(2600-2800km) Crawl through knives

Walk around the lake, climb up the valley until the saddle, then descend and repeat. This time it's lake Wanaka. Newworld, Wanaka tree. Motatapu River. Join the trouts for a bath. Fern Burn hut. Didn't sleep last night. New year can wait.

Roses Hut. It's 2018 now. Some cure their hangover. We get up and hike. Dusty pathline cuts through grassy mountains. Marvelous views. Can see far ahead and behind. Exhausting climbs, steep descends. My foot starts to hurt. I have a terrible suspicion. End the day at 3pm, saying Goodbye to Melissa and Chris. Rattling noise in the night. Bright moon. Get up and kill the possum in my trap.

Arrowtown. Covered in dew. Another hill. Forget the trail, I walk the river. Cold water numbs my aching feet. Lupines and berries as the river becomes broad. A couple panning for gold. Another hill and finally Arrowtown. Get an ice-cream from two curious people in the park. WiFi, checking for options. The continuation of the trail is at risk. It feels like a fatigue fraction in the middle foot. That happened to me a year ago on a hike from Germany to Italy. Minimalistic shoes and hard surface caused it.

Hang out in Arrowtown for the day. Meet lots of young Germans at the campground. Bekka is almost from my village. This is day 100 and I'm not even walking.

Follow Bekka into her restaurant. Almost end up becoming the new kitchenhand. However can't stay for the job introduction. I go fishing with my trailangel Jasmine. Set a tiny trout back into the water. It's barely bigger than the lure. We dig greater burdock roots for dinner. Secret DOC campground off trail. Life could be worse.

Francton Warehouse. Buy runners cheaper than my socks. Excessive cussion. Good for my bad feet. Walk into Queenstown. Fetch a Fergburger. Icebreaker socks number four. Lifetime warranty! Vendor is not amused. Out of town. No steam boat for me. Hitchhike to the other side of the lake. Three different cars. Walk the last ten kilometer. Butcher a roadkill rabbit without a knife. Rabbit stew on campfire. Tasty as! Camp in the woods. Robins and fantails. I'm at home.

Greenstone Hut. Take it easy. Fishing, chatting with the Japanese woman Misa. Checkpot! Find a kilogram bag of trailmix on the trail. Chillout at the hut even before lunch. The hut warden is a cute young girl named Tōria. We all get invited for tea by the Canadians Mikaela and Anthony.

Taipo Hut. Tōria trapped a Possum last night. I can have it. She even helps me plucking the fur. Cut off the legs for dinner. Reunion with Czech Norris.

Careys Hut. Wander through the empty valley. Foot still hurts. Vultures above me? No, seagulls! Trouts in Mavroa river - big as pikes. Meet Juile, a Canadian nobo. Spend the whole afternoon chatting. The hut has mice. Trapped one. The others rob our sleep.

Kiwi Burn Hut. Peaceful lake, calm beech forests. French couple invites me for breakfast. Farmland, pine trees and eucalyptus in one hedge - only in New Zealand. Most beautiful hut ever. Just me and the mice.

Lower Princhester Hut. Foggy morning. Covered in dust, whenever a car races along the gravel road. 3km on Highway 94. Bus passing by labeled "Ultimate Hikes". For me this trail is good enough! About 200km left. Will I make it? Hopefully it takes more time.

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