Wed 21st April - Day 5, Holywell to Mawgan Porth (14 miles)

I woke up at six to hear rain on the tent, my foot felt slightly better but upon inspection the blister had bled and spread beyond the big plaster, I decided I wouldn’t look at it again.
Packing up the tent in the rain I left the campsite at 9:15 walking into the village then up & down sand dunes for a bit before getting up to the cliff, here it was a wide grassy path, easy walking and my foot was not as tender as yesterday.

A passing walker said next week was to be good weather, let’s hope he is right.

I was becoming concerned about my rucsac, every time I put it on or lifted it off my back a bit more of the stitching on the straps & belt seemed to go. I could not see it surviving for much longer and decided to try and get a replacement in Newquay, if I couldn’t get one here it would be days before I would come to another sizeable town which might have any.

There is a long inlet on the south side of Newquay with the map showing 2 crossing points. The first, shown as a passenger ferry, only runs in the summer so was not available. The second, a km further away, is a low foot bridge but is only passable at low tide, fortunately this was the case so I didn’t have to wait before I cold get across.

Crossing over I continued round the coast by Fistral Beach and Towan Head with a view over the North Harbour as I came into Newquay.

After phoning "Orkney Today" to give them an update I found a café and had fish & chips. Asking about any camping shops I was told there was only one!

The camping shop only had four rucsacs and I bought the biggest one they had for £70.
As I was changing over the contents the proprietor saw my stove & said “A Globetrotter", they stopped making those 20 years ago!!�

Rather than dump my old one (it might be repairable) I went to the post office to see about posting it home. They wouldn’t accept it because it wasn’t wrapped, however after borrowing some string & tape and tying the loose ends up they did take it, but they made no guarantee it would be delivered ok and I had to sign a piece of paper absolving the PO from failure to deliver. It arrived back in Orkney 3 days later.

I spent 2 hours here, the rain had stopped and I set off in the sun along the cliffs above the long sandy stretch of Watergate Bay, this is a very busy beach in the summer.

It rained again for another hour but the sun was out again as I came round Berryl’s Point and I pitched my tent at 17:30 in Magic Cove campsite in Mawgan Porth.

It had been a short day, only 14 miles, I got all my clothes tumble dried at the campsite, I didn’t bother washing them!!

73 miles completed.