The loveliest of bush

Our last day. We've been good companions. 3 of us know each other well and the 4th was a good fit. We've got on well and done well, making the most of each others strengths.

Most of today is either on the grass and tussocks of river flats, or in beech forest. Some of the beech forest is beautiful, doing well because of trapping for rats, stoats and cats.

Towards the end we stay close together. It's unspoken but like we want to finish together, finish the journey as one and not a straggle of 4. Here we're barely 1/2 an hour from the road end, 1/2 an hour from electricity, a flush loo, our car, a change of clothes, and the inevitable huge population of sand flies with insatiable appetites.

Waiau Pass has been on my bucket list for a long time. We came, we saw, we conquered. But you never do really. We might think we do, but really we are guests in a precious landscape, frail and out of place on our 2 legs, and soon found out if conditions deteriorate.

Mountains are places to love, explore and above all respect. I had the best of weeks :-)

I don't usually share my google photos here, but if you'd like to see the slide show here is my Waiau Pass slide show.

1. Click on the link.
2. Click the top left photo.
3. To see the captions, click the white circle with the black 'i', top left. This opens the info panel with the captions.