Travelogue No 5. Dam
Our airbed had slowly deflated during the night meaning we woke up flat on the cold hard floor. Oddly this was quite refreshing and my back feels better for the experience. Tea. Toast.
Looking up and out at the hills surrounding my sisters house I didn't fully grasp the scale. From here they seem to rise a little then give way to a slightly taller hill behind. Todays walk through them with my sister and Lisa left me in awe at the scale and beauty. I also got to take a few pictures of rivers in various stages of descent which was Ace. Here's a river in new Zealand.
The heat from the sun became more bearable as we continued to ascend, passing idiosyncratic houses on both sides of the road. Here a house on stilts to counter the incline, here an 80's style glass fronted new build, here a colonial throw back in need of repair. The inhabitants of each one phoning the police complaining of the stalking voyeurist who'd just destroyed their privacy. Here's a pony in a garden in New Zealand.
The road ran out where we crossed a rope bridge. Lisa coped well with the height and shoddiness of the bridges construction but panicked at the end seeing a big bug and skipped, running the last few steps. I ambled over with as much bravado as I could muster although my knees wobbled jelly-like for an instant when at mid bridge one of the planks below my feet bent more than the others had.
The path thinned and we continued single file. A stream wended along beside us babbling, relaxing us. Birds called through the trees, insects clacked their wings and moths tried to fly up my nose. We saw a sappling growing from a rock in the middle of the stream. 'Good luck little tree' I called. Oh for god sake. What have I become?
Finally we reached a concrete wall. Water dribbled over the top and, after pattering on some rocks, took shaped and disappeared down the mountain as our stream. Here's a concrete wall with water on it in New Zealand.
This was the point of our hike. I busied myself below the dam trying to punctuate the experience of seeing the lake above for the first time. I took pictures and scared a baby duck. A set of steps led up to our destination. As I climbed those final steps a vision of beauty opened before my eyes. The dam held back a small head of water, a pond rather than lake but size wasn't of any importance here. Here's my first view of a pond in New Zealand.
We sat and chatted as the sun shone upon us. I nearly threw Lisa's camera into the pond whilst flapping away an angry wasp. She frowned at me and demanded the camera back. A discussion ensued between my sister and Lisa about what an idiot I was, how clumsy I am and how I can't be trusted. Birds called, trees rustled and the wind pattered the water causing tiny chops to speed towards me then peter out. I became immersed in the surroundings as my sister and girlfriend battered me with insults. I agree heartily with everything they said. As we walked back down the heat steadily grew and by the time we reached base camp ie home we were boiling in the midday sun. Lunch today consisted of a grated cheese and red onion sandwich which was an utter triumph.
I sat and rested my weary legs in the growing heat. In the evening we heard two wild boar fighting in the hills. How lucky we were to survive out there.
Today we're back to Wellington for a tattoo and shopping.