leepowrie

words words

“Words, words, words, I’m so sick of words!”

Well at least Eliza Doolittle was.

Me, I would be better saying,

“words, words, words, I’m so stuck for words!”

Which for anyone who knows me, must surely be a first.

I LOVE words.

I love working out their origins, the way they look on paper; their shapes and rhythms. And I love the way they can have multiple meanings, depending on context, dependant on the company, the glint in an eye, the emphasis on a syllable, the quickness of response, the back and forth.

Words can bind or divide with such ease and speed they become almost the most powerful tool available to us mere mortals.

But I digress –

words, they confuse, confound and cause all sorts of meanderings.

Like our meander into Glenorchy Back Country, South Island, New Zealand.

And for those who don’t know where New Zealand is, the bottom of the planet, almost in the Pacific Ocean. I think God created the world from the top and as he moved down, his artistry became more and more breathtaking; his masterpiece complete at Glenorchy.

new-zealand-map-big — Don’t click on the blue map – nothing will happen. Just an overview of where ‘we are’

rees-dart-track — This is the area we rode in 🙂

And that’s the point – this trip was SO amazing,

So breathtakingly beautiful.

So filled with laughter and energy and love and caring and support that

WORDS FAIL ME!!!!!

No really, they do.

From our first meeting for a drink, which ended up including a dinner, we knew we were in a special place, where like minded people understood the words spoken, the words unspoken, the meanings behind them. People who immediately saw the laughter in an eye, or the nervous hesitation in the curve of a mouth.

Barossa Blessings

I felt blessed when Jen & Jeremy of

Australian Horse Adventures

gave up their one free weekend in their Barossa season

and invited me to come and ride with them.

I was doubly blessed to be able to invite four friends.

Each special on their own remarkable way……

Actually,

I rewind…..

I was blessed four times over;

Since to have even one special friend is a blessing;

So to be able to invite

four friends; each so special in their own way;

makes me blessed fourfold.

For three days we rode through stunning countryside;

For three days we rode amazing horses.

We had amazing weather;

clear skies;

no wind,

and one short sharp shower.

Just strong enough to make our horses drop their heads

and canter flat out into and through the rain.

To find a rainbow at the other end.

Absolutely exhilarating.

Every meal was a blessing –

Hot home made soup and bread appeared as if by magic in the middle of ‘nowhere’

Stunning wines and gourmet sandwiches with warm fires.

Country market breakfast.

Degustation dinner and wines.

Flowers and pancakes for breakfast on Mother’s day.

This short Barossa breakaway,

after such a tumultuous year

of lock downs in Melbourne,

was an amazingly generous gesture by

Jen & Jeremy

One that will sustain the five of us,

through this never ending see saw that is Melbourne.

One that will stay in my memory forever

as a reminder

to count my blessings.

Thank you both from the bottom of my heart.

And because the Barossa break away Was such a blessing,

I add photographs for those who care to browse.

Thanks to this lovely crew and especially Jen for all these memories.

Wonnangatta.

Hidden Valley. Hidden Trails.

Wonnangatta

Have you not done the Wonnangatta ride?…

You will love the Wonnangatta ride.

You must do the Wonnangatta ride.

Statements and questions that have been put to me more times than I can count.

And the answer, always was “No, I haven’t”

And so,

despite Lock Down,

(or perhaps because of it, since this ride is always booked a year in advance)

I ‘signed up’ so to speak.

Signing up in this case meant :

a) borrowing money from the kids

b) packing for an 8 day trail

c) rearranging work

d) getting to the start of the ride

All with less than 24 hour’s notice as lock down was only lifted the afternoon prior to the ride.

Such is life in the world of Covid.

But that is nothing compared with the organisational skills shown by

Laura and Christian Hayes

http://www.hidden trail horse adventures

throughout these crazy times.

For this long and fairly inaccessible ride,

they went ahead the week before to prepare.

To drop off feed for the horses.

To clear tracks.

To check campsites.

The list is long.

Not a mean feat when you see where we ride.

An 8 day ride is an interesting experience.

It is long enough for personalties to shine,

some offering a bright light,

some providing the shadows.

It is long enough to challenge bodies, both ours and our amazing horses.

It is long enough to cover a large area and see amazing views.

It is long enough to experience mountain weather in many forms.

Regardless of what weather we were given.

**Not quite smelling roses, but close enough…..**

**Or as in this case, not close enough. Look where They are…..**

It is long enough to make good friends.

**Nothing like a fire, clear sky and hot food to calm the s**oul……

**There was always something** to smile about……

**moments to show of the resident hairdresser**‘s work

There were rivers to cross and people to meet

AND THEN….

as quickly as I had packed to join the ride,

so I had to pack to leave the ride.

The trip of a lifetime.

A trip never to be forgotten.

A trip I hope to repeat,

as I ask YOU now,

“Have you not done the Wonnangatta ride?…

You must do the Wonnangatta ride.”

Photos are not all mine, this was a ‘group’ affair – thank you everyone

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“Have you not done the Wonnangatta ride?…

You will love the Wonnangatta ride.

You must do the Wonnangatta ride.”

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