Challenges and adventure

Slept wonderfully last night and woke feeling refreshed and ready for a new day - and a new year. Started the day with breakfast sitting in sunshine, reading and contemplating a few things, then a little gardening. All very relaxing, low-key and thoroughly satisfying.

I'm aiming to get active each day so today we decided on a walk in the Waiuku Forest, about 40 minutes drive away, which meant we could combine the drive down there with delivering I's car to town for him to pick up later and a trip to the supermarket to pick up a few provisions. Solid plan.

We managed to find the forest from C's memory (no maps round here!) and began the walk into the beautifully cool forest. It's quite a large forest and presents a good few options for walking as well as horse riding (it's apparently a pretty popular horse trekking recreational area - might add that to the 'another time' list). So we walked and talked for a while, choosing and following tracks as they presented themselves until the sound of the sea
started to drift to our ears. I began to think it would be nice to add a beach visit to the walk so we headed in the direction of the sea-sounds and this is where things started, once again, to get interesting....

I should have learned by now that 'travel' with C is usually challenging and seems to be a defining difference between us. C leans forwards into the adventure, finding excitement in the curiosity of what's beyond whereas I'm
much more cautious, preferring to be able to see the way ahead clearly before committing to the journey. There have been a number of times now where this difference has been vividly demonstrated in the journeys we have taken together and today's adventure was another one to add to the list.

It began with a small detour off the main walking track (mental note - learn to recognise these small yet significant initial signs) There was a 'kind of' track descending through the trees towards the sound of the sea which C began heading down with me staying put thinking she'd return when she could see the way ahead was too challenging. (It's now clear to me that this is another fundamental difference between us - C sees an obstacle as a challenge and I see it as a barrier) As C disappeared further out of view I could vaguely hear her words assuring me it was all ok and very manageable so I slowly began to follow. Sure enough, things were 'ok' (kind of) - hillside getting a little steeper and the fallen and decaying tree branches, boughs and roots a little more dense, until we emerged at the edge
- a point where the land stopped suddenly and dropped off into what looked like nothing. The land beneath our feet was sand so I figured it may not have much strength to it so was very nervous when C went to the edge. Being the
go-ahead sort she soon figured that she could sit on the edge and a-l-m-o-s-t reach a small ledge - and then she was gone! A brief moment - then hoots of laughter as she 'ran' down the steep but loose, sandy face of the 'cliff'. Now
I had to follow. I managed it with rather less grace, taking a very rocky bump to my bum on the way, but managed to arrive safely at the bottom. It didn't take long to realise it wouldn't be easy (or safe) to attempt to return the same way which left us with no option but to walk along the beach and find another route (there were a couple of other people on the beach so we figured they must have come in from somewhere a lot easier!) Nice walk along the beach, a few photos then the next problem . . . .

As we approached a large rocky outcrop that jutted into the sea we began to see we would have to either shimmy around its base or clamber up and over to the other side. And just as we straining to look around the base, beginning to realise that this was not going to be an option), a gust of wind swept C's prized and much loved hat off her head and into the water. The hat was swept to the other side of the rock and it very quickly became apparent that getting wet was inevitable. With barely any time for discussion she dumped her phone, keys and shoes and carefully slid in to the water which turned out to be too deep to reach the bottom - the only option was to swim. . . . and the pull of the tide made it an unexpectedly hard swim. A few strokes though and the hat was rescued - few more strokes and a little wading and C was safely on shore again - on the other side of the outcrop!

Now I had no choice once again but to clamber up and over the outcrop which took some doing (it being largely sandy and loose) but eventually arrived at the top to meet up with C. Now for the next challenge - bushwacking through shoulder high cutty-grass and fallen trees - it took time and we each gained a few scrapes and scratches along the way but managed to find our way back to the 'safety' of the forest where walking atleast was alot easier!

Next challenge - it was 5.15pm and the gates to the area were closed at 6.00. We had no real idea where the car was, only a vague notion about the direction it was in. We adopted the 'fast-paced, walking-with-intent' gear and were somewhat surprised to find the car after only about 20 or 25 minutes of walking. It was a feeling of both physical and emotional relief to finally drive through the gates and back towards town :)

What have I learned from this experience? Time will tell, but I know there will be quite a few things!