28th April 2025

No wind tonight, but we woke to condensation on almost everything inside the tent. We packed up and headed back to the resource centre where we enjoyed coffee and used the kettle for our oats. Dan even treated himself to a microwaveable breakfast roll.

We headed on out and began our day of trekking. The walking was tough today: incline all the way, long water carries and the trail offered little shade from the scorching sun. It was the first time my legs felt achy and I longed for a cool water stream to soak my feet in.

In the afternoon we found ourselves in a boulder field. Large circular stones looked as if they had been dropped on the hill side, some rolling down stopping in various places while the majority sat in piles. These rocks were a combination of reds, whites, yellows and greys. The layers of colours could probably tell a geologist a complex history of each rock, but I could only marvel at their individuality and beauty.

We hobbled into Mike’s Place, a trail angels home where hikers can camp and refill water. Mike had the pizza oven ready to go and we were able to roll out dough before adding toppings.

We’ve been moving with the same lot of hikers for the past three days now. We’re beginning to get to know them but we still feel like the outsiders, late to the party. It makes us miss our own trail family who are a few days ahead of us and we’re keen to catch up with them.