paininthehead

Bringing in the New Year in the Tararua Ranges

Day 1: Thursday 30 December 2021. Kaitoke car park to Alpha hut, Tararua Ranges I’m not going to record my pain in the head status during this trip, because I had the glorious experience of no migraine attacks at any time – for five whole days. No night-time niggles, no morning maladies, not the tiniestContinue reading “Bringing in the New Year in the Tararua Ranges”

Update: Migraine more than tramping

It’s Te Araroa season again although the prolonged lockdown in Auckland since August has scuttled the plans of walkers heading south from Cape Reinga. I’ve been thinking a lot about the trail and Tony and I have been reliving our adventures by looking at the photos and reading the blog from a year ago, dayContinue reading “Update: Migraine more than tramping”

Update: Managing PTSD (Post-Trail Stress and Depression)

I was warned about how bad you could feel post-trail, but didn’t really take it seriously. But it hit me hard, the Post-Trail Stress and Depression. The intense feelings of let-down, lostness, lack of integration and inability to re-imagine an indoor, office-based worklife, that can come on once you finish a through-hike. I started outContinue reading “Update: Managing PTSD (Post-Trail Stress and Depression)”

Queen Charlotte track – Part 2

Day 153 (Wed 21 April): Punga Cove to Resolution Bay Started 9.05am, finished 3.45pm, 22k. Pain in the head status: Pain-free today and very relieved about it. Word of the day: Careen, to heave a ship down one side in order to expose the other side to clean off barnacles or make repairs. Our goalContinue reading “Queen Charlotte track – Part 2”

Queen Charlotte track – Part 1

Day 151 (Mon 19 April): Anakiwa to Portage bay Started 8.20am, finished 1.50pm, 20k. Pain in the head status: I thought the migraine might be moving on today but it turned out it was just moving position and settling in to the other side of my head. It was an uncomfortable travelling companion but IContinue reading “Queen Charlotte track – Part 1”

Pelorus bridge to Anakiwa

Day 149 (Sat 17 April): Pelorus bridge to Havelock Started 8.20am, finished 2.05pm, 21k. Pain in the head status: I woke in the night with a migraine, which turned out to be the most troublesome one I’ve had for a while, needing a second migraine tablet to knock it back and recurring again later inContinue reading “Pelorus bridge to Anakiwa”

Pelorus track

Day 146 (Wed 14 April): Nelson to Rocks hut Started 9.50am, finished 5.05pm, 20k. Pain in the head status: The head didn’t feel quite right today but no migraine eventuated. Word of the day: Plangent, loud and resonant with a mournful tone. Back on trail today, we discovered the track in to Hacket hut wasContinue reading “Pelorus track”

Richmond range – Part 3

Day 143 (Sun 11 April): Old Man hut to Starveall hut Started 8.05am, finished 2.25pm, 15.5k. Pain in the head status: Troubled by a migraine overnight but it resolved with a migraine tablet and was gone by morning. Word of the day: Obnubilate, to darken, dim or obscure something. At some point in the night,Continue reading “Richmond range – Part 3”

Richmond range – Part 2

Day 140 (Thurs 8 April): Top Wairoa hut to Tarn hut Started 7am, finished 2.35pm, 13.5k. Pain in the head status: No pain again. Word of the day: Apothegm, terse, witty instructional saying. There were two parts to today’s walk – down the Wairoa river to Mid Wairoa hut, then, as in this environment whatContinue reading “Richmond range – Part 2”

Richmond range – Part 1

Day 138 (Tues 6 April): St Arnaud to Porters Creek hut Started 8.10am, finished 4.35pm, 29k. Pain in the head status: No pain today until bedtime when I started getting sharp migrainous pains in the neck. I tried to just sleep it off but ended up taking a migraine pill- was all fine in theContinue reading “Richmond range – Part 1”