24 Mar. My South Island walk had three purposes: me, Jenny and charities. For me it was a transition journey back to some sort of normal life after Jenny’s illness and passing. For Jenny, it was for her spirit to be with me in the natural world she loves. And for charities, it was to give them the support they need and deserve. All those goals have been achieved, except that the world is no longer in the normal zone.
For me it was time to reflect on the wonderful life I have enjoyed with Jenny and finding peace and joy in the immediacy of day to day living now. There was support from a community of like minded individuals on the trail, many with stories of their own. While walking, there are few concerns beyond food, drink, shelter, weather and navigation. Those factors are all about living in the present, not in the past or future. Good lessons for world we now live in.
Some other walking lessons for life:
- Know which direction you are headed and work out the basics you will need for the journey. Don’t worry about the details; those will materialise in time, usually from others providing it.
- Going at your own pace means that you are in your own space. Going at others pace means you are in their space. Decide which is right for the moment.
- When things don’t go to plan, look for the new opportunities which always present themselves.
- As Diego commented, we all come together as strangers from totally different backgrounds and are immediately connected. Others connect to us. Look for those connections.
- We are all on the same journey, so “goodbyes” are unnecessary. We will meet again soon.
As I commented at the start of the trail, this journey was about connecting with nature and people. Some special friendships have been made which will last a lifetime.
And finally the charities. Thank you for being so generous. Over 83 donations have been made and over $6,300 (£3,000) has been given to the two charities.
Many of you have told me how much you have enjoyed following my journey through the blog posts, so it has been nice to spread some of the joy I have experienced. Stay well and enjoy life.
The Interconnected View 
Lovely final blog Richard and very apt given the current journey we are going to be on in the next four weeks.. xx
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Thanks Richard for sharing the delights of South Island with an Englishman who has never been there. I didn’t appreciate how wild it is and may get there some day.
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You would enjoy the trip Paul. Stay well.
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Thanks Richard. I enjoyed reading your blog while feeding wee Finlay. You brought tears to my eyes a couple of times, but I blame the hormones! The photos were lovely too and reminded me of all the wonderful adventures Gareth and I have had in the out of doors here in nz. I look forward to catching up with you once the lockdown is over.
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So glad you did this trip when you did! You might not mind being inside so much for awhile 😬
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I think I might 😉
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Thank you, Richard, for keeping up such an excellent blog. I think it is the only one to which I ever subscribed and read every post. The writing was just the right length, good detail, and lovely photos.
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Thanks Nik. I enjoyed producing it.
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Bless. Welcome home Richard. See you on the other side of this
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Well done Richard, you are an inspiration and we enjoyed following your journey, you have a lovely way with words and who can argue with your closing sentiments! Obvious question, but where next?..Take Care Andy
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Will let the dust (and virus) settle, but there will be more adventures.
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Well done on the journey Richard, it made for quite an interesting read, and some fantastic photos of parts of NZ that a lot of us don’t see!
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Very much enjoyed your blog and found it very uplifting and inspiring.
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Beautifully said Richard. You did it! I’m going to miss your updates. All the best reintegrating in our lockdown world.
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Congratulations on making it to the end, Richard! It was so lovely to meet you on such a momentous journey. I hope you are safe and well and have plenty of time to rest during the next month of lockdown!
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