Lat,  Long:  -36.3589,  174.6232

I caught a ride out to the start of the Dome Track for an early morning start.  This was the exact same point where my hike was sidelined for six weeks in 2014 due to a severe case of shin splints.  When I returned in early 2015 I mostly hiked the South Island so did not complete this track back then. It felt good to be back now.  A feeling of closure, finally being  able to walk this trail. 

Almost as soon as I arrived, two other hikers joined me.  These were Laura ((Minnisota) and George ((Italy) who I ended up hiking with for most of the day.

The trail passed through rolling hills with lots of ups and downs and tree roots to contend with.  It was tough on my legs, which are not in hiking shape or used to carrying a full 15kg hiking pack.  But it was still great to be out on the trails again.

Around noon we were joined by two other hikers, Tane ((New Zealand) and Ken ((California).  It was a good mix of people and made for good conversation as we walked.

Around 1pm we reached the Dome summit which provided great views of the valley.

At the base of the Dome there is a cafe where the trail crosses the highway.  We all stopped there for lunch and to rest.  The cafe owners had lots of pets that were allowed the run of the place.  Every time I looked up, the cat was a little closer to my plate of fish and chips.  He was surprisingly well behaved so we let him hang out wherever he wanted to.

I had originally planned for this to be the end of my walk for the day, but Ken mentioned that there was a clearing along the trail that could serve as a campsite that was just another 4km farther.  So I hiked with them for another hour and camped in the clearing.   The others have been hiking daily for the past month and were in good hiking shape, so they were continuing on for another 10km.  But there was no way my legs would take me farther.