’d also been told before I started). The repetition of walking over this distance is making things worse and he warned me to start doing other, more varied exercise i.e less running, more everything else.. when I finish Te Araroa Trail. Hmmmm.. triathlon perhaps?
I went back and chilled at the house for a while, and Mike and I discussed the impending cyclone Gita which is due to land in New Zealand right in the middle of our next stretch to Arthur’s pass when there are lots of river crossings to make. We made a call to start the next stretch tomorrow (as we have 2 days of great weather before it comes in) then hole up in one of the DOC huts for a couple of days if needs be when the cyclone comes through. Again I’ll be glad not to be solo for those river crossings! In the evening we went for dinner in the Rustic Cafe again as it was so good last night!!