VictoriaFebruary 1
A solid 8 hour sleep despite the mosquito crime scene on the ceiling of our hotel room. I thought for sure I’d be chasing bugs again. I guess I was either too tired to notice them or they knew not to mess with me after the day I had. I felt good. My calves were a little happier and I was going with a tip from a fellow hiker to double up my socks to provide more cushion (genius!). We set out at 7:45 a.m. and again the elevation gain was sizable. I read this day’s hike was easier, especially towards the end. 12 miles vs 15. Big difference. So we went back to our word games, trying to remember what items we brought on our picnic the day before. I finished the podcast I was listening to. More music. And again that view of the Marlborough Sounds. Expansive. Incredible.
The Sounds are the only area in NZ that are sinking, not rising from the sea. The shape of the Sounds was formed 280 million years ago.
I got energy from my Flav city electrolyte drink (thanks Rox!) and Pic’s PB slug and even though my calves were slightly burning, my feet felt way better than the day before.
There were a few big climbs, but then we started heading back to sea level and I was elated. I did it!
As we waited for the boat back to Picton, we chatted with three lovely couples we befriended over the past few days. Two from the UK and another couple from the Bay Area. They got me through the challenging parts with encouragement and laughs.
Once we arrived back in Picton, we headed back to our hotel, unpacked and did some laundry before grabbing some dinner. We’re looking forward to giving our feet a rest from our hiking boots and enjoying a chill day in town tomorrow.
