Wednesday 22 April 2026

Day 3 of Walking
Distance: 20.52kms
Total distance: 58.93
Climb: 1148m
Total climb: 2668m

Today was a fun day. For a couple of reasons. It was also a tough day with a lot of steep climbing and descending.

It was fun because of all the people we talked with. Beginning at breakfast in Lynmouth we chatted with two English ladies who do lots of walks. They each had a car and today were leaving a car here, driving to Porlock Weir and walking back. Then driving back to get the car at Porlock. One of them had a son who is working in Wanaka. We talked to people just out walking their dogs. A very fit, tanned and toned American lady, presently living in NZ, who left Lynmouth to do a bit of a walk, decided to go on to Combe Martin and will get a taxi or bus back. We talked several times with an English guy who walked faster than us but stopped often, so we leap frogged all day. Last year he had been walking some of the SWCP with some mates but had to pull out, spent three days in hospital and had stents inserted. He was now walking the sections he had missed out on. We met a couple coming toward us. He was wearing an orange jacket and she had a blue top. Barbara was wearing an orange jacket and I my blue fleece top. The hue of the oranges and blues exactly matched. They stopped, pointed at us and burst out laughing, and we did the same. We were almost mirror images of each other. Not a word was spoken, we each went our happy way. An English couple now living in the Netherlands, out walking some hills. At home they can walk all day and climb about 2 metres. In Combe Martin we met the camping couple we had breakfast with in Porlok Weir. We hadn’t seen them for two days so it was great to catch up. They were looking for their camp site for the night. Everyone was very cheerful and positive even though we were all suffering a bit. Just people out enjoying the fresh air.

Today’s walk was also the most remote and isolated of the coast where Exmoor meets the sea. No villages, few farms, no harbours, no places to eat and drink – or loos. These are the parts of the walk we like the best. Barbara says it feels so wild and free. The cliffs, the rocks, the sea, the woodland, the sky, the wind, and the narrow path we faithfully follow.

There were some spectacular coastal landscapes today, starting with the Valley of the Rocks. This is a group of peculiarly weathered rock formations formed by the last Ice Age and unlike any others in the South West. Most combes run at right angles to the sea but this runs parallel to the coast. The formations have names like Devil’s Cheesewring, Ragged Jack, Castle Rock. People have lived here since the iron and bronze ages but today the inhabitants are Exmoor ponies and feral goats. After some woodland walking at Woody Bay the next challenge was Heddon’s Mouth. This is a large valley and one of the steepest in England. There is a long diagonal walk down the side of the valley to a little stone arch bridge to cross the River Heddon. Then a very steep zig zag path on loose scree and many steps that are too tall to take comfortably. It seems to take forever to get back up to the tops again. The final challenge was Great Hangman, the highest point on the entire SWCP at 318m. Great Hangman does not look spectacular, it is a large very rounded hill, just a bit higher than other hills. Hence the climb is not steep. It just goes on for a long time. At the top there are good views inland over Exmoor and up and down the coast. There is also a large pile of stones. Maybe we were supposed to bring a stone from home to put on the pile, and to think of home and our loved ones. This is the sort of thing they are into on the Camino. A bit further on is Little Hangman, a much more dramatic looking peak, but only 218m high.

The forecast for today had been the same as yesterday so we set out with jackets on, beanies and warmer under layers. This was okay in the morning but it turned into a very sunny day and with all the climbing the extra layers came off. The wind was generally behind us, giving us a push up the climbs. We climbed up and around many high headlands with huge drop offs and a very narrow path. Here the wind accelerated and swirled every which way and it was always a relief to safely get round them.

Overall a demanding day but very enjoyable. We are at The Poplars, a basic 3 star hotel, and we have a balcony with a view of the sea. Just a short walk into the village for dinner at The Dolphin. The menu wasn’t very exciting and I succumbed and had my first burger for this trip. Barbara is still holding out. Coombe Martin’s claim to fame is that they have the longest high street in England but this a bit dubious as the street is extremely long but mostly residential not commercial. They did once feature in The Guiness Book of Records for holding the longest street party. So it must be fun place.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

Day 2 of walking
Porlock Weir to Lynmouth
Distance: 20.39kms
Total distance: 38.41kms
Climbing: 962m
Total Climb: 1,518m

Another great day of walking but conditions not quite as nice as yesterday. In the morning we got talking to the only other couple at breakfast. They also are walking the full South West Coast Path and they also started yesterday in Minehead. However there the similarities to us ended. They are quite a bit younger than us and are camping most of the way. Using motor camps most of the time but also freedom camping where they can. Freedom camping is banned in England but sort of tolerated if you leave no trace. So they are carrying a tent, cooker, fuel, clothes, some food, sleeping beds and mats etc. The guy said his ruck sack as he called it weighed 15kg.

There were quite a few people on the path today. We counted 17 doing all or some of it. We got talking to another couple who have been doing sections of the path over a few years and have two sections yet to do. They are coming out to NZ and were quizzing us on whether to do the Milford or Routeburn Tracks. We did the Milford 44 years ago but have not done the Routeburn. We talked about the Abel Tasman and tried to talk them into considering the Queen Charlotte Track. It is nice meeting other people doing long walks, especially in the long remote sections.

Today was cold and windy. Min 6°, max 12° and a cold wind gusting to 52km/hr coming off the Bristol Channel. It was also cloudy most of the day. We started off not wearing jackets thinking that after a short section of stony beach we would be into a steep climb in woodland and would warm up okay. However we just stayed cold and after a while put on our orange rain coats to stop the wind going through our fleece and merino tops. We both wished we had gloves and woolly hats. It wasn’t the best, but okay, and didn’t stop us enjoying some wonderful walking.

The first 15kms were all in woodland, a lot of twisted oak, rhododendron and some conifer, and bird song all the way. We were high above the water most of the time and only got glimpses of the shore and wind driven waves through the trees. It is still early spring so a lot of trees are only just starting to get foliage and so the overhead canopy is very transparent. The last 5kms were out in the open on windy exposed hills. The wind was mostly behind us so that was a nice assistance climbing up the steeper slopes. For the last section we were high on a hill with steep drop offs to the rocks far below, the wind buffeting you about but with spectacular views of Lynmouth and Lynton ahead. We  have to enjoy the woodland as probably only about 10% of the path has it.

The highlight in the morning was the delightful little Culbone Church. It is said to be the smallest parish church in England and is dedicated to the Welsh saint Bueno. It is recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 so is probably pre-Norman (Battle of Hastings 1066 and all that). An entry porch was added in the 13^th century and a larger nave added in the 15^th. The nearby woods were a sanctuary for criminals and outcasts banished from Society. There was a leper colony from the 16^th century and the church has a lepers’  window (a squint) so they could look in and watch services.

Somewhere along the way we passed from the county of Somerset into the county of Devon. There is no indication on the path as to where the county boundary is so we don’t know when or where it was. It does mean we can now have Devonshire cream teas. We must remember in Devon the clotted cream goes on the scone first with jam on top. In Cornwall the jam goes first followed by the clotted cream. We wouldn’t want to be seen as uncouth colonials.

Tonight we are in Lynmouth, one of the twin villages of Lynmouth and Lynton. Lynmouth is down on the coast at the convergence of the East and West Lyn Rivers. Lynton is directly above Lynmouth and the two are connected by the Cliff Railway and/or a very steep zigzag path. Our hotel is located about half way up the cliff between the two villages and unfortunately the railway only has stations at the top and bottom so at the end of a long day we had to slog up the path.The Cliff Railway was built in 1888 by those wonderful inventive Victorian engineers. Two carriages are connected by a cable that runs around pullies at each end. Each carriage has a 700 gallon water tank under the floor. When water from the West Lyn River fills the tank of the upper car – at the same time water empties out of the tank of the lower car – the heavier top car starts to descend down the 862 ft railway, pulling the lighter bottom carriage up as it does so. Very cool.

One event dominates Lynmouth’s history. On Friday August 15 1952 when, following almost a fortnight of torrential downpours, a cloudburst unleashed 9 inches of rain on Exmoor that sent a wall of water cascading down on the unsuspecting village, dispersing boulders from the surrounding countryside onto the streets. 34 people lost their lives and 60 buildings were destroyed.

Tonight we are staying at the Edwardian North Cliff Hotel, a very comfortable 11 room with ensuites establishment. When we approached, the car park was full of late model Mercedes and BMWs and I thought we might be a bit out of place here with our sweaty walking clothes and dirty shoes. Josh made us feel very welcome and even carried our bags up to our first floor room. Being up on the cliff it has magnificent views down to Lynmouth and out over the bay. All the décor, furniture and fittings are in the period style and outside of museums I have never seen so many tall grandfather clocks. In the entry foyer, the two sitting rooms, the games room, the dining room, the breakfast room! We ate in their dining room as we were too tired to go back down to Lynmouth or go further up the cliff to Lynton.

Yesterday and today there are no places along the path to get food or drink. We are trying to eat as healthily as we can and bread and cheese etc can get a bit tedious so we tried some “overnight oats”. Oats, milk powder, dates, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, banana and water. It was a success – tasty, easy to carry and a nice variation. Just have to remeber to carry a spoon!

We are feeling really good. A bit tired and sore at the end of each day but still getting into the rhythm of our new life. We seem to recover overnight and are keen to get going each morning. We have two more days with a lot of climbing and descending before a couple of days on near flat.

 

Monday 20 April 2026

Day 1 of walking
Minehead to Porlock Weir
Distance: 18.02km
Total distance: 18.02km
Climbing: 556m
Total climbing: 556m

A perfect first day. Sunny, cool at first, 8° rising to about a high of 14°, a gentle wind at our back, very comfortable for walking. Breakfast wasn’t until 8.30 so we didn’t get away until just after 9. Straight down to the coast and along The Strand promenade to the South West Coast Path metal sculpture which marks the official start of the walk. Fortunately there was a kind gentleman who obliged by taking our photo. From there past The Old Ship Aground Pub, the road ends and you are on the path. The first sign helpfully informs you that you have walked ¼ of a mile and there are 629¾ miles to Poole. From there it is straight into the biggest climb of the day, about 150 vertical metres of North Hill. Quite steep, many switch backs and a bit tough when you haven’t really warmed up yet. All of this was in beautiful woodland with views down through the trees to the Bristol Channel.

At the top of the climb and for the next four days we will be walking along the northern edge of Exmoor where it meets the sea. A park of 267 square miles, it contains everything from moorland to valleys, cliffs and farmland, and is known for the Exmoor Ponies and red deer. We did see the ponies and wild horses but no red deer. At the top of North hill in 2019 there had been a choice of routes. An undulating inland ”main” route across the moor or the “rugged” track going back closer to the coast and climbing and descending many coombes (steep sided valleys). This route is a bit longer and much slower because of all the climbing and descending. Since 2024 the former “main” path is now a bridle way for the many people who ride horses on the moor. The “rugged” path is now the official route. We had been hoping to do the easier route but stuck religiously to the official path.

From the last headland the path descended through woodland full of spring flowers to the picture post card perfect hamlet of Bossington with its scattered thatched roof cottages. This hamlet is at the edge of Porlock Vale, an unusually wide flat valley in comparison to the narrow coombes. The vale is protected from the sea by a natural shingle ridge – a ridge that was breached in 1996 causing the farmland to turn into a salt marsh that receives a fresh inundation of salt every high tide. The salt has killed all the trees which now are just bare skeletons. The area is now a SSSI, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserve. From the vale the last half kilometre is along the beach to Porlock Weir. And what a beach! The stoniest beach I have ever seen. No sand, just millions of melon sized smooth stones. Very difficult to walk on as they move and slide under your weight. We moved very carefully not wanting to slip and sprain an ankle on the first day.

In 2019 we had stayed at Porlock, a 35 minute walk inland, but this year we are staying at Porlock Weir on the coast. Both Porlock and Porlock Weir have a Ship Inn, the one in Porlock known as Top Ship and the one in Porlock Weir known as Bottom Ship. Bottom Ship where we are staying serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Of course we are staying on a Monday. Our trip notes said lunch was served from noon till 2.20pm. We decided early in the day we could make it to Porlock Weir in time to get a lunch as our main mea of the day. We arrived at 2.15 but were informed by an abrupt and a bit rude young lady behind the bar that they had just finished meals for the day and the kitchen was closed. We said we were staying there that night and could they do anything for us. No way Jose.

We were wondering what we could rustle up for the main meal of the day from the meagre supplies we had with us when we came across The Harbour Café. They were also near to closing but the very cheerful young lady said they would make us anything on the comprehensive menu. Barbara had eggs and avo on toast and I had a jacket potato with cheese and beans. She was very interested in where we were from, what we were doing and was amazed that we were walking the entire path to Poole. She was not a walker but she loved to ride horses on the moor and go swimming in the weir. As we were about to leave she gave us a paper bag with a carrot cake and a walnut cake, compliments of the café. She has restored our faith in young ladies serving behind the counter.

Today was a day of many firsts. Our first kissing gate, grass snake, huge caterpillar, narrow coombe, horse and pony, use of our Macs app to track our route, use of Map My Walk app to measure our exact distance, and best of all  Barbara’s energy grenades to have with our Kleen Kanteen coffee.

We are very happy. We were so keen to get moving. It was a varied day: the beach promenade in Minehead, the woodland of North Hill, the wild horses, the yellow gorse covered coombes, the spring flowers, cute little Bossington, the stark trees on the salt marsh and the ankle snapping stones of Porlock Beach. A lot of climbing for the first day and we were pretty tired by the end of it. Because we were trying to make lunch time at the inn we only had one stop, We will try and not make that mistake again.

The seventeenth century Ship Inn is everything you imagine an old English inn to be. White painted plastered stone walls, a thatched roof, tiny windows, warm and dark and cosy inside with a large fireplace for the winter and hundreds of years of history. The inn has three bedrooms up in the attic and we are in one of them. Only up one flight of stairs and even better our bags had been put in our room. They also begin serving breakfast from 8am which suits us to get an early start in the lovely cool of the morning. A slight down side to staying in an inn or pub is the noise coming up from the bar until about midnight. It wasn’t music night, or quizz night and the Football World Cup hasn’t started yet, just the muffled sound of laughter and chatter. It didn’t bother us it just adds to the ambience. Barbara was sound asleep by 7pm and I wasn’t far behind her.

 

We both slept very well last night so we are hoping we have adjusted to the new time zone. Today was a relaxing one in the sleepy seaside town of Minehead. There is no mine here, the name derives from the Welsh word, Mynedd, meaning hill. At the west end of the beach is a hill, North Hill, which we will climb tomorrow. The town has Saxon origins and in Elizabethan times was a thriving fishing port. Today it is a quiet seaside holiday town with three main attractions: the beach, Butlins holiday camp and the West Somerset Railway.

Minehead Beach is known as The Strand and is a wide expanse of sand with some shingle and pebble areas, a wide promenade and all the usual amusements. The beach is on the Bristol Channel and the whole coastline has a lot of silt in it which gives it an off-putting murky appearance. It does have great sand for making sand castles. When the tide is out, and it goes a long, long way out, you walk half way across to Wales to get a swim. It is recommended to wait for high tide to go swimming. The Bristol Channel has the second-largest tidal range in the world with a mean spring tidal range of 12.5 to 14 metres and strong tidal currents. I had hoped to have a swim here at the start of our walk and another at South Haven at the end, but there were signs warning of the water quality after rain, the tide was on its way out, and most of all the water was freezing cold. So we settled for dipping our toes in the water. Amazingly the public toilets on the promenade had piping hot water in the wash hand basins so we could wash the sand off our feet and get them back to normal body temperature.

Butlins Resort Minehead is a huge holiday camp highly visible because of the large tent like white fabric tensile canopies. The camp was opened in 1962 and can accommodate 7,500 holiday makers. It has outdoor and indoor pools with water slides and water cannons, a miniature railway, a chairlift, monorail, amusement arcades, a stage for shows, shops selling souvenirs, groceries etc, restaurants, cafes and bars and a wide range of accommodation from luxury to caravans. The first Butlins Holiday Camp was built in 1936 and by 1966 there were ten but by the 1990s due to competition from overseas holiday packages, rising costs and changing holiday expectations only three remain including this one in Minehead.

The West Somerset Railway is a 36km heritage railway with ten stations, running through the Somerset countryside and coast. The railway originally opened in 1862 as part of Great Western Railway and was closed by British Rail in 1971. In 1976 it reopened with the line and stations owned by the local council and the railway operated by a charitable trust. We heard there are 800 unpaid voluntary workers who keep the railway running. It is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway line in the United Kingdom. Some more useless trivia: The Beatles visited the line in 1964 to film part of “A Hard Days Night”. There is a scene of George Harrison and Ringo Starr cycling on the platform alongside the train. There were no trains running today but outside in the carpark were three old steam traction engines firing up and getting ready for a trundle around the Minehead foreshore. They looked magnificent all polished up, snorting and hissing, belching steam and smoke and smelling of burning coal and hot oil.

When we were here in 2019 we had a great meal at a restaurant called The Wheel House. For old times sake we called in to have lunch there today but unfortunately they were fully booked. We went further along the road to The Queen’s Head Pub and had a nice meal there instead. In England pubs and restaurants still have the tradition of a Sunday roast. Barbara had beef and I had pork along with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots, leaks, cabbage, onion, stuffing balls, gravy and Yorkshire pudding. A huge meal and all for £12 each and your first drink for £1. Being wowsers these days we didn’t have the drink. In future on Sundays we will track down a roast as they are an easy way to get vegetables – seemingly a rare commodity in meals in England these days.

Today was also a visit to Lidl’s supermarket. We bought dates, dried milk, sun flower seeds, flax seeds, mixed nuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and oats to make our own healthy snacks. So much of the supermarket food is ultra high processed factory food, ie crap. It is hard to find the good stuff. Barbara spent the afternoon mixing the above ingredients into golf ball sized energy grenades.

Today was a perfect spring day. Cold at first but bright and sunny and no wind. By afternoon we were getting too hot. The air was also very clear. When we were here in 2019 Wales did not exist, shrouded in mist and rain showers, but today it was clearly visible across the channel. The weather forecast looks like we have of few more days of this ahead of us. Can’t wait to get walking!

This was a three bus moving day, Heathrow London to Minehead Somerset.

The first bus was an easy 10min ride from the hotel to the Central Bus Station inside Heathrow Airport.

The second  bus was a National Express Route 502 coach from Heathrow to Taunton, way out west. We had pre-purchased tickets for this service a couple of months ago back in NZ. Most of this 3hr 20min journey was on motorways so it was a smooth fast ride. This coach was going on to Bridport and Taunton was its second stop.

The third bus was a Route 28 First Bus of Somerset local service Taunton to Minehead. This took an hour and twenty minutes and cost £3. There are 63 bus stops on this route, fortunately we only stopped at about 25 of them. It was all on narrow twisty country roads, through small villages and the driver went like a bat out of hell. We were quite relieved to get off the bus in Minehead. This service did take cash but we used cashless paywave. I would hate to cycle on these roads. They are narrow, have little or no shoulder and no safe place to get off the road – often it is a bramble hedge.

We have stayed in Minehead before. In September 2019 we caught the train from Paddington London to Taunton and the same crazy bus ride to Minehead. We stayed here one night when we walked from Minehead to Westward Ho! on our second South West Coast Path walk.

We also stayed in exactly the same accommodation, The Parkes Guest House. We remember it well, and not just because we are in an attic room, two stories up with no lift. The owners Sue and Chris are still here although they look as though they are well into their eighties. Sue seems very frail and looks like she has Parkinsons. They are very welcoming and positive. There are five rooms, two in the attic. The Dunkery Room and the Dunster Room. Last time we had the Dunster Room. There are only two couples here tonight and tomorrow night we are the only booking. We are having two nights in Minehead to get rid of our jet lag and also as insurance just in case our bags had gone missing. It may have given them a chance to catch up with us before we move on.

 

Our hotel is 3.7km from the Central Bus Station outside Terminal 2 Heathrow Airport. You can get from the terminal to the hotel by car, taxi, shuttle (Hoppa Bus) or the local double decker red suburban buses. It is not possible to walk as the terminal and bus station are in the centre of the airport between the two parallel runways. You can see the airport layout and the location of the central bus station and our hotel on the plan below. The blue hexagons are the Central Bus Station and our hotel. Cars, buses, trains, everything except the planes, have to go underground through tunnels to leave the airport. There is no pedestrian access through the tunnels.

A taxi costs about £15 for the trip, the Hoppa Bus costs £6.80 per trip and the red buses cost £1.75 per trip. The taxi will go whenever you want and deliver you to the hotel. The Hoppa Bus is a shuttle service run jointly by about 25 hotels. It runs about every 20 minutes and will deliver you to your hotel on a circuit of all the hotels it services. The red buses are regular suburban buses (routes 111 and 105) that run every 10 minutes and will drop you at the regular bus stop nearest your hotel. The route of the red buses is the perimeter ring road that runs all the way round Heathrow Airport.

We have to do this trip four times each. Airport to hotel and return before our walk and the same after our walk. So the total for 8 trips in a taxi is £120 ($288), the Hoppa £54.40 ($131) and the red bus £14 ($33.60). Being the tight arses that we can be, of course we used the red bus. All London red buses are now cashless so you need an Oyster Card or a debit or credit card or your smart watch or phone to swipe on. You don’t swipe off. This bus has just one fare no matter how far you are going. During covid this bus was free. It was all very easy. We walked out of Terminal 2, a bus was waiting for us and 10 minutes later we were in our hotel. Probably not so good if you are travelling with 4 pieces of luggage.

The ibis Heathrow London Airport Hotel is just your regular 3 star hotel. Not at all fancy but does all the basic things well enough. No swimming pool, no gym, no spa, no valet parking etc., but great shower, very comfy bed and absolutely quiet despite being 200 metres from one of Heathrow’s runways. The decor is quite kinky and it has a nice bar and cafe/restaurant. Meals all day. Breakfast starts at 4.30 in the morning!

This was a quiet day for us adjusting to the 11 hour time difference between NZ and UK. We just lazed around in the morning and had lunch in the hotel. Fighting to stay awake in the afternoon we went out into the sunshine for a walk. This is supposed to help your body adjust. About a 15 minute walk from the hotel is a co-op superette and about a 45 minute walk to a ginormous Asda Superstore supermarket. Yesterday afternoon we went to the superette so today we went to the supermarket to stock up on a few things for breakfast and lunch etc.

Our hotel is one street away from one of the Heathrow runways although our room window faces away from the airport. In the afternoon I walked over to the runway perimeter fence to watch a few planes coming in. There is a continuous flow of a planes slightly less then one minute apart. Looking into the sky in the distance you can see them lined up with lights on as they come in. On the other runway they were lined up on the ground waiting to take off, also about every minute.

Tomorrow we are on the move again. A red bus back to the Central Bus Station inside Heathrow then a National Express Coach to Taunton and a local bus from there to Minehead. We can’t wait to get away to the seaside.

 

For here, Am I sitting in a tin can
Far, above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do

Thank you to Major Tom and David Bowie

36 hours from walking out the door of our apartment until walking into our hotel room.
23¼ hours sitting in a tin can and the remaining getting to and from airports and lay overs.

We hadn’t even reached Wellington Airport before we were receiving emails, txts and Facebook posts from each of Air NZ and the Flight Centre informing us that our flight to Auckland was delayed 20 minutes. In fact it was 35 minutes which was a bit of a worry as our lay over in Auckland was only 1 hr 55 mins. 1 hr 20 minutes is easy enough time for us to walk from domestic to international, do border control, security and get to the gate. But what about our bags? Twice before our bags have not made the connection due to delays and tight connections. When we kissed our bags goodbye at Wellington the next time we would see them is at Heathrow London.

As it happened our flight from Auckland to Vancouver was delayed 30 minutes. I wondered if they were waiting for our luggage. The 13 hour flight was full but a reasonably smooth comfortable flight. It departs in the evening and after an hour you get a meal and then it is lights out until an hour before landing when you get breakfast. So those times work well with your normal sleeping pattern. We both slept on and off through the night.

Vancouver International is a huge complex. There are basically three separate terminal areas. One for those entering Canada for domestic connections, buses, trains, hotels, meeting friends etc. A second for those connecting to the United States and a third for those connecting to the rest of the world – that’s us. The terminal is modern, multi-layered, and full of artwork and crafts. Our section had at least 50 gates and 50 stores and drinking and eating outlets. And it was almost empty and very quiet. Hardly anyone around and lots of comfy places to sit or lay down and it was very calm and relaxing. There was even an outdoor “serenity area” where you could get outside and breathe the fresh but cool Vancouver air. There were views to north and the snow-capped mountains and Vancouver down town in the distance. We had six hours to fill in here but it passed quite quickly.

Border control getting in was fast and easy with an e-passport and a Canada eTA. No security to go through.

The flight from Vancouver to Heathrow was delayed 25 minutes. I was thinking, a 35 minute delay, then a 30 minute delay, then a 25 minute delay. If we kept flying around the world and each flight was delayed 5 minutes less, in five flights we should get one that left on time. This 9 hour 10 minute flight also left in the evening and the same routine. A meal after an hour, lights out, breakfast an hour before landing. All the meals were pretty average. The best thing about them is they help to pass the time.

The flight path from Vancouver goes north east to Hudson Bay, then over the southern tip of Greenland, south of Iceland, across Ireland and Dublin and meets England at Liverpool, then south to London. This is hard to imagine on a flat map but is pretty much a straight arc when you see it on a globe.

Landing in Heathrow we had a couple of nagging doubts in the back of our heads.

Would our bags make it with us? If they were two or three days behind us and we were down in Minehead starting 63 days of one night stops would they ever find us? But they did arrive and we were mighty relieved when they flopped out of the chute and onto the carousel. It is so easy entering the UK these days. Show your e-passport to the machine, look at the face recognition camera, the little glass gates fly open and you are in. Collect your baggage and walk out the exit.

The other doubt was entry into the UK. In February the UK Government brought in new rules so that people who had UK passports (even if expired long ago) or were UK citizens, had to enter the UK with a current UK passport. They were no longer allowed to enter with say a NZ passport (being dual citizens) and a UK eTA (electronic travel authority). This caused an outcry as it took considerable time and money to renew a UK Passport, especially if you lived outside the UK. Their government then relented a bit and if you were a dual citizen you could use say a NZ passport , with UK Eta and an endorsement embedded in the e-passport to say you were a dual citizen and could enter that way. However this also took time and for reasons only a bureaucrat could fathom cost even more.

There was a further complication in determining just who is a UK citizen. What about children born outside the UK but had a parent born in the UK? This is the case for Kevin, Owen and I. Our mother was born in Glasgow in 1922 and emigrated to NZ in 1924 with her parents and siblings. She was a UK citizen but never had a UK passport (probably came to NZ as a two year old on her parents passport, if they had one). She never used her UK citizenship and travelled to say Australia as a NZ Citizen on a NZ passport.

If our father had been born in the UK we would automatically have UK citizenship. But back in the day men and women did not have equal status. As our mother was the parent born in the UK we are only eligible to apply for citizenship. Only eligible because it depends on her birth date and various UK Acts of Parliament passed at different times in relation to women.

Don’t take this as gospel it is just what I picked up from the media, reading the relevant UK Govt Websites, and a very good question and answer article by the UK High Commissioner in Wellington. She made it clear there is an important distinction between “automatic” and “eligible” citizenship. If “automatic” you have to use the new system. If “eligible” you can use your existing NZ passport and a UK eTA. Apparently it is the airlines responsibility to not allow anyone to fly into the UK without the correct documents.

No one said boo as I passed through border control at Vancouver and Heathrow so I am all oaky.
We have made it to our hotel, with baggage, not too shattered, happy and healthy.

 

 Day 1 Wednesday April 15th
Airport Express bus Courtenay Place to Wellington Airport
Fly Wellington (WLG) to Auckland (AKL), Airbus A320-200 1hr 5mins
Air New Zealand NZ468, depart 5.00pm, arrive 6:05pm
Emissions: 53.38 kg CO2
Transfer to International Terminal
1hr 55min layover
Fly Auckland (AKL) to Vancouver (YVR) Int. Terminal, Boeing 787-9, 13hrs
Air New Zealand NZ24, depart 8:00pm, arrive 2.00pm local time (Wednesday April 15th)
Emissions: 575.32 kg CO2
6h 10m layover
Fly Vancouver (YVR) to Heathrow (LHR), Boeing 777-300ER, 9hr 10mins
Air New Zealand NZ4824, operated by Air Canada, depart 8,10pm local time
Emissions: 409.76 kg CO2

Day 2 Thursday April 16^th
Arrive Heathrow London T2 (LHR) 1.20pm local time
Local red bus routes 105,111,140 Heathrow Terminal to
ibis London Heathrow Airport Hotel

Day 3 Friday April 17th
Day in ibis London Heathrow Airport Hotel

Day 4 Saturday April 18th
Local red bus routes 105,111, 140 ibis hotel to Heathrow London Bus Terminal
National Express Bus 502 Heathrow Terminal T2 & T3 London to Taunton
Depart 11.30am, arrive 14.45pm
First Buses of Somerset Route 28 Taunton to Minehead
The Parks Guest House
www.parksguesthouse.co.uk

Day 5 Sunday April 19th
Day in Minehead
The Parks Guest House
www.parksguesthouse.co.uk

Day 6 Monday April 20th
Walk Minehead to Porlock                                                                14kms
The Ship Inn (Porlock Weir)

Day 7 Tuesday April 21st  
Walk Porlock to Lynmouth                                                                18kms
North Cliff Hotel
www.northcliffhotel.co.uk

Day 8 Wednesday April 22nd
Walk Lynmouth to Combe Martin                                                 22kms
Poplars Hotel
www.poplarsguesthouse.co.uk

Day 9 Thursday April 23rd
Walk Combe Martin to Woolacombe                                          22kms
The Wollacombe Bay Hotel
www.woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk

Day 10 Friday April 24th
Walk Woolacombe to Braunton                                                      24kms
Silver Cottage B & B
www.bedand breakfast-braunton.co.uk

Day 11 Saturday April 25th
Walk Braunton to Instow                                                                    20kms
Instow Barton
www.instowbarton.co.uk

Day 12 Sunday April 26th
Walk Instow to Westward Ho!                                                        18kms
Waterfront Inn
www.waterfrontinn.co.uk

Day 13 Monday April 27th
Day in Westward Ho!                                                                             0km
www.waterfrontinn.co.uk

Day 14 Tuesday April 28th
Walk Westward Ho! To Clovelly                                                    18kms
Red Lion Hotel
www,clovelly.co.uk

Day 15 Wednesday April 29th
Walk Clovelly to Hartland Quay                                                     16kms
Hartland Quay Hotel
www.hartlandquayhotel.co.uk

Day 16 Thursday April 30th
Walk Hartland Quay to Morwenstow                                        13kms
The Bush Inn
www.thebushinnmorwenstow.com

Day 17 Friday May 1st
Walk Morwenstow to Bude                                                              12kms
Sea Jade Guest House
www.seajadehouse.co.uk

Day 18 Saturday May 2nd  
Walk Bude to Crackington Haven                                                16km
Coombe Barton Inn
www.coombebarton.co.uk

Day 19 Sunday May 3rd   
Walk Crackington Haven to Tintagel                                          18kms
King Arthurs Arms Inn
www.kingarthuresarms.co.uk

Day 20 Monday May 4th
Walk Tintagel to Port Isaac                                                               15kms
Old School Hotel
www.theoldschoolhotel.co.uk

Day 21 Tuesday May 5th
Day in Port Isaac                                                                                        0km
www.theoldschoolhotel.co.uk

Day 22 Wednesday May 6th  
Walk Port Isaac to Padstow                                                              19kms
Old Custom House
www.oldcustomhousepadstow.co.uk

Day 23 Thursday May 7th   
Walk Padstow to Porthcothan                                                         21kms
Transfer Porthcothan forward to Newquay
Great Western Hotel
www.greatwesternnewquay.co.uk

Day 24 Friday May 8^th
Transfer Newquay back to Porthcothan
Walk Porthcothan to Newquay                                                      17kms
www.greatwesternnewquay.co.uk

Day 25 Saturday May 9th  
Walk Newquay to Perranporth                                                      18kms
St George’s Country House
www.stgeorgesperranporth.com

Day 26 Sunday May 10th                                    
Walk Perranporth to Portreath                                                      19kms
Transfer Portreath back to Perranporth
St George’s Country House
www.stgeorgesperranporth.com

Day 27 Monday May 11th  
Transfer Perranporth forward to Portreath
Walk Portreath to St Ives                                                                    30kms
Western Hotel
www.hotelstives.com

Day 28 Tuesday May 12th   
Day in St Ives                                                                                              0km
www.hotelstives.com

Day 29 Wednesday May 13th  
Walk St Ives to Zennor                                                                         10kms
Transfer Zennor back to St Ives (us on bus)
www.hotelstives.com

Day 30 Thursday May 14th   
Transfer St Ives to Zennor (us on bus)
Walk Zennor to Pendeen                                                                   13.7kms
The North Inn
www.thenorthinnpendeen.co.uk

Day 31 Friday May 15th
Walk Pendeen to Sennen Cove                                                      15kms
The Old Success Inn
www.oldsucess.co.uk

Day 32 Saturday May 16th
Walk Sennen Cove to Porhtcurno                                                11kms
Sea View House
www.seaviewhouseporthcurno.com

Day 33 Sunday May 17th   
Walk Porthcurno to Penzance                                                        18kms
Long Boat Inn
www.longboatinn.co.uk

Day 34 Monday May 18th
Walk Penzance to Porthleven                                                          22.6kms
Artist Loft
www.theartistloft.co.uk

Day 35 Tuesday May 19^th
Walk Porthleven to Lizard                                                                 23.5kms
The Caerthillian B & B

Day 36 Wednesday May 20^th
Day in Lizard                                                                                                 0kms
The Caerthillian B & B

Day 37 Thursday May 21^st
Walk Lizard to Coverack                                                                     17.8kms
Fernleigh B & B
www.fernleighcoverack.co.uk

Day 38 Friday May 22^nd
Walk Coverack to Mawman Smith                                                 26.4kms
Trelawne Hotel
www.trelawnehotel.co.uk

Day 39 Saturday May 23^rd
Walk Mawman Smith to Falmouth                                                11.7kms
Membly Hall Hotel

Day 40 Sunday May 24th
Walk Falmouth to Portloe                                                                  22kms
Jago Cottage B & B
www.cornwallcottages.co.uk/cottages/jago-cottage-veryan-4237.html

Day 41 Monday May 25^th
Walk Portloe to Mevagissey                                                             20kms
Mandalay Hotel

Day 42 Tuesday May 26^th
Walk Mevagissey to Par                                                                     17kms
Transfer Par inland to St Austell
Boscundle Manor
www.boscundlemanor.co.uk

Day 43 Wednesday May 27^th
Transfer St Austell back to Par
Walk Par to Polperro                                                                             23.5kms
Transfer Polperro forward to Looe
Hannafore Point Hotel
www.hannaforepoint hotel.com

Day 44 Thursday May 28^th
Day in Looe                                                                                                  0kms
www.hannaforepoint hotel.com

Day 45 Friday May 29^th
Transfer Looe back to Polpero
Walk Polperro to Portwrinkle                                                          21kms
The Liscawn
www.liscawn.co.uk

Day 46 Saturday May 30^th
Walk Portwrinkle to Plymouth                                                        21kms
Admiral’s House – Bistrot Pierre Hotel
www.bistrotpierre.co.uk/rooms/residenceone/

Day 47 Sunday May 31^st
Walk Plymouth to Wembury                                                           12kms
Wembury Bay B & B
http://wemburybedandbreakfast.yolasite.com

Day 48 Monday June 1^st
Walk Wembury to Bigbury-on-Sea                                              24.7kms
Transfer Bigbury-on-Sea forward to Salcombe
The Fo’c’sle B & B
www.bedandbreakfastsalcombe.co.uk

Day 49 Tuesday June 2^nd
Transfer Salcombe back to Bigbury-on-Sea
Walk Bigbury-on-Sea to Salcombe                                                22kms
The Fo’c’sle B & B
www.bedandbreakfastsalcombe.co.uk

Day 50 Wednesday June 3^rd
Walk Salcombe to Torcross                                                               20kms
Transfer Torcross inland to Chillington
Chillington House
www.chillingtonhouse.co.uk

Day 51 Thursday June 4^th
Day in Chillington                                                                                    0km
Chillington House
www.chillingtonhouse.co.uk

Day 52 Friday June 5^th
Transfer Chillington to Torcross
Walk Torcross to Dartmouth                                                            16kms
The Royal Castle Hotel
www.royalcastle.co.uk

Day 53 Saturday June 6^th
Walk Dartmouth to Brixham                                                            18kms
Transfer Brixham forward to Torquay (us by bus)
Devon Court B & B
www.devoncourt.co.uk

Day 54 Sunday June 7^th
Transfer Torquay back to Brixham (us by bus)
Walk Brixham to Torquay                                                                 13.5kms
Devon Court B & B
www.devoncourt.co.uk

Day 55 Monday June 8^th
Walk Torquay to Shaldon                                                                  18.5kms
Potters Mooring Hotel
www.pottersmooring.co.uk

Day 56 Tuesday June 9^th
Walk Shaldon to Exmouth                                                                 13.5kms
The Dolphin Hotel
www.dolphinhotelexmouth.co.uk

Day 57 Wednesday June 10^th
Walk Exmouth to Sidmouth                                                             20.9kms
Hunters Moon Hotel
www.huntersmoonhotel.com

Day 58 Thursday June 11^th
Walk Sidmouth to Beer                                                                      13.7kms
Durham House B & B
www.durhamhouse.co.uk

Day 59 Friday June 12^th
Day in Beer                                                                                                  0kms
Durham House B & B
www.durhamhouse.co.uk

Day 60 Saturday June 13^th
Walk Beer to Lyme Regis                                                                   14.4kms
Transfer Lyme Regis back to Beer
Durham House B & B
www.durhamhouse.co.uk

Day 61 Sunday June 14^th
Transfer Beer forward to Lyme Regis
Walk Lyme Regis to Bridport                                                          20kms
Tiger Inn
www.tigerinnbridport.co.uk

Day 62 Monday June 15^th
Walk Bridport to Abbotsbury                                                         18kms
Swan Lodge
www.swan-lodge.net

Day 63 Tuesday June 16^th
Walk Abbotsbury to Weymouth                                                    25kms
The Redcliff B & B
www.redcliffweymouth.co.uk

Day 64 Wednesday June 17^th
Walk Weymouth to Lulworth                                                          18kms
The Castle Inn
www.castleinn-lulworth

Day 65 Thursday June 18^th
Walk Lulworth to Swanage                                                               34kms
The Pines Hotel
www.pineshotel.co.uk

Day 66 Friday June 19^th
Walk Swanage to Poole                                                                     12kms
Acorns
www.acornsguesthouse.co.uk

Day 67 Saturday June 20^th
National Express Bus 035 Poole to Heathrow London T2
Depart 12.25pm arrive, 15.05pm

Local red bus routes 105,111,140 Heathrow Terminal to
ibis Styles London Heathrow

Day 68 Sunday June 21^st
Local red bus routes 105,111,140 ibis Styles Hotel to Heathrow Airport
Fly Heathrow London (LHR) to Vancouver (YVR), Boeing 777-300ER, 9hr 35mins
Air New Zealand NZ4839, operated by Air Canada, depart 3.05pm, arrive 1.40pm.
Emissions: 407.34 kg CO2
4hr 15min layover
Fly Vancouver (YVR) to Auckland (AKL), Boeing 777-300ER, 13hr 50min
Air New Zealand NZ23, depart 8.55pm
Emissions: 672.34 kg CO2

Day 69 Monday June 22^nd
Lost in space

Day 70 Tuesday June 23^rd
Arrive Auckland (AKL) 5.45am,
Transfer to domestic terminal
2hr 25min layover
Fly Auckland (AKL) to Wellington (WLG), Airbus A320-200
Emissions: 53.39 kg CO2
Arrive Wellington (WLG) 9.20am

Airport Express bus Wellington Airport to Courtenay Place
Walk home

 

On August 28 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, before a crowd of 250,000, Martin Luther King Jr, civil rights activist and Baptist minister, gave one of the most iconic speeches in American history. “I have a dream …..”

In early November 2025 Barbara also had a dream. “I have a dream ….. to re-walk the full South West Coast Path”. This was a much less iconic speech to an audience of just one. I was somewhat stunned and without thinking accepted the challenge and replied “I’m up for it”.

We had been vaguely thinking about walking the Camino Portuguese Inland Route having walked the Camino Portuguese Coastal Route in 2024. This would have been a mainly flat walk of about 280 – 300 kilometres and we could have done it fairly comfortably.

The South West Coast Path is in a different league. 1014kms from Minehead in Sommerset to Poole in Dorset and about 4 Mt Everests of climbing. A longer walk than any of our previous adventures:

2016 Camino Frances 800kms over 34 days
2017 Ireland 500kms over 23 days
2018 SWCP Westward Ho! to Plymouth 510kms over 30 days
2019 SWCP Minehead to Westward Ho! and Plymouth to Brixham                 280kms over 13 days
2023 SWCP Brixham to Poole 265kms over 15 days
2025 Camino Portuguese 300kms over 17 days.

Add to this the fact that we are now 10 years older than when we walked the Camino Frances.

Initially I think we were trying to call each other’s bluff but a seed had been sown and we started to think about it more seriously. In mid-November we decided to do walks on four consecutive days of over 20kms. This was not to see how fit we were but to see if our feet, ankles, knees, hips, shoulders etc were still up to doing reasonably long walks day after day. Amazingly at the end of this little test we felt good and strong and confident we could take on the big challenge.

Before we knew it we had made an enquiry with Macs Adventure and they were putting together a 63 night, 64 day itinerary for the full South West Coast Path. 54 days of walking with 8 “rest” days. A “rest” day built in about every seventh day. As we have walked every inch of the SWCP before, we have a different attitude this time. There are a couple of long days, 34 and 30kms, which are too much for us when they involve a lot of climbing. On these days, and also when the weather is atrocious, or we are just tired or injured, we will get the bus or a taxi for part or all of the day. We just want to enjoy ourselves and survive!

We also want to make our rest days, real “rest” days. In the past these days have often been more strenuous than our walking days. For example in Padstow we spent the day cycling the Camel Trail, in St Ives we spent the day at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and the Tate St Ives Gallery, at Marazion we climbed all over St Micheal’s Mount, at Charlestown we got the bus inland to the Eden Project, at Exmouth we got the train to Exeter to visit their magnificent cathedral, at Dartmouth we did a day excursion on river boat/train/ vintage railway, etc. This time our rest days are mainly in small towns or hamlets and hopefully we will be forced to just relax, have a coffee, go for a swim, and maybe write some better blog.

By the 11^th February we had paid Macs Adventure a hefty deposit so they would proceed with the detailed booking of 63 nights of accommodation and all the luggage transfers. Then things got a little bit complicated. On 28^th February just as we were about to make flight bookings from Wellington to Heathrow, Trump and Netanyahu launched their war against Iran. We usually go via the middle east, Dubai (on Emirates) or Doha (on Etihad) to get to Europe but flights through these places were immediately stopped due to the war. For the dates and times we wanted, flights through Singapore and Hong Kong quickly sold out. We had a preference not to go through China or India and definitely not through the USA. Eventually our travel agent secured us flights Wellington/Auckland/Vancouver/ Heathrow. The same returning in reverse. Of course due to the chaos in the airline industry the cost of flights had risen a couple of thousand dollars.

An essential requirement when travelling to most countries these days is an eTA, an Electronic Travel Authority. This is basically an electronic visa for the country you are visiting and you apply on line or on a phone app before you leave home. We applied for an UK eTA and a Canada eTA. One was required for Canada even though we were transiting for just a few hours. The UK eTA cost $38.64 each and the Canada eTA cost $ 8.94 each.

So now we are counting down the days. During the day it is very exciting and we can’t wait to get walking. In the middle of the night it seems intimidating and we wonder what on earth we have got ourselves into.

My next post will be our full itinerary.

PS recently King Charles III officially opened the England Coast Path. This is 2,700 miles all around the coast of England and the South West Coast Path forms 630 miles of it. There is an existing Wales Coast Path of 870 miles and a theoretical Scotland Coast Path of 6,330 miles. This is a total of 9,900 miles, or 15,840 kms, around Great Britain. If you averaged about 20 kms per day it would take 2 years with no rest days! In future Barbara can keep her dreams (nightmares!) to herself.