Distance today: 20.5km
Distance total: 1344.3km
Time hiked: 6h 10min
Time total: 400h 47min
According to a newspaper that is lying around in the lounge of the YHA, the front currently passing through is stalling over the North Island today. Not good news at all.
I use the time waiting for the heavy rain to cease to organize my stay in Wanganui. My first request gets accepted right away and I really look forward for my second time Couchsurfing on the hike as my hosts seem to be awesome two people. They fully understand that it's not that easy to tell the exact arrival date and time and it wouldn't mind at all if I arrived a day later - or two. This really makes me feel much more comfortable than the last time in Hamilton.
Moreover, it looks right now that I also have the luck to stay with some of Matt's family members in Palmerston North. Great news as well, makes me nearly forget the depressing weather outside.
We use a dry spell, it's shortly before 2, to leave the hostel and start our walk along the Fisher Track towards Whakahoro. The easy, mostly descending track offers lovely views of the valley. It doesn't take long till we get wet again tough. Luckily the showers are not that heavy anymore and for the last few kilometers there's even some lovely sunshine.
These last kilometers are all about looking for a place to camp. Not easy at all. We even ask a local lady if she knew someplace to camp. Apparently there'd be a nice place 7 kilometers further up the road. With sunset only minutes away this is unfortunately too far away. So we push on hoping to find something soon.
The sun is already down when I spot a 4WD track leading away from the gravel road. After climbing over a gate (which actually makes me feel quite uncomfortable but at this point I just don't see another option) and following the track for a few meters, there a nice clearing. Perfect to camp.
Hopefully no one will use the track until we are on the move again tomorrow morning.
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