A very long walk - please sponsor us

[bobbi]

Hi there all you lovely Chi buddies,

This is my formal, official request for support (of the financial kind) for our 2008 Oxfam Trailwalk Challenge attempt. Some of you will know already that I've been training hard all year to enter this extreme cross-country walk event.
 
Basically our team of four intrepid walkers (photo taken at Bethells Beach on Good Friday below), are going to participate in the 2008 Oxfam Trailwalk charity drive by walking a one hundred kilometre long track together in 36 hours or less. The event is scheduled for the 5 and 6th April and takes place in and around Taupo which is about a 4 hour drive south of Auckland, New Zealand.
 
Our physical preparation, stamina, endurance, sacrifice (and a bit of enjoyment added to the mix) hopefully is the trigger that inspires you to make a contribution to the charity organisation Oxfam via our webpage. That and the fact that I'm begging you to help, and you're all delighted to be part of something so worthwhile and positive with me (and Sam, Margaret and Beck.)
All contributions no matter how modest or small or insignificant you may think them, will combine together for us to achieve our target of raising $2500 for Oxfam this year.
 
You can make your donations by credit card online from our webpage. Here is the link: http://www.oxfam.org.nz/events/teams.asp?a=show_team_pages&eventid=15&teamid=3089
If the link doesn't work for you, type the following three words into google.com: "bobbi munday oxfam". Once you've opened this page, you will see a large green button with the legend "Team Fundraising: make a donation" There you will be able to enter your credit card details and leave us a short message (if you can't be bothered to type a witty or encouraging comment, at least please add your name or your Chi pseudonym so we know where our support came from).
 
Note that amount you select to donate on our behalf is in NZ dollars. If you are not in New Zealand, you will need to use a currency converter to figure out how much money this will cost you in your own country. This currency converter is easy to use: www.oanda.com/convert/classic
 
If online payments freak you out, please send me an email and I'm happy to give you my bank account details and do the web transfer for you.
 
The Oxfam Trailwalker information page is at: http://www.oxfam.org.nz/oxfam_trailwalker/ if you'd like to read more about this event or about how Oxfam use donated money.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions pop up, together with suitable comments questioning our sanity, on our webpage. Oxfam are keen for this to happen too!
 
Happy Easter!
 
Lots and lots of love and hugs and kisses,
Bobbi,
aka Diva on the Chi puzzle page XXX   

[technomc]

You need your head seeing too Lady...seriously...i mean it!!!

[bobbi]

Wow, thanks T! you didn't waste time parting yourself from dosh for Oxfam! Thank you so very much for your very generous sponsorship. Much appreciated.

[bobbi]

Some more walking pics. One showing the spectacular black sand beach at Bethell's, sunrise on Good Friday.
Then a couple of pics from our walk at Okura last week. The Puriri moth was stuck on its back on the path. After flipping it over, I had a very short opportunity to snap it before it made its escape. They're huge! Each green wing is about the same size as my whole hand.

[technomc]

You're welcome bobbi....i think you deserve all the support you can get.

I obviously have an affinity to loony types, bearing in mind i've got a certificate from a very reputable quack to say i am perfectly sane now!!!

[Alan W]

I'm happy to lend a bit of support, bobbi. Best of luck on the walk!

[birdy]

Okay - let's hope I didn't make a total muddle of it!  Try not to get any blisters!

[bobbi]

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for all the support! Two of us tried a bit of an extreme walk today. We walked the entire length of Auckland's north shore coastline north to south from Long Bay to Devonport (23 kilometres). We met my Uni friend Sue down at Devonport and she walked with us for about 2  or 3 kilometrs. She then led us to her home where we had lunch including delicious home made banana cake with chocolate icing, yum 

Then to further explore our sanity or lack thereof, we walked all the way back! So we've had a go at 46 kilometres and survived to tell the tale. And we did it in 11 hours and 45 minutes including our two tea and one lunch breaks.  Not too sure what I think about getting up and doing it all again!

Anyway, bed calls 
nighty night 

[bobbi]

Oh, one last delight to share. We passed these less than intelligent folk late afternoon at Browns Bay beach. I was horrified to see this brand new BMW being driven so far into the sea to hitch up a jetski. Well, apart from sea salt damage, they rapidly found themselves completely stuck! Talk about more money than sense  Fortunately another boat owner took pity on them and gave them a tow.

We decided that this little vignette made the whole day really worthwhile 

[bobbi]

Disaster strikes!

Hi buddies, not the best day today.
I was having my shoe inserts ($200 orthotic supports) adjusted at the podiatry clinic at Uni today. Got bilateral blisters after Monday's 45 km hike on both feet in exactly the same place of my arch where the insert meets the shoe. The insert had been ground down slightly to remove this awkward spot, the student had returned from the workroom with them and we were waiting for the lecturer / supervisor to come and approve / sign off the appointment, when the fire alarm went off - scheduled drill. So we all had to evacuate the building. I grabbed my stuff and started walking out together with the 3rd year student who's been looking after me all year. The fire warden at the exit wouldn't let me proceed unless I put my shoes back on.

And that's when it all went pear-shaped. No chair, no socks, bit of a hurry. I dropped my shoes, jammed my foot into the shoe, and my baby toe got caught on the outer rim of the shoe and completely dislocated outwards. Needless to say, I did not say "oh deary me." I flopped to the ground and quickly jammed the toe back into its socket before it started to swell (weak spot, this has happened before)' I asked my student to run into the cafeteria in the next building and get me some ice, fast! Same officious fire warden wasn't having any of that - it was in the wrong direction and we were supposed to be moving in the opposite direction about 100 metres away to the marshalling area. Hmm...I wasn't going to be be able to hobble 10 metres, let alone 100 ha, ha.

Fortunately the department professor intervened. Fetched me a chair, arranged ice, did what he could. And eventually filled out a hazard incident report. This cites the building warden as being a little more concerned with the rule book rather than relying on common sense. Everyone in podiatry are extremely sympathetic and apologetic - not their fault. Not the warden's either, despite his silly attitude after the accident. Just annoyed with myself really. I can hardly walk, am in great pain and thoroughly ticked off that I won't be able to walk for at least three days. Really bad luck and pretty terrible timing. Oh well, there's ten days to the Oxfam event. And happily with a little luck, this will be just enough time to recover and proceed.

Thank goodness for Voltaren and strategically placed appliances filled with ice.

[birdy]

Guy needs his wardenship taken away!  If the fire was real, maybe his decision was right - but then he should have been organizing a rescue.  What a jerk!

Anyway, I hope you recover soon, and even if you feel you shouldn't do the walk, I'll let your companions earn the fee!  Health first!

[technomc]

Bad luck bobbi....bloody typical though. Never mind mate, if you can do it i am sure you will, but don't put yourself under too much pressure.

I hope it improves quickly. You have trained so hard it would be a shame to miss out.

Take care and keep it up...the foot i mean!!

[biggerbirdbrain]

Man, what bad timing ... and how poorly you were treated is really a shame!

I know you -- you'll give it all you've got. Just be careful. You don't want to get crippled for one race, even though it is important to you. I think you'll be fine -- you go, girl!

[bobbi]

Thanks for your messages of sympathy and support you three. It means a lot!

Foot still sore today, but was able to hobble around Uni with no trouble. Just a bit slow. I'm used to racing along: fast steps, long strides, always in a hurry. So probably good for me to be forced to slow down and observe life around me while I'm moving.

[biggerbirdbrain]

Just like you, bobbi, to make the best of every situation!! I love the optimism. Keep it going!