“On the night you left, the children set up a tent in the garden, gazing at the stars, imagining themselves on a hiking adventure too.”
Māori Mama sent me photos along with a message that stirred my heart deeply…
It was a wonderful coincidence. Sara and I arrived at the intersection of the road and the river track that came next. Sara suggested skipping this section and heading straight to the trailhead. It was a very small settlement with hardly any traffic.
Seeing us standing there by the roadside, Māori Mama waved and asked if we needed help. She told us the river track had collapsed in several places and was very dangerous. If we waited for her daughter to bring the car back, she could give us a ride.
So we went into her garden to greet and chat with Māori Grandma, when suddenly four children appeared beside us—Māori Mama’s granddaughters, who politely and hospitably brought over two chairs for us to sit down.
Seeing us with our big backpacks, the children curiously asked what we were doing. When they heard we’d hiked all the way from the northernmost tip of the North Island, they were amazed, their eyes wide and jaws dropped, exclaiming how incredible it was! They then crowded around us, asking what we ate each day, where we stayed, and what we carried in our packs. We pulled out our gear one by one and shared it with them.
Throughout our visit, the children kept bringing us fruits, ice cream, and snacks, and thoughtfully handed us tissues to wipe our hands—so considerate you’d never guess they were only primary and middle school kids. Embarrassed by their hospitality, we actually volunteered to help them with their weeding chores for the day.
Māori Mama invited us to have lunch, then drove us to the trailhead. We hugged her family goodbye, reluctant to part.
It was just one morning encounter, yet it felt like we’d known each other for a long time. That warmth lingered around me for days afterward, and when I received Māori Mama’s email and message after coming down the mountain, it was unbelievable to realize that what I was doing had such an impact.
Perhaps one day, these children will also hike the Te Araroa Trail or pursue a path to fulfill their dreams, and they’ll say: ‘Because when I was in my early teens, I met two women who backpacked across New Zealand.’
We can all be warm and powerful flames, illuminating and passing the light to more people.
(Recalling diary entry from 2017/1/10)
https://www.facebook.com/creyanet/posts/1281373191910867:0
https://www.facebook.com/creyanet/videos/1291186454262874/
📍 Te Araroa Trail | New Zealand 3,000 km Hiking Diary| Back to complete series directory
