Don't forget the toilet paper! October 18: 13 days to first step

It's been a busy few days since we flew into Wellington on Thursday. We left Australia at some unearthly hour when all good bipeds should be asleep and I was running on empty when we touched down. Customs was a breeze, they were only interested in my tent and the man was friendly and keen to hear about what I was doing.

Wellington turned on some blue skies for us the next day and we took a stroll along the part of the TA trail that goes over Mt Victoria. Touched the TA sign and wondered when (and if) I would be back again to walk it for real.

We stayed at an awesome little backpackers called Gourmet stay and Chris, the manager, looked after us splendidly. Not the cheapest backpackers about, but a bit of a treat for Pete, who had his birthday on Friday - something to make up for dragging him all over Wellington to pick up more food and other bits and pieces for the trail.

The volume of food I have accumulated is worrying, not so much weight wise, but the physical space it takes up! I look at my little pack and wonder where it is all going to go. New pack name: The Tardis. 

 Be as if!

Loaded up the hire car and headed North for a couple of days to Waitarere Beach. We are staying at a place that has a kitchen. That way we can lay stuff out and sort it for the boxes. Powdered milk, sugar, trail mix 'buffet'... We spent all yesterday afternoon packing and sorting (assisted by the odd glass of wine).  Most things divied up according to plan, but there weren't enough snakes and I KNOW that will not turn out well when I get to the bag with only one!

Got it sorted much quicker than expected and went to bed feeling pretty good that we had got it all done and had already boxed the stuff for drop off along the way up to the Cape. Only the mail outs to do.

Woke up this morning to a very windy (read enough to blow me sideways) and rainy day, so decided to go for a walk in Waiterere Forest. The difference inside the trees was kind of eery like entering another reality - you could hear the tops of the trees banging together but it was calm and warm on the path beneath.

A few k's in, Pete turns to me and says, 'You didn't pack the toilet paper.'

Crap.

Pigeon xx

So much food!

Some of the trees were foaming at the bottom - not sure what this was

Dark in there!

 Wonder if we will make it back??