Day 100: Jess is a Wanderer and Beth headed to the Hakarimata Summit Trail. A short 2-hour tramping expedition that involved climbing a mere 1349 steps. Uphill. To a whopping height of 372m!
There's a small carpark at the waterworks where the trail begins. More parking is available along the residential side-roads in the area. We were there on Saturday morning and it was super busy with super-fit locals on their daily exercise missions. I was inspired to time myself climbing up (and running down) due to my competitive nature! The best part was that it's free to park and free to tramp. Like so many walking trails in NZ, you just can't pass up the opportunity to stretch the legs.
The first half seemed steeper than the second half and Beth was having a tough old time. Despite giving up on several occasions, she did indeed make it to the top and we were each able to share the views out over the valley below.
It was a tough old slog and one that will no doubt leave us aching for days. It certainly turned us into big sweaty messes which is great for two people who are about to abandon all standards of hygiene and head out to live on the open road in the back of a Toyota BB.
Due to the lack of reliable wifi opportunities from now on - as we'll be out there on the road - I won't be doing daily updates from now on. I will still be sharing what we've been up to and making videos of certain parts of the adventure. Stay tuned to see more!