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.