Spending quality time with dad is often a young boy's dream, but for one young Bellingen lad that quality time involves 90 days travelling the length of New Zealand’s South Island - on foot. Nine-year-old Lucas Simon and his dad, John, are near the half-way mark of their 1200 kilometre trek. John takes up the story:
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We walk around 10-15 km a day. The slowest walking is more like crawling....up 45 degree gradients pack on back, pushing each other. Often in 60-70kmh wind with snow or sometimes hail. We have to watch the windburn and also core body temperatures. Lucas came close to shutting down after falling in a freezing river and walking for another few kms in driving wind. He was in very high spirits when we spotted the next hut in the distance after covering 18km that day. I fell into a spaghnum bog up to my waist....pack off and Lucas helped me out. We rarely see people. Complete solitude. I'm an incredible chef....just add Jo water to the wonderful variety of Backcountry Cuisine meals. Usually the phone is out of range. Even the satellite transponder struggles when in deep valleys or heavy wet vegetation.
The people of NZ have been incredibly supportive. So many offers of places to stay and meals. They have really embrace us both for the charity we chose (room to read) but I feel particularly because they strongly feel the walkingwithdad theme: spend time with your dad.
Lucas is growing both in strength and in mind. He can read maps, help write blogs, gut a fish, cast a fly, walk mountains whilst reciting his times tables and carry a pack. He rarely complains an many times pushes me to a new level.
We miss Bellingen and look forward to seeing our friends and tell everyone what an incredible town we live in.
The walkingwithdad website has daily updates and short blogs.
