Today could either be seen as a disaster or a blessing. I know what I’m leaning towards…what do you think?
The whole camp was up and at ’em early. Various plans being discussed and enacted upon. Our plan had been to do the full road walk into Whananaki….it didn’t turn out that way.
We started well enough. Another bypass as a result of the Kauri dieback. A worthy cause, though the result is more of the dreaded road walking. We were making solid progress when….disaster. We miss a turn. Walk several kilometers down a busy stretch of road before the mistake is realised. I’m, to put it mildly, pretty shitty.
We turn around and begin to rectify our mistake. I’m feeling hot and bothered. Decidedly antsy. A roaring behind us and the thundering of hooves. An ATV, 4WD and a couple of old timers screeching at the cows. We’ve got ourselves a muster!
The kindly farmer on the ATV asks us if we would like a ride back up the hill. He realises we have gone the wrong way. We gratefully accept and plonk onto the back of the vehicle. He races us up the hill and drops us off, keen to keep his cows on the straight and narrow.
The cows hustle past us. Next second the driver of the ute receives instructions to take us all the way into town! He stops, the doors are opened, there’s no time for a discussion, in we jump.
Honestly, I’m very relieved. As we zoom past the countryside I realise we aren’t really missing much. And the road is busy, narrow and winding. Sometimes you just have to take the help that is offered. This is one of those times.
I’m extremely grateful when we are dropped off at the caravan park. It’s a hot day, and we now have a whole afternoon to charge accessories, plan ahead, dry equipment and relax!
For the first time the pool in the caravan park has water in it. With chores complete we strip off and plunge into the icy cold depths. It feels divine. Both refreshing and relaxing. I lounge on a wooden seat in the sun afterwards and feel utterly content.
An early dinner of fish and chips (actually fish bites…they’d run out of fish), bit of a walk, and now I’m relaxing with a glass of wine watching the sunset under a Norfolk Pine. Thanks to the generosity of a couple of strangers, I’ve been able to have a wonderful, much needed, relaxing day.
You are getting so much more human and animal interaction on this trek than on the Heysen! For better or for worse-depends on the circumstances, as you found out today! Very thoughtful people, helping you recover from The Farm nightmare xx
Again, we have a lot in common – I take my pull buggy down to golf, fully intending to walk the course, but, if someone offers me a ride in their motorised golf cart, well, you just accept the kindness offered don’t you?