First two apologies, sorry for all the spelling mistakes in my last blog, I was in a pub on Stewart Island and it was costing a fortune as I had to keep putting $2 in and it was a slow connection. Sorry also for not posting since then.
Crossed back over to the South Island on Friday 2/12 and booked into the Bluff camping ground, the following day i did all the local walks around Bluff, On Sunday 4/12 my walk North started in earnest. Starting point was Stirling Point the beginning of State Highway One where all Bluff to Cape Reinga ventures start.I arrived there at 7.45 expecting to have to wait awhile until someone else arrived so that I could get them to take my photo by the signpost but a minute later two car load of young people drove up with radios blaring rap music.They had obviously been at an all night party but luckily had a sober driver, a young lady who happily took my photo.The walk from Bluff to Invercargill
was uneventful and took about 8 hours for the 30 odd km all on the road,
I stayed with Nicole/Shawn and Tobi again, this time for 3 nights. I was shocked to find on weighing myself that i had lost 7kg while on Stewart Island. I knew it was tough but didn't realise it was that tough! The days were fairly hectic and included shopping for items I will need later. I also had to get my shoes replaced as the heel had starting to come away from the pair I had. This was to cause me much angst later. I also gave a presentation to Tobi's school, Waverly Park, telling them all about my walk. Shawn arranged for me to visit Richardsons Truck Museum a world class display of over 200 vintage trucks which is not generally open to the public, I also did some last minute (for me anyway) Xmas shopping and wrapped and couried them off and bundled up some stuff I'd decided I didn't need and dropped it off at the local branch of my ex employer LIC from where it will get to Christchurch and I will make arrangements later to get it to Hamilton. It was great spending time in a family situation and I was made to feel very welcome but the time went very quickly. On Wednesday 7/12 Nicole kindly dropped me off at the turnoff to Tiwai. I had tried to book a tour of the Tiwai Aluminium Smelter but they were booked out but I was given permission to walk across their land. I sleep in my tent that night not far from the beach near Waituna Lagoon.Walking on the beach was difficult due to the the small pea sized stones which dragged at my feet.
The next day I only spoke with one person, a retired farmer who kindly refilled my water bottles and gave me route directions. The walk up the side of the Mataura River was a surprise as it was lined with hundreds of shacks used by local whitebaiters.I slept by the side of the river that night. The following night I slept in a camping ground at Fortrose at the start of the Catlins. I have not been doing very large distances yet as my replacement shoes have given me blisters!
On Saturday I had walked about 10km and had turned down a side road to visit the Waipapa Lighthouse when local farmer Tim Barker stopped on his motorbike for a chat, long story short they have a holiday home on their property which they normally rent out at $130 a night, I have been staying here for the past 3 nights and doing 4 hours gardening a day in lieu of rent. Tim and his wife Kim have a large garden surrounding their home on a 500 acres sheep farm. They have 3 children including a 10 week old baby and the garden had gotten away on them. So i have been weeding and pruning for 3 days. It's been great to spend a few nights in comfort again after 3 nights in the tent. Today I had finished my 4 hours by lunch time and then walked about 14km to Slope Point via the Waipapa Lighthouse.It was the best walk yet, lovely weather, firm sand and I was able to take my boots off and walk in bare feet for about 2/3rd of the way. Slope Point is the southern most point in the South Is. Tim collected me from their and tomorrow morning i will get dropped off their again to resume my journey north. Destination tomorrow is Curio Bay and the submerged petrified forest.
Have taken quite a few photos which I will hopefully be able to add to a future post.Speak to you again soon.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Mud,Sandflies & Kiwis (and my small part in a big drama)
Have now been in Stewart Island for 2.5 weeks and completed 2 major walking tracks. to say that these were challenging for me would be an understatement. The tracks are administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC) who also look after the huts I stayed in each night. The tramps involved many steep sections which as i was initially carrying 3 weeks worth of food I found physically exhausting, initially I was also suffering from blisters but these have all resolved themselves now. At the end of each day there was a hut to stay in after walking for anywhere between 5 and 10 hours. Stewart Island mud is legendary I am now an expert mud grader, from the sticky slippery stuff right through to the watery variety. From inches deep right up to above my knees in places. The huts are basic but clean from 6 to 24 bunks with plastic covered mattresses for you to place your sleeping bag on, a cold water tap and a long drop toilet some metres away from the hut. The path to one toilet was flooded and another was up a hill with 50 steps (I counted) to reach it! Some days i walked with other trampers and others I walked on my own. I made friends with Jan (pronounced Yun) a dutch- kiwi guy and we walked together for 4 days, I was slower than him so I left earlier in the morning and he caught me up later and we would walk together until we got to a hill then he would go ahead and then wait for me. Some huts carried advertising for a local helicopter co, if the walk was proving more difficult than expected to give them a call and for $500 or more they would come and get you. Initially a voice in my head kept telling me that there would be no shame in giving up but I did persevere and I'm glad I did.
Sand flies did not tend to annoy on the track but could be very troublesome at the huts. At one hut there were so many inside that we decided we needed to kill them all before going to sleep, so all 10 of us went on a sand fly killing spree until they were all gone. We then realised that we all needed to pee before going to bed and therefore agreed that rather than all going out individually and opening and shutting the door each time thus letting squadrons more inside we all went outside at the same time all disappeared into the bushes and all went inside again at the same time thus only opening and shutting the door twice.
Besides the mud and the sand flies the other topic of conversation was spotting kiwis. On Stewart Island Kiwi have evolved to come out during the day and it was every ones hope of seeing at least one, I spotted 5 during the 18 days and even got a photo of one. I have been in NZ for over 40 years and this is the first time I have seen Kiwi in the wild. One guy from the Chech Republic saw a kiwi walking towards him on the track so he stood as still as he could and the kiwi walked right up to him and pecked his boot then went on its way, how special was that.
I met many interesting people on the walks. One of which was a Norwegian called Anders. I had spent 3 days and 2 nights on my own having seen no one at all and thought that this would be the 3rd night on my own when Anders staggered into the hut and fell onto a seat. Anders is 34, 130 lb and 191cm tall, a large man but he was absolutely exhausted. He had been taken by plane to another hut a few days before to photograph Kiwi, the hut was remote and the plane had landed on the beach. On the day the plane was due to come back to get him the weather had worsened and gale force winds were blowing, convinced the plane would be unable to land in those conditions he had decided to walk to the hut where I was staying in the hope of catching a water taxi, problem was he had 50kgs of luggage. He took 6.5 hours to walk 15.5 kms to the hut, this was the flattest track on the island and i had walked the same track in both directions the week before in 6 hours but with only a day pack. Anders readily admitted that he was not very fit and had got half way and decided to leave half his luggage on the track and return to get it. The luggage he carried with him was 25 kg of photographic equipment and he left behind all his clothes and food etc. There was no way he could have completed the return trip to collect the rest of his gear in the condition he was in. I heated him up one of my meals and once he had recovered enough we both returned to collect the rest of his luggage arriving back at the hut just prior to midnight. As there was no cell phone coverage at the hut I was unable to notify anyone of where Anders was. The next day I set off for the next hut in terrible conditions, with gale force winds, a very wet muddy and hilly track and it took me nearly 10 hours to get to the next hut, still unable to get any message out. The day after that I arrive back in Oban the only town on Stewart Island and when I went to report Anders whereabouts I learnt that he had been the centre of a Search and Rescue operation. The plane had managed to land on the beach where he was supposed to be picked up but to find no sign of Anders and he had left no message in the hut book to advise that he'd walked to another hut. Fearing the worst they had people searching the beach for miles. Due to the weather the water taxis could not reach the hut he was at to check that and the only helicopter on the island was too small to fly in those conditions so they had to call out another larger helicopter from the Mainland. Eventually they found him at the hut and brought him back to Oban. He is not very popular with the authorities, due to the high cost of searching for him! Being a small community i overheard people talking in the supermarket about the man who had gone missing and that he had been found. If only I could have got phone reception I could have prevented a very expensive search and rescue operation.
So that's my little bit of drama to report. Still have some small walks to do on the Island so have extended my stay until Friday will then cross over to the mainland and start my northwards walk from Bluff . So will probably post another report in about a weeks time.
Sand flies did not tend to annoy on the track but could be very troublesome at the huts. At one hut there were so many inside that we decided we needed to kill them all before going to sleep, so all 10 of us went on a sand fly killing spree until they were all gone. We then realised that we all needed to pee before going to bed and therefore agreed that rather than all going out individually and opening and shutting the door each time thus letting squadrons more inside we all went outside at the same time all disappeared into the bushes and all went inside again at the same time thus only opening and shutting the door twice.
Besides the mud and the sand flies the other topic of conversation was spotting kiwis. On Stewart Island Kiwi have evolved to come out during the day and it was every ones hope of seeing at least one, I spotted 5 during the 18 days and even got a photo of one. I have been in NZ for over 40 years and this is the first time I have seen Kiwi in the wild. One guy from the Chech Republic saw a kiwi walking towards him on the track so he stood as still as he could and the kiwi walked right up to him and pecked his boot then went on its way, how special was that.
I met many interesting people on the walks. One of which was a Norwegian called Anders. I had spent 3 days and 2 nights on my own having seen no one at all and thought that this would be the 3rd night on my own when Anders staggered into the hut and fell onto a seat. Anders is 34, 130 lb and 191cm tall, a large man but he was absolutely exhausted. He had been taken by plane to another hut a few days before to photograph Kiwi, the hut was remote and the plane had landed on the beach. On the day the plane was due to come back to get him the weather had worsened and gale force winds were blowing, convinced the plane would be unable to land in those conditions he had decided to walk to the hut where I was staying in the hope of catching a water taxi, problem was he had 50kgs of luggage. He took 6.5 hours to walk 15.5 kms to the hut, this was the flattest track on the island and i had walked the same track in both directions the week before in 6 hours but with only a day pack. Anders readily admitted that he was not very fit and had got half way and decided to leave half his luggage on the track and return to get it. The luggage he carried with him was 25 kg of photographic equipment and he left behind all his clothes and food etc. There was no way he could have completed the return trip to collect the rest of his gear in the condition he was in. I heated him up one of my meals and once he had recovered enough we both returned to collect the rest of his luggage arriving back at the hut just prior to midnight. As there was no cell phone coverage at the hut I was unable to notify anyone of where Anders was. The next day I set off for the next hut in terrible conditions, with gale force winds, a very wet muddy and hilly track and it took me nearly 10 hours to get to the next hut, still unable to get any message out. The day after that I arrive back in Oban the only town on Stewart Island and when I went to report Anders whereabouts I learnt that he had been the centre of a Search and Rescue operation. The plane had managed to land on the beach where he was supposed to be picked up but to find no sign of Anders and he had left no message in the hut book to advise that he'd walked to another hut. Fearing the worst they had people searching the beach for miles. Due to the weather the water taxis could not reach the hut he was at to check that and the only helicopter on the island was too small to fly in those conditions so they had to call out another larger helicopter from the Mainland. Eventually they found him at the hut and brought him back to Oban. He is not very popular with the authorities, due to the high cost of searching for him! Being a small community i overheard people talking in the supermarket about the man who had gone missing and that he had been found. If only I could have got phone reception I could have prevented a very expensive search and rescue operation.
So that's my little bit of drama to report. Still have some small walks to do on the Island so have extended my stay until Friday will then cross over to the mainland and start my northwards walk from Bluff . So will probably post another report in about a weeks time.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Start Of The Journey
The journey has finally started. Thanks to Mike and Christine who put me up for the weekend and to Mike who got up at 4.45am so that he could get his chores done before he took me to the airport. Charissa came to see me off at the airport and we both got a bit emotional saying goodbye.
I had 3 uneventful flights leaving Hamilton at 7am and arriving in Invercargill about 1.45pm.The only thing of note during the journey was a verbal spat with the operator of a cafe in Wellington Airport who don't provide water apart from the bottled variety available at $4 a bottle.
Was met at Invercargill Airport by Nicole Wright a friend of my daughter who took me to a couple of outdoor shops so that I could purchase a couple of things we then picked 5 year old Tobi up from school and then to her home. Walked back into town and purchased food supplies for the next 3 weeks on Stewart Island and Tobi then helped me to cram them into my already full pack. I will be wearing a small front pack for a few days until the supplies start getting used up. Later met Nicole's husband Shawn. They have all been very hospitable and happy to assist me in any way. I would call it southern hospitality except they are originally from Rotorua.
Tomorrow I cross over to Stewart Island on the ferry and commence walking the day after, the same day that rain is predicted. It is unlikely that I will be able to post any more on this blog until 28th November. Talk to you all then.
I had 3 uneventful flights leaving Hamilton at 7am and arriving in Invercargill about 1.45pm.The only thing of note during the journey was a verbal spat with the operator of a cafe in Wellington Airport who don't provide water apart from the bottled variety available at $4 a bottle.
Was met at Invercargill Airport by Nicole Wright a friend of my daughter who took me to a couple of outdoor shops so that I could purchase a couple of things we then picked 5 year old Tobi up from school and then to her home. Walked back into town and purchased food supplies for the next 3 weeks on Stewart Island and Tobi then helped me to cram them into my already full pack. I will be wearing a small front pack for a few days until the supplies start getting used up. Later met Nicole's husband Shawn. They have all been very hospitable and happy to assist me in any way. I would call it southern hospitality except they are originally from Rotorua.
Tomorrow I cross over to Stewart Island on the ferry and commence walking the day after, the same day that rain is predicted. It is unlikely that I will be able to post any more on this blog until 28th November. Talk to you all then.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Unemployed and Homeless
Friday we moved out of the house, a long busy day getting Marilyn shifted into her new home.
When I called into the supermarket afterwards the checkout girl asked me if I'd had a good day, to which I said it had been busy. She said "you'll pleased to get home then", yes I said I would but no longer had a home to go to. She didn't know what to say to that. I'm now officially unemployed and homeless. Have also made the final delivery to my storage facility.
A big thanks to Brian Grahams-Smith from Creative Signs Solutions in Hamilton for the donation of "wherespoppy" flags, they have made a brilliant job of them I requested 2 and got given 10, so will be able to give some away to supporters. I will put one on my pack and one on my tent.
My daughter Naomi challenged me to shave off my beard and then let it grow and not trim it until I finish the walk, I have today shaved my beard but will reserve the decision about whether to trim or not until later.
I have a couple of photos to add to this blog at some stage but because I am on a strange computer with nobody around to help will post them later. One photo is of my mother (who is in a rest home in UK ) holding up a "wherespoppy" sign the other photo is of my granddaughter who made a wherespoppy sign out of shells on the beach. As I've said I will post these later but in the meantime I'd like to challenge everyone to see who can either get a photo of someone famous to hold up a "wherespoppy" sign or take a photo of a "wherespoppy" sign in an unusual location.
Tomorrow morning I fly to Invercargill, cross over to Stewart Island on Tuesday and start a 3 week tramp on Wednesday. I'm surprising myself about how relaxed I am about starting this new adventure. still very much looking forward to it though.
When I called into the supermarket afterwards the checkout girl asked me if I'd had a good day, to which I said it had been busy. She said "you'll pleased to get home then", yes I said I would but no longer had a home to go to. She didn't know what to say to that. I'm now officially unemployed and homeless. Have also made the final delivery to my storage facility.
A big thanks to Brian Grahams-Smith from Creative Signs Solutions in Hamilton for the donation of "wherespoppy" flags, they have made a brilliant job of them I requested 2 and got given 10, so will be able to give some away to supporters. I will put one on my pack and one on my tent.
My daughter Naomi challenged me to shave off my beard and then let it grow and not trim it until I finish the walk, I have today shaved my beard but will reserve the decision about whether to trim or not until later.
I have a couple of photos to add to this blog at some stage but because I am on a strange computer with nobody around to help will post them later. One photo is of my mother (who is in a rest home in UK ) holding up a "wherespoppy" sign the other photo is of my granddaughter who made a wherespoppy sign out of shells on the beach. As I've said I will post these later but in the meantime I'd like to challenge everyone to see who can either get a photo of someone famous to hold up a "wherespoppy" sign or take a photo of a "wherespoppy" sign in an unusual location.
Tomorrow morning I fly to Invercargill, cross over to Stewart Island on Tuesday and start a 3 week tramp on Wednesday. I'm surprising myself about how relaxed I am about starting this new adventure. still very much looking forward to it though.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Progress Report
All the ducks are starting to swim in a row, taking awhile to get things organised, longer than I would have thought, so just as well I'm not working!
A couple of updates on previous posts, I forgot to mention last time under Fame & Fortune that thanks to an LIC press release two provincial newspapers have printed a story about my walk, Rotorua Review and Northern Advocate. So starts the scrapbook! Have now purchased a Personal Locator Beacon for use in emergencies, hopefully that is $700 worth of equipment that will never get used. Total cost of equipment etc to date is $3522. On the other hand I suppose I could have not done the walk bought another house and spent a lot more so I figure I'm saving money.
No luck with attracting any sponsors yet but a big thank you to Janet Natta from Advice Financial who waived a $150 fee as a donation to my walk.
As I've said I have been busy this past few weeks as well as the marriage assets to be split up it has also meant a new bank account and getting a Visa Debit card so that I wont have to worry about paying a monthly account. Medical insurance has also been sorted out for the next year. Had two very long sessions on the phone with State Insurance due to the fact that I no longer fall into their preset categories, not only have I sold my home but I am putting all of my possessions into storage AND will be no fixed abode, not only that but I also have the audacity to loan my car to my daughter and her partner who will also be no fixed abode, 1.5 hours on the phone one day and another hour the next with two follow up phone calls. The first follow up phone call was to find out why I had not received an invoice in the mail as promised and the second to find out why the promised emailed replacement invoice also hadn't arrived. Can you hear the gnashing of teeth. Marilyn spent half an hour on the phone with them sorting out the insurance on her new home and then received SEVEN separate items of mail form them all on the one day a few days later.
Other things to organise have been, getting our cars put into individual ownership, visits to the lawyer for a new will and enduring power of attorney, arranging storage of all my worldly goods, selling unwanted items on Trademe, a new email address and catching up with friends for final farewells.
A new development has been the offer from a friend to stay in her home while she is Europe for 6 weeks next winter. Haven't made a final decision on that yet but will probably take it up as it would mean I wouldn't be walking for the worst part of the winter and would be a good chance to rest up.
Have borrowed a friends van and have been shifting my stuff into my storage units over the past two days, have made 5 trips so far with at least another 2 to go. Of course it's all very desirable stuff that I couldn't possibly part with! Wonder if I'll feel the same about it in a years time when I have to move it all out again?
Due to setting up a gmail email address it somehow affected me being able to enter new posts on here but seems to be sorted for now but I'm a bit worried about being able to place posts while I'm on my walk as the site doesn't allow a gmail address to be my primary address. I will need to seek some professional advice in the next few days, so hopefully you will hear from me again.
11 sleeps to go.
A couple of updates on previous posts, I forgot to mention last time under Fame & Fortune that thanks to an LIC press release two provincial newspapers have printed a story about my walk, Rotorua Review and Northern Advocate. So starts the scrapbook! Have now purchased a Personal Locator Beacon for use in emergencies, hopefully that is $700 worth of equipment that will never get used. Total cost of equipment etc to date is $3522. On the other hand I suppose I could have not done the walk bought another house and spent a lot more so I figure I'm saving money.
No luck with attracting any sponsors yet but a big thank you to Janet Natta from Advice Financial who waived a $150 fee as a donation to my walk.
As I've said I have been busy this past few weeks as well as the marriage assets to be split up it has also meant a new bank account and getting a Visa Debit card so that I wont have to worry about paying a monthly account. Medical insurance has also been sorted out for the next year. Had two very long sessions on the phone with State Insurance due to the fact that I no longer fall into their preset categories, not only have I sold my home but I am putting all of my possessions into storage AND will be no fixed abode, not only that but I also have the audacity to loan my car to my daughter and her partner who will also be no fixed abode, 1.5 hours on the phone one day and another hour the next with two follow up phone calls. The first follow up phone call was to find out why I had not received an invoice in the mail as promised and the second to find out why the promised emailed replacement invoice also hadn't arrived. Can you hear the gnashing of teeth. Marilyn spent half an hour on the phone with them sorting out the insurance on her new home and then received SEVEN separate items of mail form them all on the one day a few days later.
Other things to organise have been, getting our cars put into individual ownership, visits to the lawyer for a new will and enduring power of attorney, arranging storage of all my worldly goods, selling unwanted items on Trademe, a new email address and catching up with friends for final farewells.
A new development has been the offer from a friend to stay in her home while she is Europe for 6 weeks next winter. Haven't made a final decision on that yet but will probably take it up as it would mean I wouldn't be walking for the worst part of the winter and would be a good chance to rest up.
Have borrowed a friends van and have been shifting my stuff into my storage units over the past two days, have made 5 trips so far with at least another 2 to go. Of course it's all very desirable stuff that I couldn't possibly part with! Wonder if I'll feel the same about it in a years time when I have to move it all out again?
Due to setting up a gmail email address it somehow affected me being able to enter new posts on here but seems to be sorted for now but I'm a bit worried about being able to place posts while I'm on my walk as the site doesn't allow a gmail address to be my primary address. I will need to seek some professional advice in the next few days, so hopefully you will hear from me again.
11 sleeps to go.
Monday, 10 October 2011
(Gaining) FAME & (Costing a) FORTUNE
Meanwhile back in NZ I have been gradually getting my kit together, have now purchased 99% of my gear and am pleasantly surprised to find that by concentrating on lightweight equipment my pack only weighs 14 kg, to that I need to add about another 1kg and then food on top of that. A lot less than the 25kg I had originally thought I would have on my back. Thanks to Kirsty from Bivouac in Hamilton for her help and patience in assisting me with selecting the right equipment and for the discount for bulk buying. Only major piece of equipment I now need to buy is a Personal Locator Beacon, at $700 each I am still evaluating if I need it or not. Total spent on equipment and clothing etc so far is $2,300.
Have now decided to spend 3 weeks tramping in Stewart Island before setting off from Bluff. Will purchase
dehydrated food and gas containers for Stewart Island once I arrive in Invercargill in less than a months time.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
First Of The Summer Wine
Have just experienced a wonderfully relaxing few days in a bush clad setting with Warrick and John. Three old men with time on their hands. We were helicoptered into Te Pua Hut in the Urewera's by Robert Fleming of Waimana Helicopters in his Jet Ranger. This was only my 2nd ever flight in a helicopter. Only took 10 minutes but eliminated what would have been a 5.5 hour tramp. The hut is situated in a clearing amongst native bush with a river only metres away from the front door. On the first day I climbed one of the hills behind the hut and on the 2nd day we all did a short walk up river. Warrick and John both have health issues so were unable to do any serious walking so on the 3rd day I walked up river for 3 hours on my own, crossing and recrossing the river and soaking in the pristine atmosphere and total lack of any evidence of human activity. I would have gone further but a set of waterfalls blocked my way, I did try to climb them but was worried about slipping and how long it would be before I was found should I injure myself. I did prove to myself that I could spend time alone in a remote environment even if only for a short while.
We did see a number of different bird species but very little of each, I wonder what it would have been like prior to stoats etc. I took several photos of the endangered Blue Duck. There was a pot belly stove in the hut for which we cut wood and it very quickly had us warm and cosy each evening while we drank beer and wine and told each other stories and lies. On the first night we made a remarkable discovery, NZ is currently in the grip of Rugby World Cup fever and every man and his dog is avidly following each game. It turns out that none of the 3 of us is interested in Rugby.The only 3 guys in the whole of NZ not interested in Rugby holed up in the bush together!! On the 2nd night I casually asked Warrick how old he is. The reply staggered me, "60.................... today" Of course I had to have an extra glass of wine to help him celebrate, otherwise he was quite content to soak in the specialness of the place he has been visiting for over 30 years and, unless I had asked, not let on that it was his 60th birthday.
Luckily enough we did not see many sand flies although John did claim to have overheard two sand flies talking on the river bank:
1st Sand fly "What are we going to do with this horse now that we have caught it?
2nd Sand fly "Lets take it back to base"
1st Sand fly "No, if we do that the big guys will take it off us!
Yes a very relaxing few days, although I did get rudely disturbed on the 3rd day, I was sitting outside the hut reading and had dosed off when a helicopter flew over. That was the only sign of other humans we saw from Monday to Thursday.
Ironically after spending three days walking in a rock strewn river where I was constantly clambering over rocks and boulders and then the first day back in town I tripped over a kerb and stubbed my big toe!
For those of you who have had difficulty posting a comment on this blog I have reset one of the settings so please retry, I'd love to hear your comments.
We did see a number of different bird species but very little of each, I wonder what it would have been like prior to stoats etc. I took several photos of the endangered Blue Duck. There was a pot belly stove in the hut for which we cut wood and it very quickly had us warm and cosy each evening while we drank beer and wine and told each other stories and lies. On the first night we made a remarkable discovery, NZ is currently in the grip of Rugby World Cup fever and every man and his dog is avidly following each game. It turns out that none of the 3 of us is interested in Rugby.The only 3 guys in the whole of NZ not interested in Rugby holed up in the bush together!! On the 2nd night I casually asked Warrick how old he is. The reply staggered me, "60.................... today" Of course I had to have an extra glass of wine to help him celebrate, otherwise he was quite content to soak in the specialness of the place he has been visiting for over 30 years and, unless I had asked, not let on that it was his 60th birthday.
Luckily enough we did not see many sand flies although John did claim to have overheard two sand flies talking on the river bank:
1st Sand fly "What are we going to do with this horse now that we have caught it?
2nd Sand fly "Lets take it back to base"
1st Sand fly "No, if we do that the big guys will take it off us!
Yes a very relaxing few days, although I did get rudely disturbed on the 3rd day, I was sitting outside the hut reading and had dosed off when a helicopter flew over. That was the only sign of other humans we saw from Monday to Thursday.
Ironically after spending three days walking in a rock strewn river where I was constantly clambering over rocks and boulders and then the first day back in town I tripped over a kerb and stubbed my big toe!
For those of you who have had difficulty posting a comment on this blog I have reset one of the settings so please retry, I'd love to hear your comments.
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