The Dunedin champion of a hotly contested chilli-eating competition was up north to take part in the national final.
He took a creditable fifth place after a bout of severe heartburn.
Mr Walmsley-Bartlett (19), a University of Otago student, had been trying out a variety of vegan restaurants in Auckland while he had the chance before the competition, tasting plenty of new foods he had not tried before. That may have been his downfall.
''Going into it, my body just wasn't really feeling it.
''I got 13 rounds in, and then they gave us a vodka shot with chilli in it.''
That, he said, gave him severe heartburn.
''I braved through another couple of rounds and then it just got worse and worse, so I thought it wasn't really worth it for me.''
Mr Walmsley-Bartlett won the Dunedin heats of the New Zealand Chilli Eating Champs last month.
He then accepted an invitation to enter the national final at the New Zealand Hot Sauce Festival in Auckland on Saturday.
The sold-out event was held at the Sweatshop Brew Kitchen, and with 600 tickets sold was ''pretty full''.
''It was a huge crowd, which was pretty cool.''
The 12 competitors were at a long table, and dropped out one-by-one as the chillies became too much to bear.
Mr Walmsley-Bartlett said his varied diet leading up to the event had not been the best preparation.
''I felt a lot worse a lot earlier on this time.''
The discomfort moved from his stomach to his heart, which began to feel ''tight''.
''It was getting somewhat worrying, so I thought 'no, I'm out, like I'd rather not'.
''It's not worth risking having to go to the hospital.''
Back in Dunedin yesterday, he said he felt ''slightly the worse for wear''.
The chance to take in Auckland's vegan delights, and to visit a sister in the city, meant the trip was worth it.
Mr Walmsley-Bartlett said the experience had not put him off competitive chilli-eating.
He would ''definitely'' enter the competition in Dunedin next year, and the nationals if he made it that far, if for no other reason than because he could.
