A Dangerous Business

Dates: 24th-27th December 2023

I could get used to this. Weight off my shoulders, good food everyday, comfy bed every night. It’s gonna be hard to leave when I eventually have to, but I’ve still got half the trail to go and I can begin to look forward to the comforts of home in Australia. Oh, I should mention that I’m not going back to Whanganui to do the section between there and Palmy. Most of it is road walking and I want to keep walking with Team Camera. They’ll both be arriving in Palmy on the 27th (along with a few others presumably) so I’ll join them after that.

So beyond resting, what have I done in Palmy? I’ve been staying with Grams on the western side of town, spending a great deal of time just chatting about whatever comes to mind. I did a bit of shopping on Christmas Eve for some new clothes to keep me warm down south, namely a beanie, a pair of gloves, and leggings. I was hoping to also pick up a new tip for my hiking pole but I couldn’t find a compatible one in stock. There seems to be some availability in Wellington, so it’s not the end of the world although I would’ve liked to have had it for the Tararuas. Uncle Robert and Aunty Katherine came over for dinner, bringing with them an awesome spread that would make any through-hiker jealous. I saw a few photos from some of the guys back at Whanganui who were having an equally lovely dinner together. Admittedly I was a bit jealous that I wasn’t with them, but seeing my Kiwi family who I don’t visit very often is a blessing, especially considering many of my friends are from the other side of the world and won’t see their own families for a few more months at least.

Christmas Day was very chill, just how I like it. A nice sleep in followed by an excellent lunch.

I’d been asked for what I’d like for lunch a few weeks ago, to which I had requested turkey, kumara, and a pavlova for dessert. When I said turkey, I was expecting cold cuts of turkey like I normally get in Australia. You can therefore imagine my surprise when Uncle Robert came over at 9am with a whole turkey ready for roasting. Unexpected but not unwelcome, not unwelcome in the slightest. A spread of roast veges and a couple salads were also on offer, making for a very filling meal. The only thing stopping me from going for an afternoon nap was the revealing of New Zealand’s most famous dessert (please don’t take away my citizenship, I only speak the truth), a lovely pavlova. A pavlova that I definitely ate too much of. Now I was too full to even consider a nap so we instead sat down and watched a few episodes of The Chosen, a dramatised retelling of the life of Jesus and one of the few pieces of good quality Christian media. It’s not quite Veggie Tales, but it’s up there. The leftovers began piling up in the fridge, helped by the neighbours offering us a plate of food too! Maybe I might actually put on a few kilos while I’m here.

Boxing Day was similarly relaxing, the only thing of note was heading to the Esplanade for a picnic with a few more relatives, including Aunty Katherine’s brother, my cousin Hannah, and her son Robert who to my joy loves planes and rockets. We had a good chat about them and a few of our favourite video games during a ride on the miniature railway around the park. Another relaxing, nothing planned afternoon followed, Grams and I talking about a load of different things whilst watching a bit of cricket. We had yet another family dinner that night (it’s like they’re trying to fatten me up), this one a but simpler but no less delicious than Christmas lunch.

Honestly, I didn’t get to enjoy my final rest day all that much. I really didn’t want to get back on trail. I’ve spent so much time trying to reach the security and comfort of family and now I’m supposed to leave it all behind me? How had 4 days gone by that quickly? The only task I had to do today was get the food I would need for the next 3 days. I originally thought I’d have to take 9 days worth of food to get me all the way over the Tararuas to Waikanae, but it turns out it’s possible to get food delivered to an outdoor education centre from a New World in Levin. Together with Team Camera we put an order in that would reach us by the time we reach the centre in 3 days time.

For the rest of the day, Grams and I watched the local T20 league, today’s matches being played in Palmy itself. It was Central Districts vs Northern Districts (Central includes the Manawatu region so I’m obviously backing them), with both their women’s and men’s teams competing. Honestly I should’ve just got a ticket to go see it live, both matches were very entertaining. I guess the one issue with doing that would’ve been the lack of an opportunity to play a round of disc golf with Uncle Robert. Sorry dad, but he played better than you. Dinner once I returned home was the rest of the leftovers, but the imminent hour of my depature was gnawing away at me. I did not have long left before I would have to leave the comforts of Grams’ home and step onto the trail once more. I didn’t want to believe that my time was up, so I put off packing my bag for a good few hours. Was it all worth it? Should I just spend a couple more days here and then fly home? These questions kept circling around my head. In the end I never took the prospect of going home all that seriously. Despite my worries and fears, I came to this country to walk the length of it. The Tararuas certainly are daunting and it’s looking like I may have to wait a day before going up them, but I know I’ll be with good company and I know that once I place my foot back on the trail I’ll feel a lot better. It’s just so happens that that first step is the most scary.