We did the Oxfam Trailwalker!

The PDL Panthers & Pumas have done the inaugural NZ Oxfam Trailwalker and we all finished!

The PDL Panthers team consisted of Olivier Ravel, his wife Phillippa, Michelle Brunt & Tammy Hamawi; The PDL Pumas team consisted of Duncan Evans (myself), my wife Gaewyn, James Ratu & Alanna Aarts (Balle Bros Exports)

We started as 2 teams of 4, we walked as a team of 4, and we finished it as a team of 4. We started in Taupo at 7am on Saturday morning and we walked, and we walked and we walked. We walked up hills, we walked down hills (sometimes Duncan went down the hill on all 4's!) We walked through bush, we walked over farmland, we walked through forests, we walked on roads. We walked all day long and kept on walking right through the night (with nosleep) into the next day. There was even a 3.4 earthquake at Taupo during the night but we kept right on walking.

At long last on Sunday morning in the pouring rain we all had finally walked 100km and crossed the finish line in Taupo.

The PDL Panthers had a total time of 25 Hours 32 minutes, placing as Team 66 over the line (out of 152 teams); The PDL Pumas had a total time of 26 Hours 55 minutes and placing as Team 84.

Our support crew were awesome in getting us through the event. They had hot food, hot drinks, and clean, dry socks ready for us at each checkpoint. They patched up our blisters, they massaged our tired, aching feet and sent us on our way with a word or two of encouragement.



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Leg 8 Tauhara Station to Taupo Domain

Distance 18.7km
Height Gained 10m, Height Lost -160m

Our support crew literally threw us out of Checkpoint 7. We knew we had to keep going but we just wanted to stay. As a result of her sleep, Alanna had recovered and rejoined us for this final leg. This leg while all downhill was both slow and difficult for us as a team.

The trail led out of the Landcorp Tauhara Station, alongside a steep gully next to Taupo Airport down into Wharewaka on the Lake Taupo waterfront. From there it was a simple case of following the footpath around the lake back to Taupo Domain.

Two events conspired on this leg to slow us down. Firstly it started to rain, and it rained, and it rained. Finally at Wharewaka the heavens really opened up and it and at that point it simply bucketed down. While we had all had wet weather gear it was not designed for that level of rainfall and we ended up being soaked through. Secondly, James legs began to let him down. He really struggled in the first part of the leg down to Wharewaka. After the event we find out that he had fractured a tendon. However he mustered some unknown inner strength and managed to do a speed run along the Lake Taupo waterfront. The look on the other teams faces as we passed them at full pace was priceless. What a heroic effort on James part.

Carli, one of our support crew met us at Two Mile Bay and walked the rest of way in the pouring rain with us to the finish line. What a inspiration she was to us for those last 5km, with some great of words of encouragement to edge us onwards towards that finish line. Thanks Carli. But 1km from the finish James finally ran out of steam and really began to hobble.

But on reaching Taupo Domain, shock, horror the trail markers did not lead into the Domain. How could they do this to us? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Instead the trail markers lead around the back of the Domain past the Marina and then up stairs into the back of the Taupo Domain. Could we walk this extra distance?

At long last after 26 Hours and 55 minutes we crossed the finish line. All 4 of us had done it!!!!

Olivier from PDL Panthers was there to greet us - looking fresh - you would never guess that he had done 100km, finishing 1½ hours ahead of us. The rest of our support crew (Alan, Mark) were there to watch us complete the world's greatest team challenge. Oxfam was there to greet us and awarded us each medals - that was a really nice surprise

Leg 7 Aratiatia Station to Tauhara Station

Distance 14.3km
Height Gained 240m, Height Lost -180m

This leg was all done at night in the wee small hours of Sunday morning. While Gaewyn & myself had done this leg during the Training weekend back in February, and knew what lay ahead of us we had not counted on being so tired. We left Checkpoint 6 at 2.00am crossing over Byfords pumice quarry to Broadlands Road. A short 50m road section and then back on farmland towards the Power Lines where we would start to climb upwards. There was a long line of green glowsticks ahead of us from other teams slowly plodding their way onwards through the night. At one stage I turned to check on the other 3 team members to find hundreds of blue eyes looking at me - sheep in the paddock next door. It seems sheep don't sleep at night - they stand and watch Trailwalkers!

At the Powerlines it was a 1.5km climb towards the saddle that would take us to the highest point of this leg. At the top it was quite amazing to turn around and look back and see all the glowsticks from the other teams slowly moving along. At the top over the fence and around the corner for a downhill run on the gravel Te Pari Rd. (These 2 pictures were taken on the training walk)
First obstacle was a large hole which had been dug right across the road to prevent vehicles on this road. As we progressed slowly downhill there were two more obstacles in the form of fallen pinetrees to cross through. Next year I must remember to bring the chainsaw. They really could do with clearing these trees as I felt they were quite dangerous to crossover - especially in the middle of the night. I nearly ended up in a blackberry bush while I struggled over these trees at some ridiculous hour of the morning. At the bottom of the hill was a Aid Station with water & a ambulance. We rested here while we had a drink and a bite to eat. I found a 1 day old Peanut Butter sandwich in the bottom of my pack - at 3:30am in the morning it was really quite yummy.

At this point we turned onto Tucks Track - we were now heading back to Taupo. But towards the end of Tucks Track, one of our team, Alanna, began to feel very unwell. At first it was a visit to the pinetrees with diarrhoea, but within another 100m she started vomiting. Now, this was a big problem for us. This whole area was outside cellphone coverage - we were on our own. We had two options open to us, turn back towards the ambulance (1.5km away) but there was no support crew access and there was already another trailwalker in the ambulance. If we did this we knew we would be leaving her on her own until dawn at least before they could get her out. The other option was to continue onwards as at the top of the hill I knew we could get cellphone coverage and get our support crew to pick her up on the side of the Napier Road (2.5km away). Alanna made the decision for us - get her to our support crew, as there was husband Mark and Alan's wife, Lynn, who is nurse who could look after her. I took her backpack & walking poles. Gaewyn put her arm around her for support and on she continued. We called our support crew as we emerged onto farmland and asked them to meet us "at the first driveway on the Left approx 1km past Mountain Rd". (Try finding that at 4am in the morning). To make it even more difficult where the farmhouse driveway joined the road there was no cellphone coverage, but they saw our headlamps and drove up to meet us. We bundled Alanna in the 4x4 - knowing she was in loving, capable hands.

Gaewyn & I jumped back over the fence and rejoined the trail. At this point it was a DOC track alongside the Napier Road. When we had done the training walk in February it was quite overgrown. It was nice to see that they had been in with a slasher and cleared the trail. Points should be awarded to the person who arranged this. Crossing over Mountain Rd, it was back onto farmland before dropping down into a gully. A clamber up the embankment to find Alan waiting to greet us, through the underpass to Checkpoint 7 at Landcorp, Tauhara Station arriving around 6:00am on Sunday morning.

At the support truck, Alanna was fast asleep on the couch. The support crew told us she was already feeling much better. She had been checked out by the St. John Ambulance - all she had managed to do was spike her Blood Sugar level. Myself I was suffering with diarrhoea and I was also feeling quite nauseous. Breakfast for me consisted of a slice of dry bread and a Banana. For the next leg I asked the crew to fill my camelpack with water rather than powerade. Louise massaged the feet for the very last time. Bruce was running around asking if he could get us anything for the final leg - so I asked for a cup of tea. And it was a great cuppa too.

Leg 6 Helistar to Aratiatia Station

Distance 8.9km
Height Gained 160m, Height Lost -90m

At 11.00pm at night we set-off on the sixth leg of the Trailwalk. There were light rain showers which required us to be wearing our wet weather gear. I had abandoned my faithful Nike Trainers, changing to a pair of Nike leather boots. Gaewyn & myself had previously done this section of the Trail during the Training weekend back in February so we know what to expect.

From Helistar it was back down the walkway to Huka Falls trying not to slip over in the wet & muddy conditions. It was strange to cross Huka Falls at night, a deserted car park, nothing to see, just the roar of the waterfall - all very eerie. Onto the Aratiatia walkway towards Aratiatia dam. Entering a pine forest and half expecting orcs to appear we turned right and out onto farmland. Up a steep farm track cut into the side of hill then along the farm races to cross over Aratiatia Road. As a pilot , I really loved the next section of the trail - a airstrip. Long, straight and level. At the end of the station a shorthill downhill run to the Landcorp Aratiatia Station, Broadlands. At this point we had now walked 72.4km - almost ¾ of the Trail was now behind us.



There was a team there as we arrived with a string of coloured lights and a portable generator. The leader had the lights outlining his body - it was like watching a moving sculpture, and looked fantastic. Well done guys.

Even though it was now 1.00am in the morning our support crew was there all bright & cheery to attend to us. Once again Alan met us as we arrived and guided us to the truck, where they had food & drink ready & waiting for us.

Leg 5 Oruanui Pony Club to Helistar

Distance 6.9km
Height Gained 20m, Height Lost -150m

We were a lot later starting this leg than planned. I had only intended a 15 minute stop at Checkpoint 4 but the team was both physically & mentally weary when we arrived. This was not surprising as we had been on the go for nearly 13 hours when we arrived. Thank goodness Leg 5 was both the shortest leg on the trail (only 6.9km) and virtually all downhill (only 20m going up on this leg, but 150m going down).

The trail led out of the Oruanui Pony Club, along Farm Rd and past a enormous drilling rig. I assume they were drilling a steam bore - Taupo being full of geothermal activity with much of it harnessed for electricity generation. We were asked to keep quiet past the buildings next to the rig as there were rig workers sleeping. The trail then led along service roads into the Wairaki Forest, down Rogue Bore Rd, onto Karapiti Rd, back through the Tunnel Track to the SH1 Underpass and across Karetoto Rd to Checkpoint 5 at Helistar.

Our team was beginning to tire now. The initial planning had us doing this leg in 1:23, however despite being both a short leg and downhill, the time was stretched out to 1:30. At this point we had completed 2/3rd's of the trailwalk and the whole western circuit.

Pacific Direct Line had two teams in the Taupo Trailwalker. The other team was called PDL Panthers and consisted of Olivier Ravel (General Manager of PDL), his wife Phillippa Ravel, Tammy Hamawi (Australia Manager of PDL) and Michelle Brunt (Sales Executive for PDL). Through the entire trailwalk they were 15 to 20 minutes in front of the PDL Pumas. As we arrived at each checkpoint they were just leaving to start the next leg.

The Trailwalk rules allowed teams arriving before 10pm to leave the course for an overnight sleep , but they must resume by 7:30am on Sunday. We had arrived at 9:45pm and we all discussed this option and elected to keep on walking. We figured that if we lay down and had a sleep we would too stiff in the morning to continue, and that it was better to just keep on going and instead have a good rest between each leg at the checkpoints to come.

Leg 4 Kinloch to Oruanui Pony Club

Distance 18.7km
Height Gained 290m, Height Lost -130m

This was the longest leg of the Trailwalker. It was also where we transitioned from daylight to night, having finally walked all day, into the sunset, and then into the night. It also had a big change in temperature from a moderate day to a cool night.

Leaving Kinloch we followed the Whangamata Stream up to Whangamata Road, with a short road leg along it to Holyoakes Road. We followed this road to the end and into the Blue Gum eucalyptus forest and out into Brittens Track along the upper reaches of Whangamata Stream. I found this to be the most depressing part of the trailwalk. We were in a gully, surrounded by scrub, soggy ground underfoot and nightfall was upon us. I could not wait to get out of there. Emerging out into farmland it was back up another hill, around the corner and downhill to Hurunui Lane where there was a Aid Station - reaching there right on nightfall. Halfway!!! We had now done 50km of the Trailwalk. As the next part of the leg involved a 6km roadleg, the St. John Ambulance Driver handed us all Glow sticks so that we would be visible to the road traffic. We had a 15 minute breather here, to put on warmer clothes, have a bite to eat, and put on our headlamps. I also had had the beginnings of my 2nd blister on the other foot and used up 3 blister pads trying to apply it in the dark. I spent a couple of minutes sending text messages on the cellphone to all our various supporters. A great big thanks to all our supporters who sent text messages of support - they were really appreciated.

Leaving Hurunui Lane it was out onto Whangamata Road. Just as well they had given us glowsticks - the cars literally zoomed past us. Approaching the turn onto Poihipi Road I felt the ball joint in one of my feet let go as a result of the impact of walking on the road. I returned to walking on the grass verge and instantly felt much better. 1.5km from the checkpoint we left the road to the safety of the farmland alongside.

Here James got a 2nd wind and started jogging. He grabbed all out light sticks - we had a Sith Lord with his Light Saber, suddenly he threw a glow stick towards me shouting "Fire in the hole". We all had a damn good laugh at his antics. After such a long leg it was just what we needed. As we crossed Oruanui Road, Alan from our support crew was there to greet us and lead us into Checkpoint 4. We checked in after walking 3:50 - exactly as planned.

Once again our support crew excelled themselves, hot chocolate drink, hot pizza, warm foot baths, lots of blisters to attend to and the massage from Louise was simply out of this world. It was at this point that we changed out of our day clothes into our night gear.

Leg 3 Whakaipo to Kinloch

Distance 10.2km
Height Gained 390m, Height Lost -410m

This Leg was one of the more physically demanding legs of the Trailwalks. This leg had both the highest vertical ascent followed by the steepest vertical descent. The first part was a farm trail cut into the side of a hill and covered with Thistles. After the first initial climb it levelled out before another vertical climb this time in a what had been a bulldozed track on the side of the mountain which had since overgrown. They had cut back some of the vegetation to create a trail. Finally we emerged into farmland and we all really hoped that was the end of going up. But alas, when we hit the gravel road that leads to the Taupo TV Tower it continued to go up, but this time of a more gradual incline. We all took a 5 minute rest at this point to catch our breath, have a good drink and eat some scroggin. Finally at the last ridgeline we could look down into Kinloch, except the trail at this point plunged straight down into a Canyon. Going down was slow as this over goat country with no clearly defined trail, as well as making having to make sure you did not slip and tumble downhill. The bottom of the canyon emerges into the Jack Nicklaus Golf Course which is under construction and then into the suburban streets of Kinloch, around the Marina and into the Kinloch Reserve & Community Hall. We had now done 1/3rd of the Trailwalk. I had planned this leg as 2:39 and we did it in a fast time of only 2:00.

Once again our support crew were ready and waiting for us, hot soup, hot drinks, backpacks refilled with drink, socks changed, blisters attended to.....and my first massage from Louise. Wow, I could feel my feet again. We took a little longer at this checkpoint knowing the next leg was going to be long, long haul.

Leg 2 Wairakei Block to Whakaipo

Distance 10.7km
Height Gained 100m, Height Lost -200m

A nice short leg between Checkpoints. Up Scoria Road to the Trig Station. From there downhill to Mapara Stream and a short segment through a Pine plantation. Emerging out onto farmland, then across Tukuairangi Road, back onto farmland to the Taupo Girl Guide Camp at Whakaipo Bay. 3 times on this leg I either tripped or slipped and went down on all fours. Luckily I did not hurt myself - rather I just gave my teammates something to laugh about. We had now done the first quarter of the Trailwalk. I had planned this leg as 2:01 and we did it in 2:05

Leg 1 Taupo Domain to Wairakei Block

Distance 17km
Height Gained 190m, Height Lost -80m

We had all gone to bed early in the hopes of a good nights sleep. But it seems that we all had butterflies and by 3am we were all awake waiting for the dawn. I had set the alarm clock for 5.15am but I was up before it had a chance to ring. The first order was to have a breakfast of porridge, banana & yoghurt. Then it was time to pack the truck that was going to be our support vehicle with chairs, food, drink (all 28 litres of it) and our kit bags of extra clothes, shoes, wet-weather gear, gloves & headlamps.

Our support crew drove us to the start line at the Taupo Domain, getting there at 6.30am. As we had done well with our sponsorship Oxfam had a light breakfast of a some fruit or a muffin and a cup of coffee. However by the time we had partaked the starting race was full, and we ended up at the rear of the field.

Finally the timer counted down to 7.00am and we were off. 187 teams & 748 walkers & runners, men & women, young & old. Early on there was much jostling for position, as once we hit the DOC walkway from Spa to Huka Falls there was effectively no passing. At Huka Falls up the hill to Helistar (we will see this again tonight as Checkpoint 5), down into the gully and through the underpass. Onto the Horse trails up to Craters of the Moon. At the kiosk there, the girls called time as we had been going 1½ hours and into the toilets they went. I took the chance to have some scroggin and then it was off onto the Boardwalks and steam.

Then off the the Boardwalks and into a logging track, which led us into the Fast Eddie Mountain Bike trail, before emerging out on the side of SH1. We walked alongside SH1 back towards Taupo and overtook a number of teams in the process. Then over the first of many fences towards Scoria Road, over another fence and up Scoria Road to the first checkpoint at Wairakei Block. This leg had taken us 3:15 - exactly as we had planned

All throughout the training I had not gotten any blisters despite walking nearly 9+ Hours / 50km on some days. To my great annoyance I had the beginnings of a blister between 2 toes on the left food after only 17km. But I quickly put a blister plaster on it, which did the trick as it no longer got any worse or annoyed me for the rest of the Trailwalk.

We were all greatly relieved to see our support crew, who refilled our camelpacks with drink, dealt with the first of many blisters to come, & yummy hot food in the form of sausage & bacon sandwichs was thrust at us. We all wanted to go toilet but the queue for the Port-a-loos were too long - the girls were glad they had gone at Craters of the Moon.

Training for the Oxfam Trailwalker NZ 2006

Serious training for the Oxfam Trailwalker NZ 2006 started in January 2006. Gaewyn & myself were spent 2 weeks holidays on Norfolk Island. Every morning we would set off for a walk. Norfolk Island is very hilly and was a great training ground for the Trailwalker. Our initial walks were only up to 10km / 2 hours long. Little did we know that this was only the start of the training that we ended up doing.

Back in Auckland in February we were up every morning to do up to 5km around the Auckland Domain before breakfast. Slowly it changed from just on the flat to going up and down the hills in the Domain. On the weekends we walked a 9km course around Hobson Bay. At first the Hobson Bay Circuit was 1:40, by the end of the traing we had this down to 1:25.

Our first big walk was the Coast to Coast Walkway from Downtown Auckland, through the Domain, over Mt Eden & One Tree Hill to Onehunga. Upon reaching the end at Onehunga we turned around and re-traced our steps back over One Tree Hill, Mt Eden, the Domain back to Downtown Auckland. The second time we did the Coast to Coast was after work - Downtown Auckland to Onehunga was in the afternoon, but on the return leg it was right on sunset. By the time we got to One Tree Hill the sun was already over the horizon and we finished the walk in the dark (with the aid of street lights)

In February Gaewyn & myself went down to Taupo for the Oxfam Trailwalker Training Weekend. On the first day we walked 25km doing the first part of Leg 1 from Taupo to Huka Falls, then Leg 6 to Aratiatia Station. From there the notes on the map indicated it was only 5km back to Taupo - but it actually was more like 10km. Next morning we were up bright and early and walked Leg 7 (15km) from Aratiatia Station around Mt Tauhara to Tauhara Station.


We also did 2 training walks on Waiheke Island from Ostend to Whakanewha Regional Park, over the middle of the Island to Onetangi and then coastal through Palm Beach (Just the place for a great homemade Thai Chicken Pie, but watch out for the nudists on the way out), Enclosure Bay, Sandy Bay, Hekerua Bay, Oneroa, Owhanake Bay, to Matiatia before returning through Blackpool, Matenga Pt, Surfdale to Ostend. The Auckland City Council has a great brochure on Waiheke Island Walkways.

After Alanna joined the team we spent a day walking over, up & down the Bombay Hills including a spell walking in the rain.

In conjunction's with Michelle's friend, Shane from Watercare Services (5 teams) who had introducted us to the Oxfam Trailwalker we did a "Walk in the Park" in March. This was in the Hunua Ranges Regional Park and was supposed to be a walk from Cosseys Dam to Kaiau on the Firth of Thames - 9 hours & 42km later we had not made to Kaiaua, instead leaving the Hunua Ranges at Mangatangi on the Vining Walkway, very tired and exhausted. Finally we had team photo of all 4 of us. And that was a just warm up, as the very next day we all met in Downtown Auckland and did the Round the Bays to St. Heliers.

During the training I wore a Pedometer to keep track of the distance we walked. Finally at the end of the training we had walked 624km in just under 3 months. The Oxfam Trailwalker is next week. We are about to find out if all this training was enough.