Article by Natalie Gallant
I said farewell to the wonderful Allison at Cape Reinga Lighthouse and trotted off down the trail…only to stop 10 minutes later to trouble shoot some seriously annoying pack jiggle! For those of you who know what it feels like to run without a bra, yeah you can sympathise with my issues! I explain more in my video below…
I said farewell to the wonderful Allison at Cape Reinga Lighthouse and trotted off down the trail…only to stop 10 minutes later to trouble shoot some seriously annoying pack jiggle! For those of you who know what it feels like to run without a bra, yeah you can sympathise with my issues! I explain more in my video below…
Once the pack jiggle is sorted - hair bobble to the rescue - I’m on my way again. I’m just feeling so super excited to finally be out on the trail, I still have no idea what to expect but I’m feeling GREAT and in a super positive mind set…even with a cheeky competitive edge…
My competitor turned out to be an equally excitable Marco from Switzerland, he saw my barefoot shoes and exclaimed "Oh wow! Have your read the book Born to Run?" I chuckled with the reply "I’ve the Instagram Borntorun_physio, yep I’ve read that book" and so we hiked along with conversations of Tarahumara Indians & BareFoot Ted. Marco nearly stopped in his tracks when I told him I’d ran with Ted last year (barefoot of course) around Auckland’s Domain, and my Born to Run book was officially signed with Ted’s dirty footprint! That book was a game changer for many, most certainly me!
I camped that night at ‘The Bluff’ and ate dinner watching a few surfers ride the evening waves. Splashing my feet in the white water one Aussie surfer done for the day asked where I was heading, "Bluff" I replied. He nodded over toward the campsite appreciating how much of a sweet spot I had - "No, I mean the other Bluff, the bottom of the South Island Bluff" I replied again. His eyes opened wide and jaw fell, he had no idea about the trail.
I camped that night at ‘The Bluff’ and ate dinner watching a few surfers ride the evening waves. Splashing my feet in the white water one Aussie surfer done for the day asked where I was heading, "Bluff" I replied. He nodded over toward the campsite appreciating how much of a sweet spot I had - "No, I mean the other Bluff, the bottom of the South Island Bluff" I replied again. His eyes opened wide and jaw fell, he had no idea about the trail.
A short stop off at Utea camp ground in search of shade, I refuelled with the wonderful Paul and his partners GIGANTIC ‘trail famous’ blueberry smoothie and set out again into the unrelenting sunshine. Honestly I have no idea how people cope with Badwater Ultramarathon in the US or the desert ultra of Marathon des Sables! My intent was to camp over the dunes (not in the forest, I respect the TA notes) after knocking off an extra 10km however, 5km in I had the gut dropping thought of ‘HOW THE HECK DO YOU PITCH A TENT IN A GIANT SAND CASTLE YOU FOOL?!’. I needed to know there and then whether to change my mindset knowing I had to run an extra 17km to the next official camp site or in fact it would be possible to wild camp over the dunes. I dropped my pack at the base of the dunes and clamber up, sand pouring into my shoes and socks as each footstep sank deep into the sand pit. It was worth the hike, looking down onto a beautiful beach garden of grasses and squashy leafed plants (??!) I knew things were in my favour. When I finally reached my camp spot and set up for the night - my first lone wild camp - I felt so proud of myself…and very very burnt.
Packed up early leaving no trace of my secret spot and hiked back up the dunes just after sunrise. I couldn’t see anyone for miles and such a stunning sight of perfect peeling waves, a surfers dream.
I ran into Ahipara with rain and a cyclist from Queenstown who had kept me company for a while the day prior - he’s cycling his way to Bluff- caught up with me again and cycled alongside me, this kept a pep in my step, and a rumble in my belly from his talk of fish & chips! I let him find the chip shop he’d been dreaming of and took the opportunity to have a dip in the ocean. I would be staying with my friends sister, Rhonda in Awanui, just north of Kaitaia for the night and even though I still had 18km to run I felt a salty bath wouldn’t go amiss! The last time I was in Ahipara was a few years ago with hubby, his work partner Vern and our cooler than cool friend Keir Toto. Jamie and Vern of the Bureau of Explorers were filming Keir in the making of ‘The World’s Fastest Maori’. Take a look at this 8 minute mini doco, I can’t help myself in plugging it as it’s such a cool, heart warming, funny doco set in beautiful Northland and right where I’m sat! My heart is filled with love for Keir, Francie and their even cooler, kids!
Article by Natalie Gallant
