Today was set to be a short days work, primarily finishing setting and rebaiting the traps left over. To start we headed on up one of the higher tracks to help clear up some material washed around in December by some huge floods that hit the area. It took us an hour to travel no where near as far as expected, because some of the group - not me for once - were truffling with the terrain, slipping and sliding on the ground off the tracks. Instead of carrying on, a few of us headed back early, the two fittest boys walking with Mike up and over the hill saddle and back to camp. We got back and has a lovely lunch on the front lawn of the homestead. After this was time to walk the trap line on the remaining flat ground in the camp, and then final job, to quickly strip out the dead grass in e mesh and chicken wire cut down from yesterday. Job done. Such A great feeling to have finished so much volunteer work that is beneficial for everyone. It really helps to know that as a group we managed to work to help finish jobs that either would not have happened otherwise, or would have taken a long time, and a lot of individual work.
It has been a rewarding week, but incredibly tiring, and much more mentally/physically challenging than Mimiwhangata.
We also heard news today that due to his issues at home, Tom will not be able to rejoin us tomorrow as originally planned. Mark will also be leaving us due to his other responsibilities. We will therefore be meeting Rachel tomorrow, our trip organiser, and travelling on with her - we will know more tomorrow I presume. It is sad, as we did not get to say goodbye to Tom, presuming we would see him again, and we will also miss Mark as he has been fantastic, teaching us so many things about the outdoors we might not have had chance to try/learn otherwise. We have made driftwood boats, bows and arrows, panflutes, and learnt to start a fire - even in the rain. It is however fantastic news that we will get to see Rachel again, she is so lovely and I think she will enjoy being out in the field again as she did when she first started up the company.
Anyway. It is half past 9 and we are hoping to get up at 5:30 tomorrow to hike up Gibbs hill and watch the sunrise. Over and out.
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