The day began with a quick coffee and we got packed up to go. There was heaps of room in the ute for all our gear. Sharn said I will call the wife when we get to Te Kuiti and you can come sleep at the farm. I really had a crap sleep, I haven’t had a good sleep since we left the airbnb in Mangakino. I also wake up to a pancake flat tyre. Mmm I must have done that on the trail yesterday.

I hop in Arnica’s van and Rowan hops in Sharns ute. We explore a little on our way out. There is another Lodge which is further off track. Black Fern Lodge is a lot more rustic and has a load of charm. When we reach Te Kuiti we get some breakfast. After breakfast we find an op shop, it feels like the weekend but of course it is Friday today.

When we reach Ōtorohanga we buy some extras for dinner. It will be just Arnica and us as Sharn and his wife Nicole are going to some local farm gathering. When we arrive at the farm I really have no bearings of where we are. But we are in a place called Parawera. When we arrive we meet Nicole and then get shown around the bunk house further into the farm. The farm is 750 hectares, a mix of dairy, beef and lamb. Nicole also runs a farmstay and horse trekking business. This is currently closed as she is heavily pregnant. We settle in and enjoy a hot shower. Arnica is kind enough to let us use her washing machine and let our clothes dry in her home. We have a lovely dinner and chat with her long into the night. I even indulge myself and have a couple of whiskeys.

Arnica shows us this funny kiwifruit a friend picked for her. We convinced her to put it on trade for $1 reserve. I don’t think it will go far, but you never know! It doesn’t help that we tried it in the Antiques category but it has some how shifted to building.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/building-renovation/portable-cabins/listing/4194428280