New Zealand - the South Island: navigational mishaps, bogs, and first injury

Three runs into the South Island, and it is unbelievable! 

Day 24 - Picton
We caught the Inter-islander ferry across from Wellington in the North to Picton in the South. What a ride! If only all commuting was so scenic.

I'd found a website with some recommended trail runs in NZ. There was one in Picton, along a peninsula to an intriguing sounding place called The Snout, and specifically recommended for 'if your legs needed a stretch after the ferry'. The description said it was an 8.2 km out and back run. 8.2km - that sounded about right for today. I got changed in the car (a skill I have been practising a lot lately). We set off. Top class muddy trails and wonderful views.

It was hilly. Very hilly. But for the second hilly run in a row, I was enjoying them. This felt a bit of an odd feeling to be feeling (and that's a lot of feelings to be feeling), but I went along with it. Maybe the new running approach is starting to work. Speaking of running -  we were running along, and running along some more, and my internal mile-o-meter was starting to quiver. This was definitely more than 4 km, but we didn't seem to be anywhere near the turnaround point, which should have been pretty obvious, being at the end of a peninsula, and we hadn't run into the sea yet. At some point, at around the time when we'd already been running for about 40 minutes and I saw a sign that said 'The Snout - 40 mins walking', I realised that '8.2 km out and back' meant 8.2 km out and 8.2 km back, not 8.2 km altogether. Oh. Well, who's up for a 16km run? There were some other helpful signs along the way...

 

I never knew my Mum was into biking....

Not again.....

It was a hard, hilly, muddy, and  longer than expected workout, but it was ace, and one of my favourites so far. And for the first time in a long time, I felt I had been challenged, but was able to rise to it and do a good job. It was a good feeling, and I got back in to the car tired, but happy.

Day 25 - Harwood Hole
The next day we visited the Ngarua Caves in Takaka Hill. WOW! A 300 m walk from one end to the next filled with spectacular, cathedral-like, subterranean delights, and bones of the extinct Moa bird who infortubately fell down a hole a long time ago and never made it out.

Afterwards, we drove off down an 11 km unsealed road to the Canaan Downs scenic reserve. At the end we parked up and did a 5km (altogether - i checked this time) run to the Harwood Hole, one of the largest caves in NZ. The run was fab, through sun dappled beach woods filled with BOGS!!

The cave was incredible, but was so deep I could only cower a long way from the edge, and admire the view upwards.

And the view from the very top of the hill was out of this world! 

Day 26 - Abel Tasman National Park
Right, time for the weekly long run! Have decided to try to build things up gradually and sensibly, not what I usually do, but it's important to me to not mess things up and end up back at square one again. Last week did 30km, so this week aiming for 35km. 

My friend Lisa had suggested we should go to Abel Tasman National Park. It has a 'Great Walk' - a 51 km path along the coast, which seemed quite convenient, so the plan was to start at the beginning  (always a good place), run 17.5 km, and then run back again. 

As soon as we parked up I knew something special was about to be unveiled. I don't think I've got adequate words to describe how fantastically breathtaking scenery is.

I could have carried on running forever. And ever and ever. I only wish we could have stayed long enough to do the whole 51 km path. 

The only bad moment came as I was running down a hill admiring the view, and tripped on a tree root. I flew down the hill in (what I imagined to be) Superman pose, landing a few meters further along in the gravel, travelled a few more feet on my left side, and came to a stop a few inches short of the rocky bank.  It was all quite dramatic, no more so than my reaction. Thanks to Dr Escott for picking me up, and putting the emergency first aid kit in to effective use! This was quite a similar fall to the one that resulted in my last running injury 3 years ago, but other than some cuts and bruises I think I escaped this time. Phew!