Strangled by life

Tramping in Stewart Island the other week I encountered some of the thickest scrub I have ever seen. It was so thick in patches we needed the pruning saw to make progress. It reduced us to a mere crawling average speed of 200m per hour! Eventually it forced us to bivouac in dense scrub.

As seen above it wasn't the most comfortable of nights. Wearing every layer I had, huddled under an emergency blanket sitting on my pack.

However what struck me most about the scrub. Was whilst it was fast approaching darkness, we were in scrub over our head. It surrounded you and inhibited nearly all movement without intense physical effort. It felt like life at times, everything so overpowering you lose sense of direction and it just feels like a constant struggle. However at one point I stopped when I came near a rock. Deciding to bash a few metres off track and climb it I was greeted by the most amazing view of the sunset.

I think so often when life gets crazy we need to find a rock to climb and sit for a moment. Gaze in awe at some of the beauty of this world. Spend some time with some good mates. Then get back into the tough grunt work.