Yippee, a bush hike. We had a day plan, and it is not humid where we are, brilliant. We are all rugged up in woollen leggings, sharkskin jackets, hiking shoes, hats and raincoats, such a great thing to do when it is windy, wet and yuk, get into the bush, trees and forget. I am following my thoughts from last night, not thinking, not obsessing, I am just going with the flow. Bring it on MN, I am embracing what you are giving me today.

Thanks to the team at the campsite for this great suggestion, we headed off to park up Cuzzie and go hiking. Nat had the backpack, food, water, (coconut for me) and of course Nat with her faithful camera. Herbert Forest, now this was going to be cool. I had a good feeling and it stayed with us for the entire day.

We trekked into the forest and native bush, tt twisted and turned up and down. There are cool caves, water falls, stream crossings, and native birds, we saw a Black South Island Robin on a fence post. So many Tuis too. We climbed up steep steps, slid down muddy clay sections to the streams, clambered down ropes to the creeks and even found a metal ladder youu needed to scale down to get across a stream. We took some wrong turns, we walked along some mountain bike tracks, even clambering down the steep downhill section of the course, laughing at the fact all we could do was attempt to stay upright and on our feet let alone be on a mountain bike!

We sat on our jackets on the damp forest ground and ate chips and chocolate for lunch while looking up at the tree canopy above that was protecting us from the rain and most and the wind. What an amazing find this has been. Nat took some very cool pics of bright red mushrooms, trees, water features, flowers and dew on spiderwebs. Having a creative mind and a camera you love meant she was on her knees taking up close pics and getting covered in mud, hook grass and bidybids!

Six hours and 20km later we arrived back at Cuzzie and the car park, both with huge smiles on our faces. We brewed up a large cup of masala chai tea and then for the first time all day saw another tramper and her gorgeous lab "Jason". Now as I have said everyday on this journey we meet a new and cool person and today was no exception. We meet and chatted, shared pics and agreed this was a cool place and we were told of some other places to go tramping while we where stuck on dry land. Jason the lab continued to pick up Nats hiking socks and walk off with them, he also totally understood every word that was said about him. Now that was a cool lab, we will surely met them again on a isolated track I am sure.

We are on another journey at the moment and will share this location with you tomorrow, the weather, swell and MN is against us.

Food needed, heater on and we are happy campers

My smiles today:
Having a plan for today, damn it was a good day and a fab plan.
Getting out in the rain the cold and still being full of smiles.
Feeling great as body and mind rejoiced at the outdoor activities today. I luved it.
Where I am right now getting ready for bed, this location is cool and it is already making me smile.

My thoughts today:
Understanding and believing totally that each day has got to make you feel as if you have made the most of every moment.

Red, Nat and Cuzzie