GREENSTONE CAPLES TRACK

Humans are not the measure of all things and I am reminded of this every time I set foot into wild environments that have survived despite us…

My job has a lot of anguish. Every day I show up to find precious native taonga dead in my hands. Taonga that should be flourishing. And so I dedicate my time to figure out why their fate ended up in a place so final. Their innocence is devastating. The human guilt for the damage we inflict is crushing. I see the biodiversity crisis firsthand and honestly, my mental health has suffered hugely because of it. This world is a hard place to live in at the moment. I see the pain around me and it breaks my heart. Regardless of the fight you’re fighting, keep showing up. That’s all we can do. In the meantime here is the only way I know how to meditate and recalibrate those emotions: solo in the wild.

The Greenstone Caples loop has been on my list for a long time after doing the Routeburn a few years ago. Early December blessed me with beautiful weather and long sunlight hours to punch out the kilometres. The robins were wonderful as per usual and despite seeing a few more deer than I would have liked, nothing beats the old growth and majesty of the mountains.