Paihia day 1 - the all day hike!

A really great (long) hike today around Paihia towards Russell. I also did make it to Russell and take the ferry over but my phone died where the orange line finishes. I also had a lovely companion, 18 year old Simon from Germany, whom I met getting on the first ferry from Opua, and later discovered that he also stays in my room in the hostel 😂 He accompanied me to Russell and we had food and a beer together before he continued hiking and I headed back to have a hot shower! 😅 🌿 a really lovely day even though I'm a bit achey tonight! 

I'll start in the morning though! The hostel I'm staying in is lovely! The Mousetrap, on Kings Road. The beds are so comfortable I fell asleep instantly last night, and the 'quiet hostel' rules meant that there was NO NOISE after ten pm either! (Double win than we didn't have any snorers in the room either!) The shower rooms and toilets are clean and the showers are hot! There are three kitchens and two lovely and well decorated (quirky beach vibe) communal spaces, with a stove that sits in the wall between both lounges and warms from both sides! Very cozy! There's also a veranda with a plastic cover so even if it's raining or breezy you can sit outside which is pure bliss! 

I got up at 7 and had a cereal and coffee breakfast out on one of the verandas, just delightful! 

  

I decided yesterday that I wanted to go for a big long hike, and with the weather supposed to turn nasty tomorrow I decided that today was the day! 

  

 

   

It was heavy going for the first part of the hike, up through the NZ bush, up and down and up and down, and it had been raining so it was quite slippy at times! But I enjoyed it! I'll add some more photos when I get to a computer!

  

 

 

Ahahahah so this guy at the hostel tonight too is all that he saw a kiwi! He saw this, I had to tell him that it was NOT a kiwi, but Weka (see above photo of sign to see the difference!). Close, but also not haha poor guy!