Legs and Borders

"Those damn gypsies selling drugs on the side of the road, but at least we know where they are" Mike (or Tim) "The ones that don't do what they are told, that's the good guys" Dave Long, productive day on the road, Kerouac would be proud. I started walking from Paihaia just after sunrise, got 6$ latte at mobile "Coffee 2 Go" parked on the side of the road, it was delicious. Then I've walked all the way up to Opua which took me about an hour and caught 2$ ferry to Okiato. The driver was quite talkative and explained to me few queries I had about the trail ahead. After ferry crossing which took 15 minutes, I kept on walking until I reached the intersection. Here I decided to hitch quite dangerous, windy section of it, managed to get a quick hitchhike with Mike and his dog Tim (or Tim and his dog Mike, I got it completely mixed up). He was a local farmer who apparently picked up hundreds of TA hikers...

One week on the trail! Day was sunny and hot. It took me four hours to get to Kerikeri, path was going mainly through farmlands with lots of annoying fences, it felt like walking through an outdoor museum sometimes. I took a detour in Kerikeri to resupply and get something to eat, I went shopping to New World the last of 'big three' supermarkets in New Zealand, this one being the most expensive. Then I got the tiniest pizza in Pizza Hut, which they advertised as 'regular size', except there wasn't small size at all. As I was walking back to the trail, old lady pruning her garden stopped me and asked why there are so many backpackers walking down her road, I said that it's because it is a good way to reconnect back to the trail. Then she asked where I'm from, I said that I'm from Poland. "Dzień dobry" she answered and smiled. I've carried on walking to Paihaia, I've met four oth...