The walking has started, we’re on our way. A maelstrom of memories for day one; accompanied by gently lapping waves of Schoolhouse Bay, the first stop on Queen Charlotte Track.

Departure from Auckland

Rushed, like the many months

That went before.

Em and Boris gone in a flurry

Too rushed      for a proper farewell

Packs wrapped and ‘fragile’

Plane             to Blenheim

Shuttle

Bus                       to Picton

Mail-run ferry           to Ship’s Cove

On go the packs

Photos galore in any

imaginable

combination

of the first step

on our Te Araroa.

 

AUT angels

Are blessing my dream

Michelle  (at Piha beach on Christmas Day)

Charmaine (ex-student on the plane)

Emily (year one student at Ship Cove)

Random ex-student wearing AUT sweatshirt on the track!

Tentative relationships beginning to form

Grappling with

Logistics of backpacking

And living

A walking life..

Where is my (anything)?

Everything in and out of the pack

Unrolling and rolling drysacks

Who wants to do what?

How shall we do money?

How shall we walk?

How do the tents work?

Who carries what?

How does modern technology

work with all this?

There’s a softness between us,

laughter,

and slowly it seems we’re easing into

who we are together.

 

Moving on the earth

Moving with an extra

16 kg on

my

back

I notice

my body      feet    hips   back

We need to stop earlier tomorrow