Day 12 Havelock to Maungatapu Track

Walked today by me and Rapid 31.5km Ella walked 17km. 45585 steps.

A lovely day in Marlborough. Brilliant blue and almost no wind. A late start at 8am. Harriet Whinnie cooked breakfast for me before I started. Alison dressed my blisters. The blisters are now on the mend and were less trouble today than yesterday.

The first stage of the walk was from Havelock to Canvastown. The walk goes past the end of Butlers Rd. Ella walked the first 6km. I sent Alison ahead to Canvastown to check out the Wakamarina River bridge. She interpreted my note of the distance to Canvastown turnoff to mean turn off at Canvastown. Of course she couldn't find the bridge. Once the bridge had been found a crossed without issue we stopped for morning tea. We dropped off the road into a rest area so that Ella could get out of the van. Alison said she could here Ella's tummy rumbling but Ella didn't see any need to go toilet.

I had kept time as far as Canvastown but lost half an hour on the leg from Canvastown to Pelorus Bridge. This is mostly due to the pain in my shin that increases if I walk faster. At Pelorus Bridge we stopped and had lunch in the cafe. Alison had taken Ella out of the van for a few minutes. This caused one of the cafe staff to come out and tell us the dogs were not permitted, as I walked Rapid into the car park. After lunch I was 50 minutes late starting on the last 12km to Maungatapu Track. That seemed to last for ever. Ella was squealing asking to get out of the van when Alison drove past Rapid who walking along the verge off lead. The plan had been for Ella to do the last 5km but she finished up walking the last 11km. There were 2 or 3 vehicles in the first 20 minutes and about the same number over the remaining hour and a half. There was frost in some of the gullies along Pelorus Road at 3pm in the afternoon.

The pain in my calf meant I was a little over an hour slow on the walking - plus add in the lunch break making it 1hr 55m late on reaching Maungatapu Track. Tomorrow I will try to get started 30 minutes earlier than timetabled. I hope that will allow me to get to Nelson reasonably on time. I will also drive part of the distance from Nelson to Richmond and go back and walk it on Tuesday.

Alan, a first aid volunteer, came over to dress my blisters. He was much more worried about my leg. He thinks I have an inflammation of the fascia and need 2 or 3 days rest in a row for it to recover. I will have to consider.

The wonder site today was seeing a new-born calf getting up and taking its first steps and then getting its first feed. The calf was only about 5 metres inside the fence, the cow was not happy to have the dogs that close and I was very glad there was a good fence.

Harriet produced a lovely roast dinner tonight. I am going to miss her cooking when we move to Nelson tomorrow.