Even after 83 days of tramping, three pairs of shoes and a few worried phone calls to mum, 18-year-old Queenstown superstar Jessica Dredge is still going strong.
The ex-Wakatipu High School student is well over halfway through Te Araroa Trail, this week taking on the Richmond Ranges near Nelson — a nine-day stretch of practically nothing — and expecting to pass through Queenstown in about 50 days.
She’s covered almost 2000 kilometres so far, managing to avoid the horrific weather events in the North Island, and is constantly proving
how hard-working and sensible she is, her mum says.
Jenny Dredge has been tracking her daughter’s every move since she began at Cape Reinga on December 10.
She reckons the nerves have eased a bit since the beginning, ‘‘because I know how capable she is,’’ but there have still been a few
challenges.
She says Jessica’s not keen on heights, so ridges with steep drops and suspension bridges are tricky, but she powers through with the
support of other walkers, Trail Angels and the Track Me team along the way.
Jessica’s on track to finish Te Araroa in early May, and although her mum reckons it’ll be hard to let her move on to the next thing when she returns, her pride’s immeasurable.
‘‘She is incredible, I’m speechless.’’
