Hiking plans

After contemplating doing this hike for a couple of years now, I finally have a real plan to do it. My cousin who I haven't seen in quite a few years I have just discovered is also into hiking, so we decided to go do this hike in October. Originally we were talking end of July, but she couldn't get leave, which was ok with me because I was imagining horribly cold weather and storms, so my next available 4 day weekend is in the middle of October. So she also got leave and we are both going to go together. Drive down from Tauranga Saturday morning and start at lunchtime, hopefully start with Panekire then take 3 or 4 days to go around. After we finish (hopefully tuesday lunchtime) I really want to do a couple of the shorter walks - Lou's lookout or Onepoto Caves or the Hinerau Walk, or else go kayaking on the lake. Wednesday morning I want to hire a dinghy and walk up to Lake Waireti - a smaller lake an hour from the DOC office, get back at lunchtime and drive home that afternoon. Then back to work Thursday for my boss' 2nd to last day before he retires after 40 years working for the company. My only concern at the moment is fitness - I know I have a long way to go to improve my fitness to the level that I need to before I can finish the other walks. I have 2 1/2wks off work in November which I'm thinking of using to do the Rakiura, Kepler and Heaphy tracks, then I have a 4 day weekend at the end of December I want to use for the Tongariro Northern Circuit and I have booked a weeks leave in January so my friend and I can go do the Whanganui (Guided) river journey. I'm really looking forward to all these walks. Its good motivation for me.

My next goal

Having done the Routeburn and Milford Tracks, I am now exceedingly jealous of the lucky 4 "Great Walkers" a group of people who won the trip of a lifetime to come to NZ and do all 9 great walks over a period of 9 weeks (as well as some other really awesome in between day trips and kayaking trips and relaxation). I think it would be so amazing to do them all as well. So I have 3 done, and 6 to go. I have finally finished finalizing the dates for my next Great Walk, which will be at the southern end of the Urewerea Rainforest, around Lake Waikaremoana. Also hoping to do a half day trip up to enjoy a smaller Lake Waireti and go canoeing up there. My cousin has generously volunteered to go with me in the middle of October, so we can keep each other company, and hopefully not be inundated by too many other people. I have also booked 2 and a half weeks leave at the end of November/December as I really want to go to the South Island and attempt at least 1 or 2 of my remaining walks, preferably Rakiura on Stewart Island and the Kepler Track next to Lake Te Anau. I have a vaguely disquieting feeling in the back of my mind that I should change my plans, but I don't know what I would replace them with. I also want to do the Tongariro Northern Circuit and the Whanganui River Journey with another friend sometime over the summer. At least thats my plan, will see how it all pans out.