Walked by Mike 1121.4km walked by Idol 682.4km walked by Toby 481.7km funds raised $11,596
Another sunny day in Kapiti today - but cold. Snow on the Tararuas as proof. It was raining in Wellington when I awoke and I was so relieved to look at the weather forecast for Kapiti and Horowhenua and see that both said fine but cold.
Deborah was my support person today and set the standard really high for those who will be doing the rest of the week by bringing some banana chocolate muffins - and leaving the ones not eaten with me for tomorrow.
I miscalculated the time as we got to Kuku half an hour to soon but I decided to head off anyway. There had been a fire engine with lights flashing sitting behind a truck near Tatum Park as we drove north. When I got there walking south the fire engine as gone and the truck driver was sitting in his truck - I presume waiting to be rescued but no Lone Ranger was around.
Today was a day of bridges with 4 bridges where Deborah had to drive behind me for protection - the most in any day of the walk. The first 2 are quite long so I had Idol do them. Waikawa Stream is first with a short break before the Manakau North rail bridge. Very pleasing that the trucks heading north slowed down to about 30kph as crossing the bridge. One donation was collected form a ute delayed on the bridge. A woman in a winery car also stopped and gave a donation. The other donations for the day came from pedestrians.
Idol walked as far as the south end of Manakau. He raced off to Deborah when he saw her waiting. Deborah had the camera out and captured him with this lovely photo.
Toby did the rest of the walk to Otaki and got the Pukehou railway bridge and Waitohu Stream. Waitohu Stream bridge was the last of the trip that required an escort. The rest of the bridges have wide shoulders or footpaths.
One of the problems today was constantly getting ahead of schedule and having to wait as I knew that Beach FM had published my times at key points so I couldn't be early. Having waited 5 minutes at Waitohu Valley Rd I was surprised to then have to wait 2 minutes at Otaki Roundabout.
Deborah parked the car just before the shops started and we walked together, with both dogs, down to ANZ. A few donations were given on the way.
Otaki branch had a bake sale today and Deborah and I both sampled the strawberry lemonade cheesecake. Gabriella and Debra walked with me as far as Penray Gardens. Shirley and her elderly dachshund Amy joined me there for the walk to Te Horo. Shirley had brought Amy's buggy but it was a problem with small wheels and we quickly ditched it and carried Amy. Dave had heard me on Beach FM and joined me for the last few hundred metres.
I met a man at Otaki that really made me focus on why I am doing this walk. He had recent surgery for a throat cancer and is currently undergoing radiotherapy. He came out to his gate in his dressing gown and with his nasal breathing tube attached to give a donation. If someone clearly suffering as much as he was is motivated by the work Cancer Society are doing to help him to make a donation then these people really are some of our modern day saints and deserve all the rest of us can do to help.
I failed to publish a photo from Levin branch yesterday. Here is one taken by Stefan. Toby seems to have his bum to the camera far too often
I was back in Wellington in time to collect Gwen from after school care and pay a few games of Guess Who with her before cooking dinner. Reina sent me the video made from the footage recorded between Waipukurau and Dannevirke. I rather like it. I'm not sure when and how it gets to be released
.
Another sunny day in Kapiti today - but cold. Snow on the Tararuas as proof. It was raining in Wellington when I awoke and I was so relieved to look at the weather forecast for Kapiti and Horowhenua and see that both said fine but cold.
Deborah was my support person today and set the standard really high for those who will be doing the rest of the week by bringing some banana chocolate muffins - and leaving the ones not eaten with me for tomorrow.
I miscalculated the time as we got to Kuku half an hour to soon but I decided to head off anyway. There had been a fire engine with lights flashing sitting behind a truck near Tatum Park as we drove north. When I got there walking south the fire engine as gone and the truck driver was sitting in his truck - I presume waiting to be rescued but no Lone Ranger was around.
Today was a day of bridges with 4 bridges where Deborah had to drive behind me for protection - the most in any day of the walk. The first 2 are quite long so I had Idol do them. Waikawa Stream is first with a short break before the Manakau North rail bridge. Very pleasing that the trucks heading north slowed down to about 30kph as crossing the bridge. One donation was collected form a ute delayed on the bridge. A woman in a winery car also stopped and gave a donation. The other donations for the day came from pedestrians.
Idol walked as far as the south end of Manakau. He raced off to Deborah when he saw her waiting. Deborah had the camera out and captured him with this lovely photo.
One of the problems today was constantly getting ahead of schedule and having to wait as I knew that Beach FM had published my times at key points so I couldn't be early. Having waited 5 minutes at Waitohu Valley Rd I was surprised to then have to wait 2 minutes at Otaki Roundabout.
Deborah parked the car just before the shops started and we walked together, with both dogs, down to ANZ. A few donations were given on the way.
Otaki branch had a bake sale today and Deborah and I both sampled the strawberry lemonade cheesecake. Gabriella and Debra walked with me as far as Penray Gardens. Shirley and her elderly dachshund Amy joined me there for the walk to Te Horo. Shirley had brought Amy's buggy but it was a problem with small wheels and we quickly ditched it and carried Amy. Dave had heard me on Beach FM and joined me for the last few hundred metres.
I met a man at Otaki that really made me focus on why I am doing this walk. He had recent surgery for a throat cancer and is currently undergoing radiotherapy. He came out to his gate in his dressing gown and with his nasal breathing tube attached to give a donation. If someone clearly suffering as much as he was is motivated by the work Cancer Society are doing to help him to make a donation then these people really are some of our modern day saints and deserve all the rest of us can do to help.
I failed to publish a photo from Levin branch yesterday. Here is one taken by Stefan. Toby seems to have his bum to the camera far too often
.
Great to meet you Mike- awesome effort by all three of you. Steph ☺
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