tramping new zealand

Christmas Day.

The forecast called for decent rain all day, and it was correct. Most of the day was super gloomy with a few glimpses of the surrounding mountains. The heaviest rain had fallen during the night, but the day was a steady drizzle with occasional 10-minute heavy showers.

Later in the afternoon, it stopped, and we could see new snow around us, but it was quite high, maybe 800 m.

We talked about the delights of bow hunting, and various bush experiences, injuries, favourite areas to go, power diving, his profession, and how mine had big lulls in activity that I spent away from home.

Stephen showed me the thar around the hut that he was choosing to have a go at. But not today.

He was well equipped, able to carry everything in his vehicle, and made me a Christmas luncheon: Toad in a Hole, an egg in fried toast with the most delicious smoked bacon I’d ever had, together with coleslaw.

I discovered my Christmas treat, a bag of pistachio nuts, had been left behind. I had little to offer except my listening skills, and I overperformed in that area.

The rain kept falling, and the rivers kept rising. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.