Thursday 18 November 1999
Highlights: Rescued by retirees in the Tongario National Park.

We got up around 6.30 am in order to catch the early bus to Tongario National Park. We were forewarned that it might rain but ignored that little piece of advise.

In the end it did rain and I’m sure a cold is in our future as a result. We only managed a 5 hour walk. We turned back when the conditions got to hazardous. There were Rangers advising people to turn back and we later heard that a couple got airlifted out. New Zealand weather can turn on you very fast.

Before the rain however Kara was finding it very difficult after she was the fastest one out of the blocks. At one point she asked Jon and me to leave her, I didn’t really want to explain that one to Mum so we kept waiting for her. To be fair it was a lot harder than either Jon or myself expected although if we hadn’t of waited I tank we could have made it to the end.

After we turned back we waited in the rain without inappropriate clothing for the weather. Luckily a retiree group came to our rescue (Walking with Joy) and offered us a much appreciated lift to their cabin. We spent 2 1/2 hours around a firing trying to dry out, we were that drenched. Without their help we would have likely waited those hours in the rain with very little cover. We we don’t get sick we know we should thank this group of retires or as I saw them angels 🙂

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