Into the wild, Yet Again

Well, left the camp to go bush. Tired of giving money to someone else for luxuries we just don’t need. We don’t need electricity if we can make our own. We dont need a washing machine if we have a river , don’t need a shower if we have a watering can hanging in a tree and don’t need a toilet if we can dig one. Besides our home is four wheel drive. Why not have a bit of fun.

New Zealand Is great for wild camping. If there is no sign you can camp, especially if you go away from the paved roads. Just need to respect the land and leave it as you found it when it is time to leave.

We now have our truck right across the field from the vineyard on public land. I meet Tamara at a besutiful little pond midway for morning tea and studies on the days that I work. We take a few moments to see how the paradise ducks and their 5 ducklings are doing. We notice how one seems to lag behind. They are learning to dive under the water now. The parents fly off on ‘dates’ now, leaving their babies under our watchful eyes.

The track we took to get here was tough. Got stuck twice. We even got to take down our sandmats and use them for something besides decoration , while crossing the river. Got to see ‘three point mounting’ in action on out truck. It twisted and turned in ways that seem unnatural for a poor truck.

Once arrived Andrew was so exhausted that he fell asleep on the grass next to the truck.

Great fun here. Being able to wild camp in places like this is one of the dreams I had when we first got the truck. I just never get tired of it.

Getting lots of exercise as we walk a km every time we want to go somewhere in the car because the car cannot make it down the path where the truck went. Funny that. Grateful we have a car as we normally don’t. Feel like we are living in a special rustic, idyllic paradise right now.

We think this is where we will be for Christmas when Liz and Abi come down from Wellington. Our good friend, Teresa and her man will hopefully be here from Korea. Possibly, some of our workmates from the vineyard will be here and Jojo, our wonderful new Mauri friend from the camp. I love it when there are meetings of our worlds like this.