So I had a great idea to check out a track close by home (<30minute drive) that I hadn’t been on yet. I don’t know about you but sometimes this can make me nervous especially with the kiddies 👧 👦 along – all those “what if’s” that I “like” to fret about. Also I sometimes get put off by track information e.g. 5 hour advanced walk, (advanced usually means there is a stream crossing).

Anyway on this day I chose to adventure along the Waitengaue track, which I selected from a print out I have of the Kaimai to Coast brochure off the DOC website. It stated that it was a 4 hour walk one way and after following a fence line it would meet a suspension bridge over the Wairoa stream, then further along there would be other stream crossings.

I thought 🤔 “the kids will love the suspension bridge and we’ll just walk as much or as little as suits”, who would have thought that you could take on a walk and it was ok not to do the whole thing 💡????  Though after 10-15 minutes of walking along the track, fence line on one side and the pretty Wairoa stream on the other, we got to the “suspension bridge” ……

No bridge – all that remained were the old support structures, hmmmm that wasn’t what I was expecting. The stream wasn’t too large but after some deliberation, the kids weren’t keen to cross or keep going so we headed back. Along the way back many pine cones were collected and used as “pooh sticks” in the stream back at the car park.

So the lesson here is that its ok to try something new and it not turn out how you thought it would. Letting go of my expectations and the limitations I sometimes put in place, enabled me to just relax, go with the flow and enjoy a cool, even if short, adventure. But it’s still me – organised and prepared with a map etc “just in case” 🤣.

I like to prime myself by saying “it’s just a walk” – Nutty✌ 

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