Thanks to all of you helping me raise sponsorship money of £3850 plus £312 reclaimed from gift aid for the RSPCA, I was able to complete my charity challenge in New Zealand this April. Here are the photos from the trek:

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Trek Diary:

Saturday 12th April
Arrive at airport to fly out. Trip organisers have booked my ticket in my married name but I haven't updated my passport yet. Fortunately we get my marriage certificate faxed to the ticket desk and they let me on the plane. No turning back now!

Sunday 13th April
11 hours later we arrive in Hong Kong for a brief 2 hour respite. Back on the plane for another 12 hours of flying - I am in practice for the wiggling competition championship although manage to get a little bit of sleep.

Monday 14th April
Arrive in Auckland and transfer to Nelson on a plane so old and small it has propellors. It is pouring with rain, a state of weather which did not alter significantly for the next five days. Try and keep ourselves awake long enough not to fall asleep in our dinner. I have my own room in the hotel, there are 8 of us in the group altogether but only one other person has come on their own, and as an older gentleman he probably wouldn't be too happy about sharing with me.

Tuesday 15th April
Transfer my minibus to the start of the Abel Tasman National Park in Marahau and then by watertaxi to Stillwell Bay. Still raining. 9 miles through undulating paths through rainforest bush to our campsite at Bark Bay, including crossing the tidal inlet at Torrent Bay. Eat our dinner round the campfire. In the rain. We have broken 2 of our team who decide not to walk with us for the remainder of trek.

Wednesday 16th April.
Still raining. Pack up tents in the rain and attempt to stick blister plasters onto sodden feet. Fall over and sprain ankle, but fortunately cross icy tidal river at Arawoa shortly afterwards which supplies rudimentary first aid. In the rain. Arrive at campsite at Totaranui after 11 miles and have cold shower. It is still raining, so we huddle inside base tent to eat our dinner.

Thursday 17th April
Still raining. My feet are now entirely made of blister plasters. 9 miles feels like 20. So hot and humid that we are wet through with sweat as well as rain. Detour to Separation Point and peer through the downpour at seals. Stumble on to end of park at Wainui and drive to our campsite at Mapua, where we have the luxury of hot showers and laundry. Decide best plan is not to look at feet too closely and just hope they are not going to drop off.

Friday 18th April
Wake up and it's not raining - amazing! Drive to Nelson Lakes and put our tents up in brilliant sunshine in St Arnaud right by the lake. We eye mountain dubiously as it pokes through veil of cloud. Drive to start of Mt Robert track and start the ascent. As we reach the summit we can only pause for 5 mins to take photos, as it's so cold. Weather turns and starts to sleet, icy rain lashes into us as we descend, however we still make it in the best time of any group organised by this company. So not doing too bad!

As the sun goes down it gets bitterly cold and we eat dinner in gloves and hats. Wake up in the night shivering a few times even with a thick sleeping bag and my woolly hat on.

Saturday 19th April
Transfer to Kaikoura which takes 5 hours in the minibus. Break our journey at Maruia and take a dip in the hot springs, and try out jetboating. Arrive at the backpackers' hostel which feels like 5 star luxury after camping - walls, doors and windows with glass in them. And a ceiling! Wow!

Sunday 20th April
Make the ascent to Mt Fyffe in glorious sunshine - what a difference it makes! Climb through the bush line and then through snow to make it to the top. This is the first time I've felt really, physically, pushed to my limit but we still make it in 8 hours (both ascent and descent), which is again the best time a group with this company has ever made. After a quick photo stop at the top we trudge on down which is when I really felt myself flagging. Fell over again but didn't injure myself as was wearing the magic NZ combination of trousers and long johns. When we get back to the hostel we are all too tired to celebrate and fall asleep instead. None of us have managed a bed time later than 9pm since we arrived here!

Monday 21st April
We are all feeling quite smug after two mountains in three days, both of which are higher than any mountain in the UK. We peel off to do our own thing and I go swim with the dolphins. They are completely wild and loom unexpectedly under the water whilst I flap inelegantly encumbered by flippers, snorkel, mask and hood. Not my finest hour I feel, but an interesting experience.

Then we drive to Christchurch and check into our hotel for the last night. We go out to dinner at Willowbank wildlife centre and see a haka as part of a Maori cultural experience. We get to see sleepy Kiwis and a white stag, who was just hanging out round the back of the restaurant hoovering up leftover bread rolls.

Tuesday 22nd April
Amble about Christchurch, pleased to be on my own and able to potter about at my own pace. Reconnect with the group in the evening and check into our flight. 28 hours later...

Wednesday 23rd April
Finally get home late wednesday for a joyous reunion with cats, husband and a decent cup of tea. But not in that order...

NZ was gruelling and a challenge but also a wonderful experience which I'm so glad I had the chance to take.

Training Diary:
Week 1 - 2hr walk (brighton seafront), 2 x 30 mins walk
Week 2 - 2 hr walk (brighton seafront), 2 x 30 min walk
Week 3 - 2hr walk (Ditchling Beacon - Chattri - Patcham), 2 x 30 min walk, 1 x strength training
Week 4 - 2hr 40min walk 5 miles (Eastbourne Golf Course - Beachy Head - Birling Gap - East Dean), 2 x 1hr walk, 1 x pilates, 1 x strength training, 5 x 255 stairs climbed up and down
Week 5 - 1 x 2hr walk (Brighton seafront), 1 x 1 hr walk,  1 x 30min walk, 1 x strength training, 5 x 255 stairs climbed up and down
Week 6 - 1 x45min walk, 1 x 1hr walk, 1 x 340 stairs climbed up and down (ill this week)
Week 7 - 1 x 1hr walk, 1 x 30mins walk, 2 x 340 stairs climbed up and down (still ill)
Week 8 -  4hr walk 8miles (Ditchling Beacon - Westmeston - East Chiltington - Plumpton - Ditchling Beacon), 2x1hr walk, 2x strength training, 4 x 340 stairs climbed up and down
Week 9 - 4hr walk 8 miles (Seaford - Alfriston - Exceat), 2x1hr walk, 30 min cycling, 2x strength training, 5 x 425 stairs climbed up and down
Week 10 - 2x1hr walk, 1x strength training, 30mins pilates, 5 x 425 stairs climbed up and down
Week 11 - 7hr walk 12 miles (wadhurst double circular), 3x1hr walk, 2 x 40 mins cycling, 4 x 445 stairs climbed up and down, 1x strength training, 1 x 40mins pilates
Week 12 - 6.5hr walk 10 miles (Balcombe circular), 2x1hr walk, 2 x 40mins cycling, 4 x 465 stairs climbed up and down, 1x strength training
Week 13 - 7hr walk 13 miles (South Downs Way: Buriton to East Meon to Exton) 6hr walk 12 miles (South Downs Way: Exton to Winchester), 2x1hr walk, 1 x pilates, 4 x 485 stairs climbed up and down, 1x strength training
Week 14 - 7.5hr walk 13 miles (Hastings - Rye), 2x1hr walk, 4 x 525 stairs climbed up and down
Week 15 - 7hr walk 14 miles (Yarmouth - Brighstone, IOW), 4x1hr walk, 1 x pilates


Thanks to the incredible generosity and kindness of all those you’ve helped and supported me, I have now exceeded my fundraising target of £3750, and have a grand total of £3850. Counting in the gift aid on donations made through the justgiving.com site, and this brings the overall total up to £4162.91. I’m absolutely pleased to bits and thank you all on behalf of myself and the RSPCA.

Now please put your mind to wishing me well in my training and the actual event which will of course be the 12-day trekking adventure in New Zealand 12th April – 23rd April.

I (or my ghostly remnants) shall report back afterwards and let you all know whether I completed the trek, or died in the attempt!

Warmest regards

Lucy Stearman