“On a Mish” #319 Stubborn Love (Part One). Falls Creek. Fiordland National Park. 21.2.2022. It is amazing what some sports people will go through in order for their team to win. Broken bones can somehow be put on the back burner. The show must go on, the pain can wait. It is a real testament to how much the person loves what they do,the desire to succeed can be a powerful driving force. Many times while out on a mish I have had to dig deep into my bag of enjoyment while the weather raged or the terrain got steep. Stubbornness plus love can get you to some pretty cool places sometimes…
I often laughed when I heard classic statements like “it’s great it’s Friday and the weekend is here”. For the traveler there is no difference between the weekend and week days, so for anyone working in the industry your ‘weekend’ can be any day of the week. A big upside is the fact that our weekends can be when most are working and there is the chance to have the wilderness to yourself.
Summer had been slowly getting back into the swing of things since the rather major disruption that was Covid-19. Closed borders meant smaller numbers of visitors to Te Anau and Fiordland National Park. While the numbers were smaller there was definitely some action while the world waited to get back into Aotearoa. It was great showing people the big backyard they didn’t realise they had. There is a reason why people flock from all around the world to see the treasures only found in the small group of islands in the South Pacific.
It is funny thinking now (but painful back then) how I managed to go back to work at this point in my life. My hip and back were still wrecked from my accident on the Navigator in Patea Doubtful Sound and, after falling out of the ACC system, I was in a position where I had to work more in order to pay the bills. I definitely rushed back to work too soon, but hindsight is 2020. Don’t worry, I have paid for my foolishness / stubbornness since!
As much as I enjoy showing people the fantasy land of Fiordland, I love exploring the place on a mish even more. I could see that the weather and my days off were lining up and now my challenge was finding somewhere to go. I hoped that my broken bits would play ball. Luckily I live on the doorstep of one of the most majestic places around, and the mountain motivation found there is very powerful.
At this stage I had just poked my nose into the biggest national park in Aotearoa and for someone who used to go on multi day missions frequently I craved more. The Milford Road has always pulled me in like a hooked fish and after scanning for tracks close to the road I decided on Falls Creek. There were a few reasons why. A: Its proximity to the Darran Mountains. B: I could see a flattish area not very far up the track. C: Its proximity to the Darran Mountains!
I cannot think of a better way to spend a couple of sunny days so I kept an eye on the weather, and with it looking perfect I packed my bags a couple of days prior. This meant I had a free evening before my mish. I should probably take it easy before my hike, right?…
