Distance travelled today: 28 km
Total TA distance covered: 2056 km

The way of St James

No I’m not in northern Spain and there are certainly not any nice little wineries, cheese makers or shops to sample tapas along the way; I’m still on Te Araroa but following the St James Walkway today all the way from Anne Hut to Boyle Village.

I was two days ahead of my arrangements with the Boyle Village Outdoor Education Centre to stay the night and collect a food parcel and I wasn’t sure what would be happening at the centre for the weekend. This is remote country and I had no way of contacting them. So my mission for today was to reach the Outdoor Ed Centre by 3pm, a time that I was fairly sure the centre would be open and probably in the process of winding down for the week. To get there by this hour though meant an early start for me. Up at 5:45am and on the trail by 6:30am.

Today was mostly a repeat of yesterday, just in a different direction and up a new valley. The trail was flat, well marked and travelled through tall grasses for most of the morning, following the Anne and Boyle Rivers. A wet feet start to the day again with multiple swampy areas and small creeks to cross. Added to that it was misty rain, clinging to the grass that then clung to my clothes.

I was flying along today and basically just ticking off features as I came to them. Several huts, several swing bridges, forested areas and grassy valleys. The track was unchanging for the most part, offering up fast walking on a nicely defined foot pad and benched track. There were undulations but hardly noticeable. No major ups or down today.

Crossing the Magdalen Swing Bridge the trail turned to the worst it had been for two days. Back into rocky and rooty ground under the canopy of the beech forest but I enjoyed the tree cover from the sun as it appeared in the afternoon.

I arrived in time and there were no worries. Food parcel collected and I’m able to stay tonight given there will be a caretaker on site. M

Not part of the food resupply