Te Araroa

My paradise.

The fear drips off my hat in a steady stream.

Drops fall in to my eyes.

The day fades away.

My fear precipitates into snow.

Everything goes white.

The fear fades away.

The day lingers in a low grey sky.

Then fades.

Sometimes no matter what, you don’t say a thing.

Sometimes you wait.

And sometimes you stay waiting.

But sometimes, it isn’t you that matters.

Sand Flies

Time flys

It’s raining, we do a rain dance.

“Rain rain go away and come again another day”, we chant around the tent.

Then we waited.

Lusi left and the rain did too.

On again and this time Russell gives us some… advices. He talks through his beard which pales in comparison to mine, probably because he is old and his beard is gray. Jonny’s moustache sneers in contempt.

I stop listening and instead stare at his engorged legs all purple and puffy, how can he walk on them?

It is wet again, the rain came another day.

Lusi hid in waiting in the forest it was raining, on the West Coast (the coast that we love the most).

It couldn’t getter any wetter (what rhymes with wetter?)

Weta! Saw one and a snail shell and then a live snail and then a live weka and the weka ate the snail.

“It’s pretty wet” he exclaims looking outside, no kidding you fuckhead, it’s raining.

“yep”

“Was it raining last night? I could hear it on the roof of the hut”. You idiot, do you think the conditions twenty meters away in the campsite were any different? Do you think Prince Charming threw up a magical force field to protect us from the rain?

“yep”

West coast, wet toast, wet boots, wet everything.

Water Everywhere.

By the Lee way with a little bit of Ginny.

We go up. We go down.

Bit by little bit the devil is eaten away.

A flood of orange then an appeal to carry on.

Plateaued and the feelings flatten out,

it eases the way to the hill to the lakes and

the euphoria builds.

A few tears as we streamed down the mountain side into the Whanganui.

And home.

I left the light house

Went down the hill

Then across the beach

I got lost

I got frazzled

Dick Frizzel

My dick shriveled

The I was found

I found me

Over the hill

To twilight beach

In twilight, in time to sleep

Beach

Then Beach again

And again the same, beach

Thirsty and footsore

Treachery afoot

My foot

No more!

Then beach again

A swollen belly (not mine)

Gold caked fingers

An offer

No deal

Offered again, his shirt on, for real

Now we’re talking  friend

No more beach (I gave up)

A few mountains, no friends

One dog, no friends

I stank.

Water melon melts my heart

The river melts

Everything

Bananas in Waitangi

Bananas in Kororareka

Peace in the founding bay

On and on again and on the next day

I like this river, get me away from this dog, over the hill

A guy discovered a bug and gave it his name

(True, I know, that is what I said)

More beach but with Pohutakawa bliss

And a price tag, not for you or I

More beach, a hitch again, then a walk

Take a rest then the same

Waipu Cove and skip the rest and

Home

for Christmas, mum and tea.

I knew when I rolled out of the bed to the sound of a lone cicada and a rush of butterflies in my stomach, that my time of departure was imminent.

My last night was spent in a bow tie amongst my favourite of company and we, the motley but well dressed crew, spent time in the hours of darkness burying treasures down at the lake side and constructing a map to find said treasure.

I can only imagine what treasure I will find along the way in the golden sand beaches and emerald forests of Aotearoa.

I got up and shaved for what was probably going to be the last time for at least four months, I thought about the prospect of dying my beard ginger.

After breaking my fast I contemplated my future, there looking at my life condensed to a tiny backpack. Where had all my things gone from the last two years? It didn’t matter.

It’s time to go. Get out of this place. To get on the road, Te Araroa, The Long Pathway.

It is the end of 2013. No job and all the time in the world to set off on an adventure to see Aotearoa along Te Araroa.

I hope to complete it in a little under five months and hope some of you will join me along the way.

The nights might be lonely so I am taking a book to read and when I get through it I will be looking to make a trade. If you have something good to read and aren’t worried about seeing it again let me know.

I am taking my camera, a pad and a pen and will post some things here as I get the chance.

See you along the trail and good luck.