Day 16

BY JO:

The final day! Very exciting times…and with friends to enjoy it with we were ecstatic.

We had breakfast. Rachel commented that she had already put her blisters on, and Ineke mentioned how she liked Robyn Palmer’s legs.

At 8am we were all set and everyone did the hand-on-the-starting-post before heading off.

We very quickly came across a most wonderful sign…when it takes almost a week of walking to even find a sign that will start contemplating the distance to your final destination, it is quite thrilling to see one with so few numbers on it.

Over the course of the walk today we had two groups…the peloton…and Robyn. I’m relatively certain she could have made it to Cape Reinga a fair few days ago at her pace. She’s a star. And, as Ineke said, has great legs.

Mr David Coombridge was also quite the machine…doing some runs ahead, walking backwards and the occasional grapevine in order to get some good video footage for us. Thanks Dave. Hugs.

Arlene and Roger were super cute…awww.

Mum and Ineke were in charge of driving the vehicles so that we didn’t have to walk back once we were finished. Ineke looked really really happy every time she drove past us…slowly…mocking us. Mum did a great job of getting everyone’s hopes up about the end being near…and then there being another hill. Katie and I are relatively used to distances now and we weren’t particularly surprised by ‘how much further there was to go’…but Robyn Palmer stated very adamantly that “Robyn [Perkins] said there was only 3km to go…I didn’t think she had lying in her”.

The scenery around us for the whole walk today was amazing. And the closer to the top we got, the more stunning it became. We took a group photo with some coolness behind us.

Then Katie and I took a photo as if we had no one else there who could take it for us.

And then we made it to Cape Reinga! We made a quick toilet stop at the top before we began our walk down to the lighthouse, through the arms of our amazing walking friends.

This is me and Katie walking towards the lighthouse…                                    

…and this and me and Katie at the lighthouse. Naomi Compton had her very talented husband create this awesome poster which clearly stated that we were indeed finished and that is very much WAHOOO!!!

It was hugs all round after this point + a high five here and there didn’t go amiss either. Also, John and Deb Fabrin made the journey up to see us arrive which was great of them to do…thanks guys.

I then asked a couple of tourists if they wouldn’t mind taking a photo for us. They then made the mistake of asking, “Where have you walked from?”

This photo is for Reuben and Bridie Bradley because they are cool and they live in Vancouver (which is what one of the signs says)

These photos are going to be sent to our respective knee surgeons ‘cause we reckon they must have done a pretty good job.

The final Lesley cookie (of approximately 70) was broken and shared amongst friends as a tribute to the delicious role they have played in our journey. Thank you Lesley…I’m thinking of walking to your house and calling it, ‘Jo Walks for Satisfying’.

We were just about to leave and walk back up to the car park when Katie said, “Oh! I have to touch the grass on the other side of the rocks”. So we went back, stood on the grass, had a photo…

…and then as we were jumping back over the rocks Katie said, “Ok, now we’ve made it”. Phew…that would have been a right pain to get all the way to Auckland and realise that we didn’t actually make it.

We left Cape Reinga, but we soon met again when we went to Te Kao Dairy to get their famous ice cream. Our triple ‘One scoops’ were all that I had dreamed they would be. Despite Katie and I getting our ice creams last, we somehow managed to have nothing left before most of the others…and to Katie’s credit – she went for the double scoop.

While I was eating my ice cream I decided it would be the perfect and most hygienic time to take off my blister pads. I knew my right foot had been sore for approximately 15½ days but boy golly me was it disgusting under there.

Exercise makes you hungry so we headed off a long way south to find somewhere to have lunch. We ended up at a café in Taipa where we had drinks, food and some good old fashioned conversation.

Once we parted ways for good and their group headed back to Auckland, we went off to Pamapuria to stay at Plane Tree Lodge with Mike and Rosemary. They really are two of the most hospitable people we have ever met. They welcomed us into their home, cooked us a beautiful dinner (chicken and mushrooms with an array of beautiful vegetables and potatoes + a stunning banoffee pie for dessert) and gave us perfect beds to recover.

Despite it being late (9:20pm) and mum falling to sleep before actually lying down, Katie and I had a thing or two to do before bed. My goal: complete blog. Katie’s goal: jab, stab and cut Jo’s blister until it pops and goo splurts out…

…She did this successfully and things such as, “it’s so juicy up there, you just see the water bubbles moving around” and “ew, Jo juice” were said. When Katie realised I had been walking a large portion of this walk with a blister the size of this she said, “Jo, you are such an idiot”, to which I replied, “Yes, I am an idiot”.

The walk is now done. It feels a bit surreal…but it’s exciting to have made it and still be able to move. Thanks so much for your support…it’s been absolutely marvelous.

Bye

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