Te Araroa (day 23) - Taumarunui to Mangatepopo River Crossing / mile 681
"I am not the type who wants to go to the land - I am the type who wants to go back to the hotel. This state of affairs is at least partially due to the fact that nature and I have so little in common. We don't go to the same restaurants, laugh at the same jokes or, most significant, see the same people" Fran Lebowitz Trail went to the backcountry today as it so often does while hiking. I packed up before 6am, tent was surprisingly dry which was great as the backpack loaded with food was already heavy. Gravel roads was the name of the game, I got one very short but hilarious hitchhike right in the morning with Trish, a relief driver for NZ Post. She packed me at the back of her van after rearranging all the packages she was delivering. We had a brief conversation about efficiency of the post in New Zealand and I was back on the road. Soon after, I walked next to the farm were someone was keeping a single ostrich on a cows field, it started to foll...