3RY Update Part:

12

Date:

25th May ‘19

Day:

123

Title:

National Park Village Bound

KM Mark Start:

1178

Start Location:

War Memorial and Horseshoe Horse.

KM Mark Finish:

1151

Finish Location:

National Park Village

Actual KM Today:

27

Weather:

Sun with a few clouds

General:

Left the war memorial and headed down Upper Retaruke, then Kurua Road to link up with Fishers Track which cuts west towards National Park Village. Nice track through some punga & cabbage tree forests and farm land, all within an area called Erua Forest. Looks to be good hunting territory with loads of signs and maps posted around for the hunters.

Body:

👌🏼

Outlook:

👍🏼 , enjoying being back on the road.

Tune of the Day:

123. Come As You Are – Nirvana

Day 123 Images:

3RY Update Part:

12

Date:

23rd & 24th May ‘19

Day:

121 & 122

Title:

Return to Whakahoro

KM Mark Start:

1203

Start Location:

Ohakune then Whakahoro Campsite

KM Mark Finish:

1178

Finish Location:

War Memorial and Horseshoe Horse.

Actual KM Today:

25

Weather:

Overcast

General:

121. Spent the day in Ohakune completing updates and prepping for the next section.

122. Dropped back to where I started the river section to “connect the metres” and continued walking North. Not a massively eventful day, as I was just walking back on the road I’d already covered twice before the river section. I had a few locals offer me lifts (declined) and feijoa’s off the trees in the front yards (accepted), lovely peeps.

Body:

Felt good to be walking again. Bit tight at the end of the day but expected.

Outlook:

Good, hope the weather holds for Tongariro crossing

Tune of the Day:

121. A Warriors Call – Volbeat

122. American Pie – Don McLean

Day 121 & 122 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

22nd May ‘19

Day:

120

Title:

Last Day On the River

KM Mark Start:

1334

Start Location:

Hipango Park

KM Mark Finish:

1354

Finish Location:

Whanganui Top 10 Holiday Park

Actual KM Today:

22

Weather:

Sunny with some cloud

General:

The river becomes tidal at this point. Waited out the morning so as not to fight the incoming tide. Had a look around the bush and the old Pa site to fill in some time. Hit the river around 10am and paddled until 3:30ish when I hit Whanganui! Back to where I finished walking (KM mark 1334).

Body:

Legs well rested.

Outlook:

Positive. Thinking about the next section now.

Tune of the Day:

120. I Fink u Freeky – Die Antwoord

Day 120 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

21st May ‘19

Day:

119

Title:

Hipango

KM Mark Start:

1310

Start Location:

Downes Hut

KM Mark Finish:

1334

Finish Location:

Hipango Park

Actual KM Today:

25

Weather:

Sunny but cool

General:

Pretty cruisey day. Meandered down the river. Few more riverside animals seen along the way. Peacocks seem to be everywhere up here. Docked at Hipango Park, an old Maori Pa (Potakataka) that was gifted to the people of Wanganui in 1913 by Waata Hipango. The gift was gratefully accepted and appropriately named Hipango Park. Nice spot surrounded in bush with an open shelter. Perfectly still night by a campfire 🔥.

Body:

All good

Outlook:

Looking forward to Tongariro Crossing

Tune of the Day:

119. Blood – In this Moment

Day 119 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

20th May ‘19

Day:

118

Title:

Riverside Creatures

KM Mark Start:

1282

Start Location:

Jerusalem Convent

KM Mark Finish:

1310

Finish Location:

Downes Hut

Actual KM Today:

28

Weather:

Sunny with a few clouds

General:

Nipped up for a stealth mission to where James K Baxter had his commune and is buried. Xena, the lady that looks after the convent in Jerusalem kindly dropped all my gear further 200m down the river, so I didn’t need to try and load it at the bottom of the mud bank. Thanks Xena, you made it way easier than it would’ve been!

A nice cruise down the river with loads of riverside wildlife; peacocks everywhere, goats, pigs, pheasants, kingfisher and deer. Nice paddle

to Downs hut via the historic Maori battle location of Moutua Island, Moutere Island and Koriniti Pa with some moderate rapids along the way.

Body/Health:

Good, great recovery for the legs.

Outlook:

All good, looking forward to the Tongariro National Park and Crossing.

Tune of the Day:

118. Wish you were here – Pink Floyd

Day 118 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

19th May ‘19

Day:

117

Title:

Jerusalem, Convent, Suzanne Aubert & James K Baxter (Hemi).

KM Mark Start:

1250

Start Location:

Tieke Kainga Marae

KM Mark Finish:

1282

Finish Location:

Jerusalem Convent

Actual KM Today:

31

Weather:

Overcast with patches of rain.

General:

If people get tipped out of their canoes on this trip, today is the day it generally goes down. I was determined not to end up in the river. Not so much because I don’t want to get wet, more for the fact I don’t want to spend the rest of my life thinking about how I could’ve approached the rapid differently to avoid getting tipped.

Thankfully I managed to get through all of the sections that are considered dodgy without getting thrown out. Happy days.

I made my way downstream to a place called Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the isolated site where, in 1892, Suzanne Aubert (better known as Mother Mary Joseph) established the congregation of the Sisters of Compassion. They became a highly respected charitable nursing/religious order. A convent remains on the mission property, as well as the church and Sisters of Compassion with the help of locals still care for them.

New Zealand poet James K. Baxter (Hemi) and many of his followers formed a commune at Jerusalem in 1970, which disbanded in 1972 after Baxter’s death. Baxter is buried there (Photos of grave tomorrow).

Jerusalem was an absolute nightmare to access from the river. It’s near on impossible to get all of the barrels (that hold food, firewood, dry clothes etc) from the canoe up the muddy banks. I have no idea how I’ll get them back down without sliding into the river. I randomly met the producers of a movie (How Far is Heaven) who just happened to be staying while I was there. The movie is based on the community and they still go back to the site to visit the locals periodically. They knew people who had lived in the hippie commune with James K Baxter (Hemi).

Body/Health:

Good. Few cuts and bruises.

Outlook:

All good.

Tune of the Day:

117. Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin

Day 117 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

18th May ‘19

Day:

116

Title:

Bridge to Nowhere

KM Mark Start:

1232

Start Location:

John Coull Hut

KM Mark Finish:

1250

Finish Location:

Tieke Kainga Marae

Actual KM Today:

32

Weather:

Sunny

General:

Wicked day on the river. Visited a couple of historic sites. One was a very narrow canal offshoot from the main river. At this site, Maori warriors were lured up the narrow canal with wakas full of local Maori women. When the attacking warriors realised they couldn’t turn around and retreat it was too late. Rocks and logs would be rolled into the canal crushing them and their boat. A lot of blood shed in these waters.

The second historical site was the bridge to nowhere. Constructed in the mid 1930’s, to allow better roading access to the region. The land surrounding it had been given to returning war vets to convert to farm land. The serious erosion, flooding and poor access resulted in all but 3 of the farmers walking away from the land. The 3 remaining followed suit when the government ceased maintenance on the access roads. As a result the bridge was never used for its original purpose. It actually gets more use now as a tourist attraction than it ever did.

Body/Health:

Enjoying the break from using my legs.

Outlook:

Tomorrow is the 50/50 rapid. Where half make it with out falling out and the other half don’t.

Tune of the Day:

116. Hurricane – Bob Dylan

Day 116 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

17th May ‘19

Day:

115

Title:

Banjo Country

KM Mark Start:

1203

Start Location:

Whakahoro Campsite

KM Mark Finish:

1232

Finish Location:

John Coull Hut

Actual KM Today:

30

Weather:

Fresh but sunny

General:

Met at yeti headquarters @ 7am. Sorted gears into water tight barrels and then dropped off @ Whakahoro Campsite. Given the briefing of river safety and sent on my way.

A really amazing stretch of river with some impressive geological outcrops along the way 🤓.

Really enjoyed the small rapids and getting used to the handling of the Canadian canoe. 🛶

Body/Health:

All goods

Outlook:

Loving the change

Tune of the Day:

115. Superman – Eminem

Day 115 Images:

3RY Update Part:

10

Date:

14th, 15th & 16th May ‘19

Day:

112, 113 & 114.

Title:

Recovery 2, 3 & 4

KM Mark Start:

1361

Start Location:

Whanganui

KM Mark Finish:

1354

Finish Location:

Whanganui Top 10 Camping Ground

Actual KM Today:

10

Weather:

Few clouds, generally fine

General:

112. Went for a walk through Whanganui Town centre. Treated myself to a 60min massage…so freakn’ good. Still sorting the river section. Waiting to hear back from canoe hire companies etc.

113. Did the touristy thing and went to have a look at the elevator in Durie hill! Good times. Then walked to the point where I’ll be finishing the river section to suss it out and “connect the metres”.

114. Went on bus to Ohakune. Sorted drop off at Whakahoro and to see Yeti Tours in Ohakune to confirm my time on the river

Body/Health:

Feet bruised & blistered

Outlook:

All good, really looking forward to the river.

Tune of the Day:

112. End of The Line – Traveling Wilburys

113. Wrong Way – Sublime

114. Give it Away – RHCP

Day 112, 113 & 114 Images:

3RY Update Part:

11

Date:

13th May ‘19

Day:

111

Title:

Recovery 1

KM Mark Start:

1361

Start Location:

Whanganui

KM Mark Finish:

1361

Finish Location:

Whanganui

Actual KM Today:

0

Weather:

Rain morning, clearing in the arvo

General:

Had the best nights sleep I can remember. I was absolutely knackered. My plans to have a beer went out the door after a hot shower. My legs pretty much seized up so I didn’t make it to the local. The owner of the Backpackers saw the state I was in and gave me one of his ‘low carb’ beers from his fridge…ma’ man! Celebrated this morning with a good cooked brekky and a few strong coffees.

Planning the Whanganui River section is a bit of a worry, most of the operators have closed down for the season so hopefully I can still make it happen 😬

Body/Health:

Very slow moving, once I warm up I’m all good!

Outlook:

Pumped about having ticked off challenge #2. Looking forward to the river section.

Tune of the Day:

111. All the way up – Fat Joe

Day 111 Images: