T minus one day

If you’re standing long enough at the baggage carousel that it stops, you know you’re in trouble. 2am conversations with Qantas confirmed that Josh’s backpack was still in Sydney. There was a 70% chance it would arrive in Auckland that afternoon.

All we could do was pray as our schedule had zero room for error. We needed to be on the 7.30am bus to Kaitata the following day else we’d be starting the trail days late.

After a few hours kip and having bought our final few bits of gear in Auckland we headed back to the airport in the afternoon with every possible thing crossed. Sitting in a tiny waiting room where holiday dreams go to die, the couple next to us told us they had been without their bags for 14 days…

I audibly yelped when they brought the backpack out. It took all my might to hold the tears back, I felt I had to apologise to the 14 day wait couple as we skipped out of the room.

Hopefully the drama production is now done?!

Today we’ve spent 9 hours on a bus to get up to far north Northland and we are raring to go. We’ve bought more snacks that could ever fit in our backpacks but we’re ready. This time tomorrow we’ll be under the stars…