After a nap by two

We’re walking again at three

Ready for what will be

Three hours or more

From Middy to Rocks hut.

The trail is steep

Up all the way

No way of knowing

How many more

Steps and rests

It will be.

Beauty of mossy

Beech forest

So many shades

Of green

Interrupted by

The sudden sight of

A pair of wood pigeons

Above our head

More green mosses

Ferns

Carpet of tiny

Beech leaves amongst

Rocks and

Roots

Excited        by the sight of a

South Island

Robin

Playing hide and seek

Amongst some large

Fallen tree trunks.

Going up

More up

More rests

Then there’s  a tomtit

Flitting from tree

To tree for us to admire

And be distracted

momentarily

From the seemingly

Neverending up..

When darkness starts

To draw in

Mists visible through

The tree tops

Raindrops making

themselves known

And travellers

getting more weary

Even though a whiff

Of wood fire smoke

Tells us the end must be near,

there’s the wide

Beaming smiling

Eyes and face

Of Janosh

Who’s come to do

What he can to

Relieve the load

Of the last few

minutes of toil

To arrive at Rocks

By 8.30 pm

And the elements

Explode

Around us