We left Palmerston North on a bright and breezy morning, having run through the Square and the main street. After running through rolling farmlands and cute rural townships we found ourselves back on State Highway One, with wall to wall cars and big trucks rushing by. After meandering country roads this was a bit of a shock!

We met a really nice man out running who joined us for a while and later recommended a back-road route which took us off the main trunk line again. This meant that we were able to avoid some of the most dubious parts of State Highway One in terms of safety. We loved running through this alternative route. It was beautiful, peaceful countryside.

Today team member Kallola completed the equivalent of a marathon distance in her running with the torch over the week. Not bad for a 12 year old!

We arrived in Wellington city later in the afternoon, with born and bred Wellingtonian Carol carrying the torch. Finishing our run through the north island of New Zealand on the waterfront at Oriental Bay, we cheered with delight at having reached our goal.

It’s not all over yet, though. We will be visiting a school in Wellington on Monday. Stay tuned!