31 Aug 2008

Day Fourteen - Taihape to Mangaweka

Our accommodation in Taihape was most certainly a first for most of the crew! A Dunedin University style set up with house share, used by carpets and a smattering of post dated furniture.

So we decided at best that at first light we pack our bags and make our way out of Taihape…it was a fairly comfortable 20km today....well comfortable for some of us. One of our crew members, David, had been given the challenge of walking out of the Gumboot Town in gumboots! So for the first kilometre he did just that and breezed through the challenge.

Along the way we were lucky enough to see a ewe give birth to three little lambs and to enjoy another beautiful sunny day. We have been told the weather will last through till Tuesday…so we have our fingers crossed. The scenery was magnificent today as we made our way past the Ruahine ranges.

As we arrived in Mangaweka we were met by a fantastic group of supporters to cheer us into the finish line underneath the Cookie Time Plane. There were two magnificent paintings that were created by a local artist, Mrs Maree Brahmigan. Thank you very much Maree for taking the time to paint these for me and for donating the two pieces to the Chris Cairns Foundation to auction.

I have a few fairly serious blisters and bruises working their way across my feet and legs at the moment, so will be paying a visit to one of the local doctors to have a little blood drained from them. We are lucky enough to be staying with Sue Foley and her partner Kelvin in Marton for the next two nights. It is fantastic to be back in a real home for a couple of nights…thanks for looking after us guys!

CC

 

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