Gruelling trek nears end for dogged hiker
A South Canterbury woman has pushed through the pain barrier after her walking shoes were stolen early on a gruelling solo 3000-kilometre length of New Zealand trek.
Estelle Arundell began her hike on the Te Araroa trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff on September 19, and had about two weeks and less than 500km to go when she told The Timaru Herald on Monday the goal of her gruelling journey was to raise money for those struggling with mental health issues.
‘‘I’m so, so glad I’ve had this opportunity. I’ve learned so much about New Zealand and myself,’’ Arundell said.
‘‘It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s so rewarding.’’
Her walk got off to a rocky start when her walking shoes were pinched at a remote campsite on day two, leaving her with just a pair of sandals for the next leg of her journey.
She said walking in sandals ‘‘annihilated my feet’’ and she developed tendonitis, which had dogged her ever since, but she pushed through the pain to conquer more than 2600km in about three months, with the end in sight.
‘‘I’m so glad it didn’t stop me, and I think it helped me on the rest of the trail.’’
The journey so far had been an ‘‘emotional rollercoaster’’ for Arundell, who had also suffered shin splints and inflammation in her hip and tail bone. She had ‘‘mixed feelings’’ about being so close to the end.
‘‘There’s been some hurdles along the way, and I’ll be relieved to get to the end,’’ she said.
‘‘But it’s very, very sad it’s going to be over soon and I’m not going to be getting up and walking every day. I think it’s going to be quite difficult transitioning back to a busy lifestyle.’’
The 23-year-old has so far raised close to $2000 for the Mental Health Foundation through her trek along the trail, with a goal of $3000.
Arundell wanted to support the foundation because of its work raising awareness about mental health issues and alleviating the stigma that stopped her from getting help for an eating disorder when she was a teenager.
‘‘I had a fear of being judged. I wanted to be a successful student and leader, and I didn’t think I could achieve anything if I reached out,’’ Arundell, who was a university student when she finally asked for help, said.
‘‘I’ve also seen a lot of my friends struggle, especially this year.’’
She had experienced many highlights on the trip – such as being able to duck into Fairlie at Christmas to spend time with her family, and seeing in the New Year by watching the full moon from Fern Burn Hut along the Motatapu track near Wanaka.
‘‘It was beautiful and an awesome way to welcome in the New Year.’’
Arundell, who studies medicine at the University of Otago, decided to do the ‘‘bucket list’’ walk during her gap year between finishing her undergraduate education and starting three years of clinical work.
She originally planned to travel overseas for six months, including backpacking across Asia, but was forced to scrap the idea as Covid-19 tightened its grip on the world.