“On a Mish” #274 The Perfect Day – Part Two. Te Anau / Milford Road. Fiordland National Park. 26.4.2021. I have been very lucky to have had many jobs that keep me fit by default. Whether it be running around a track, boat or lodge, the constant movement has its benefits. Because of this I have been able to continue to pursue my two favourite pastimes, missions and skateboarding. Buying a house is a huge thing, but one lap around the pump track with a postcard-worthy backdrop convinced me to buy a house in Te Anau. I don’t bounce back up from the cold concrete like I used to, and the scraps, bumps and bruises seem to last a lot longer these days. But the goal is to still be shredding at 50, and it is going to take a lot more than a mangled hip to stop me achieving this. This particular shred went well and I escaped the session unscathed…
Now it was time to go from skatepark to national park, and I was pumped for a night out in Fiordland. Driving through un-forecasted rain didn’t dull my enthusiasm, as it was going to stop … right? I have been to most spots on the road, so to maintain the trend of a new place each time I headed to Totara Flat. The campsite is epic, with a low angle view of the southern end of Mt Eglington(1854m).
The mountains were covered in autumn snow, and there was a definite chill in the air. It wasn’t raining when I got to my perfect camping spot, so I was excited about my evening at Totara Flat. I got my tent up quickly, and knowing it was going to rain during the night, I covered my tent with my tarp. Now well into the evening, I had a small fire with the little dry wood I could find and then started to think about dinner and sleep. I enjoyed my dinner in the comfort of the front seat of my car as rain returned to the area. Finally it was time to retreat to the warmth of my sleeping bag, and the cosy confines of my weatherproof tent. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of the rain on the tarp. I awoke with the strange sensation of something pushing down on my head…
