Tramping...

The glorious state of my shoes

...tramping aka hiking is some kind of Kiwi obsession. I'm English and we imagine country walks as just that- a walk, a stroll, maybe you have to climb over a fence....but in New Zealand a 'walk in the bush' is some kind of athletic feat! Last week I went on a winter tramp in the Waitakeres...while it was something of a mudbath and a scramble over tree roots and round hillsides, it was quite stunning, to be completely in the middle of quiet native bush, with tuis singing, and really only a half hour or so drive out of the city...and then emerging down on Piha beach, with not a soul in sight apart from us. Beautiful. Never believe a Kiwi when they classify a walk as an 'easy tramp' though ;)

These are my colours of a Kiwi winter- lush green and black sands.

        Op-shopped camera, expired portra film...was afraid I'd lose my 'good' camera in the mud!