Working Travel: Realizing a Dream in a Year

Chapter 9 "If you want to look back, now is the time"

beautiful encounter

New Zealand has 9 national hiking routes, most of which are in the legendary and beautiful South Island.Before returning to China, I wanted to take away a little more memory, so I decided to take Tongariro National Park and spend 4 days walking the famous Tongariro Great Northern Loop.It became a terrifying memory that will last a lifetime.

On the morning of October 10, there was drizzling rain in Palmerston North, which was really not a good day for a ride.The landlord put me somewhere on Highway 9 and I know we won't see each other again.We lived under the same roof for a month, and we only had a few words at dinner every day.Instead, it was his mother, an older lady who was always at home, with whom I had more communication.

"Xiao Wu, what do you want to eat tonight?" Our conversation usually starts like this.

She taught me to use cornstarch before frying to make the meat more tender.He also taught me that cooking wine can be added to remove fishy smell when marinating.I love these topics because they can make my life better.

"I wish you all the best for the rest of your working holiday."

I waved goodbye to the landlord.I was back in Napier again at 3pm, and the sun was still shining in Eagle's Neck, which diluted my nostalgia for Palmerston North.There was still some distance to Tongariro, so I decided to go back to Ms. Mahuaka's prison for the night and continue on the road the next day.

Shortly after arriving in Palmerston North, Mahuaka wrote to me. She said that the negotiation with the Taiwanese supplier had achieved good results, and a good solution had been reached for the payment of several thousand dollars. She invited me to reply at any time. Prison guest.

Napier has not changed from a month ago, and the emerald water still fascinates me. It is still early, and I walk deep and shallow on the beach, killing the long afternoon.There was a big dead tree lying in front of it, and a girl was sitting on it reading a book.She took off her shoes and stepped barefoot on the black gravel.

I sat down on the other side of the tree trunk, and we didn't speak for a while.I felt a little bored, and then I spoke first.

"Excuse me, can you take a picture for me?"

She took a lot of photos for me.I think she's a bit like Sophie Marceau.

"Thank you. My name is Fei. I'm from China. How about you?"

"Marion, I'm from France."

Gosh, does every French woman have this name?

"Are you traveling to New Zealand?"

"working holiday."

Hey, another working holiday buddy.

"How long have you been here?"

"One month, but I plan to return to France in three months."

"Do you work?"

"Yes, I have a master's degree in public relations. After graduation, I worked for two years, but I found that I didn't particularly like this job, so I resigned."

The questions that every working holidaymaker cares about are similar, such as where they come from, why they choose New Zealand, their days in New Zealand, their lives in China, and their next plans... The answers to these questions often make me feel like I am in this world. The bewilderment of the two is actually the same, however different their owners may seem.If sharing and communicating isn't enlightening, empathy is good enough.

The wind picked up gradually, and we all felt cold. Somebody proposed to go to the bar for a drink or two, so we wrapped up our thin clothes and walked quickly to the street.This picture is like the poster of the Irish music movie "Once Upon a Time", where two wandering people meet at the end of the world.If there is some background music, I might cry.

We passed a movie theater and Marion said she was going to see a movie that evening.I noticed that one of them had something to do with the independence movement in Northern Ireland, and I told her "I'm interested in that".

We continued looking for bars, and Marion asked me if I was religious.Alas, foreigners seem to like to ask this question.I had to explain my scattered philosophy of life again.I don't want to believe in any teachings, and I always feel that it is safe to leave my life to myself to learn and grow.

Finally we found a bar on a downtown street. It was still very light and there was no one in the bar.

We sat down by the window and chatted casually.Perhaps in the eyes of passers-by, this is just a pair of old friends.One of the most amazing moments in travel is when you discover that happiness never comes when you don't expect it.I looked at the French girl in front of me and thanked God for sending her to accompany me this afternoon.

In our twenties, we seem to have thought about all the propositions about happiness for most of our lives, chasing "meaning" these things that may not exist.

I kept saying, "I think there are two levels of happiness, deep and shallow."

The look on her face told me she understood what I meant.

So I went on to say: "Shallow happiness, such as a ray of sunshine shining on your body, you feel warm, such as the chance encounter we meet by chance, these happiness come and go quickly. Deep happiness is a kind of happiness that needs a sense of accomplishment as a To support the happiness, we must fulfill our own mission, and finding this mission is as difficult as accomplishing it.”

"mission?"

"It is the stage where our talents should be displayed. Everyone has their own talents."

"Oh, the metaphor of deep and shallow is very vivid, I understand, but I don't agree with your interpretation. Because every day filled with shallow happiness adds up to every year of deep happiness? Maybe some people's hearts are only It takes a little bit of happiness to fill it up.”

In this way, we talked a lot with a sip of wine and a word.I wanted this conversation to go on endlessly, and I could tell, so did she.But the street lamps lit outside the window told us that it was getting late.

"You have to hurry, the movie starts soon." I reminded her.

She got up in a panic, obviously surprised to see me still sitting still.

"Aren't you going to the movies?"

"No, I want to sit down for a while."

I stared at her running back through the window, and the long dark chestnut hair was raised gently, as if the surrounding air was smiling.

I stayed and drank the rest of the wine, reminiscing about all the incredible things that had happened that afternoon.Would I have had such a happy, short afternoon if I hadn't met Marion?
fuck shit flow crater

Ms. Mawaka went to the UK to participate in the exhibition, and this trip to Napier is a good opportunity for us.The next morning, after saying goodbye to Jama, the prison's new manager, I continued by car to Tongariro National Park.I'm already a little tired of the way of moving by car. The initial freshness, excitement, and tension have long passed, and the rest is mostly a kind of inertia.For me, who is very cash-strapped, the meaning of taking a ride is more out of saving money.

The most interesting law in hitchhiking is the conservation of luck.I boil it down to this: you can't get lucky twice in the same spot.If you only took 5 minutes the first time, be prepared to spend more than half an hour the second time.The subtext of this law of conservation of luck is that it is impossible for you to experience bad luck twice in the same place.If you waited a long time for the first time, congratulations, let's make it work when you are ready.So I always use this law to resolve the anxiety and anxiety during the long waiting process, and it has been tried and tested.

From Napier to Taupo and on to Turangi, green traffic signs show the national park is 49 kilometers away.I waved to an old man's car.Uncle has bad ears, he can't hear what I say.He kept complaining that New Zealand was not what it used to be, and told me not to hitchhike with strangers.This is not the first time I have heard such words.It's really hard to imagine that such a simple country can still sigh that it is not as good as it used to be. What a fascinating past it must be?
Eventually, a British guy who works at the Tongariro resort dropped me off at my destination.The sky was always cloudy, and the strong wind blew the raindrops on the car, making crackling noises. He pointed out the car window and told me that this was the filming location of the movie "Lord of the Rings".I haven't seen this movie, and the huge brown mountain in the distance makes me believe that it is worthy of any grand epic.

Whakapapa Village (Whakapapa) is the only population gathering place in Tongariro National Park, where most tourists rest.I went to the EPA office in the village, and it was Miss Sarah who had communicated with me in the email before.

"Hello, is the North Ring Road open?"

She handed me a one-week weather forecast with detailed information on weather, temperature, and wind speed.

"It is not suitable to take this route these days, because the wind on the mountain is too strong. You see, the wind speed will be more than 100 kilometers tomorrow. But the weather will improve by the weekend, and you can wait until then to start."

By then I will be returning to China, I thought to myself, I must hurry up and finish.

That night, I stayed in a holiday park in the village in a room shared by four people. Because of the off-season, I was the only one.The indoor heating was fully turned on, and it was freezing cold outside. I don't know when it started to snow, and the white snowflakes were particularly conspicuous in the night sky.My heart sank bit by bit.

When I woke up the next day, the first thing I did was to open the curtains.The cabin on the opposite side had already put on a white hat, the strong wind was still raging, and the broken snow flakes gathered into a white stream in the air.

Unexpectedly, it was only after breakfast that the sky cleared up, the blue was unbelievably blue, and the breeze was not cold. I immediately went to the office of the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Sarah, the weather is fine today, so we should be ready to go!"

Unexpectedly, she still shook her head and said: "The weather on the mountain is not so good. At an altitude of 1500 meters, the wind speed exceeds 100 kilometers per hour."

"It's just that the wind should be fine, right?"

"Fool, you will be blown down the mountain." A staff member next to him interjected.

"Do you have crampons and an ice axe? There is a section of high mountain belt on the North Ring Road. It is more dangerous when the sun comes out. After the snow on the surface melts, it is easy to freeze and it is very difficult to walk. In short, it is recommended that you wait two days before setting off."

"But I don't have time, I'm going back to China next week," I explained, "I can spend the night at the Mangatepopo Hut, where the altitude is only 1200 meters, and if the weather permits, I can continue Go ahead, is that okay?"

Seeing that I insisted on my opinion, she had no choice but to say: "We can't restrict your freedom of movement. If you insist on leaving, please fill out this form."

It is an action plan form, and for hikes longer than a day, hikers need to register departure and expected return dates and planned routes, and provide contact information for emergency contacts.After successfully completing the hike, the copy of this form will be required to be returned to the EPA office, indicating that it has returned safely, otherwise the EPA will contact the local police and search and rescue personnel to enter the mountain for search and rescue.

I handed the completed form to Sarah, and she reminded me: "Do you have a gas tank and a stove? It is winter, and the mountain house does not provide electricity and liquefied petroleum gas. In addition, bring enough waterproof and warm clothes."

"No problem, I've got everything ready."

At around 12 noon, I stood at the starting point of the hike.The weather is so good that I can't wait to cross in a single day.The road conditions are quite ideal, almost all flat ground, and on some slippery wooden boards, honeycomb-shaped non-slip rubber nets are also laid.Every 20 meters or so, there are wooden poles painted red on the top as road signs to prevent getting lost.

Along the way, in the snow and spring sun, on the clear spring stone, my mood is like a bird.This hike is too easy, even a novice can easily handle it, let alone me as a veteran?I thought triumphantly.

Halfway through the journey, the sky suddenly darkened, and the breath of the end of the world fell instantly. Immediately, a strong wind swept across the entire wasteland from the side with snow particles.The vastness and magnificence of its scenery are beyond words.I stood in the center of the snowstorm, feeling awed, unable to move for a long time without daring.In such a violent nature, all human emotions and desires are nothing, and all happy and unhappy things have long since disappeared.

I tightened my scarf and continued to move forward. Because I was not sure how far I was from the first mountain house, I unconsciously quickened my pace.Finally arrived at the cabin named Mangati Bobo at 3 pm.

I couldn't wait to rush in the door, keeping the wind and snow behind me.Entering the door is the lounge, with two wooden tables and a few upside-down benches. The wooden house is quiet and there is no one there.I put down my luggage and rested on the chair for a while, only then did I feel that the room was equally cold.There is a cold stove in the middle of the living room. I followed the instructions above to start the fire several times, and finally gave up in disappointment.What worries me even more is that there is no water in the faucet in the room.

Rather than saying this place is a temporary supply station, it is more appropriate to say that it is an abandoned house that has been abandoned for a long time.

Fortunately, I finally found a source of water in a round water tank outside the house, and I didn't care whether it was clean or not, so I filled the kettle directly.Maybe I didn't turn off the faucet tightly. After a few minutes, I was surprised to find that there were small icicles growing under the faucet, like a solid snot.The sun was about to set, and the feeble pale yellow loomed behind the boundless wind and snow. It seemed that there would be no new guests visiting this hut today.I swallowed my cold dinner and got into my sleeping bag early.It was a boring night. After dark, there was only one candle to accompany me in the whole hut, and the wind outside the window never stopped.

Even though I was wearing a down jacket and woolen pants, it was still unbearably cold all night.I got up at 7 o'clock, wanting to leave as soon as possible, but just looking at the scene outside the window, I knew that my wish was in vain.It was snowing all over the sky, making people suspect that the remaining three seasons in the mountains were wiped out by winter.I turned on the temperature measurement function of the watch, and the indoor temperature was only around 0°C. No wonder it was still so cold after waking up.I had to fiddle with all kinds of strange movements indoors to keep warm.At noon, when the snow stopped and the wind gradually weakened, I made a decisive decision to set off.

According to the mountaineering map, we need to trek 9 kilometers today. The main challenge is a 5-kilometer mountain road from Soda Spring to Red Crater, which rises about 500 meters above sea level.

The walk in the canyon between Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe, which blocks most of the south-east winds, was quite pleasant.Looking back, the sky was blue, but the road ahead was shrouded in a huge, gloomy cloud.I didn't realize the danger hidden in the thick white.One hour after departure, I arrived at Soda Spring, much faster than the official time.It was conveniently in the high mountain belt before. At this time, the wind was much stronger than in the canyon, but there was no snow yet.Before entering the high mountain area, there is a blue warning sign on the side of the road, which reads: If you want to turn back, take advantage of the present.I thought of my strong feet and laughed it off.

There are wooden steps at the beginning of the mountain in the high mountain area, but the more you go up, the thicker the snow, the wooden steps are useless, and you need to be careful to avoid stepping on the air.An hour later, I arrived at the fork in the road: one to the North Ring Road, one to the main peak of Nauruhui Mountain, which is just over 2000 meters above sea level, and it is the mountain of doom in the Lord of the Rings movie.The yellow-green road sign was covered with frost, and it said 3 hours for a round trip. I didn't have that much time, so I had to reluctantly give up and continue to the red crater.At this time, there is still 3 kilometers away from the crater, the visibility is about a few hundred meters, and the blue sky is faintly visible. 3 kilometers, it usually takes only half an hour, and I optimistically estimate that it will take twice the usual time to complete this section of the road.

The wind speed is getting faster and faster, the impact on the skin is simply a solid impact.Every step I took was extremely difficult, and the snow hit my face like a knife. 7 kilometers away is a vast flat land, the visibility is extremely low, and the wooden poles indicating the direction can’t be found. The surrounding area is completely white. I feel dizzy several times. Could it be snow blindness?Immediately, a huge panic surrounded me, and I kept looking for exposed black rocks, trying to restore my eyesight.

Like a snail, I moved forward step by step, and finally found a big rock on the snowy field. I hid in the lee, put down my backpack, and wanted to catch my breath. It was rolled out dozens of meters away and disappeared into the distance.I hesitated and didn't dare to pick it up.The whiteness that cannot be seen in the depth is the scariest monster in the world at this moment. I am afraid that if I walk past it, I will not be able to come back.

From 7 kilometers to 9 kilometers, the slope became steeper and steeper, and the hard ice that Sarah warned about began to appear on the surface. At a turn, my feet slipped and I staggered, almost being blown down by the strong wind; the other side was 45 degrees. Xue Po, startled me into a cold sweat.I had no choice but to move forward with my hands and feet.The road here has been completely covered by snow, some places are even knee-deep. Without a snow cover, I had to accept the reality that all the snow and ice poured into the hiking boots, and soon the shoes and socks were wet.Seeing the continuous upward attack route, and the blizzard showing no sign of stopping, my despair became more and more intense. After slipping and falling a few times, I seemed to hear the footsteps of the god of death chasing behind with a scythe.I can't die here, I absolutely have to go down the mountain alive, that's the only thought in my mind.

I looked at my watch, it was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon.I think of the Mount Everest disaster in 1996, because the principle of "must descend at closing time" was not strictly observed, and the snowstorm destroyed two of the best commercial mountaineering companies in the world at that time.Looking at the crater close at hand, I told myself, forget it.

In this way, I began to roll and climb down the mountain.On the way back, I met two mountaineers from South Korea. They were fully equipped and traveled lightly. I told them that the weather ahead was bad and they could not climb to the summit.

"We try our best to move forward, if we can't, we will turn back and continue the next day," they said.

The further you go down, the better the view, and the wind decreases rapidly, waking up from a nightmare.

At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I returned to Mangatibobo's hut. Two sleeping bags and some clothes were randomly placed on the bunk.Only then did I realize that this was the equipment of the two climbers just now.At 6 o'clock, the two finally returned safely, and I returned to Fakapapa Village with peace of mind, taking a hot bath!Cola!I am coming!

At this time, it was about five fingers away from sunset, so I quickened my pace in order to get back to the village before dark.The setting sun dyed the whole wasteland an unusually magnificent red, which was more magnificent compared with yesterday's desolation during the day.After a day of physical exertion, the same road was much more difficult to walk than when I came here. The ditch widened and the slope became steeper. I soon developed severe electrolyte deficiency symptoms, and my limbs were extremely weak and crumbling.I found a ditch sheltered from the wind, sat down on the spot, poured the salt I carried with me into the water, drank it in one gulp, and wiped out the remaining potato chips by the way. When I got up again, most of the discomfort was gone.Within 5 minutes, the lights of the village appeared in the field of vision, and there was only a long and narrow red band in the sunset on the right hand. I was so moved that I couldn't describe it. From 8 o'clock to the first road sign passed by when we set off, we struggled to walk a few hundred meters, and finally rushed out of the dark grove and returned to the real world.

At that moment, the joy, serenity, peace, and warmth of the rest of my life after the catastrophe made me want to cry.

Why did we meet
The holiday park office was closed, and I was already hungry, so I had to go to the kitchen and cook up the leftover pasta.There are so many chairs in the kitchen, I see them as if I saw my own mother.As soon as my butt touched the chair, I turned into a puddle of mud.

"Are you okay?" Someone next to me asked me, a young woman whose native language was not English.

"Well... I just came back from climbing the mountain, and I'm exhausted." I didn't even have the strength to speak, so I muttered to deal with her.

"Do you want something to eat?" She pointed to the bread in front of her.

"Well, good." I must be more polite than usual.

I finish cooking the pasta and see her toasting another man.There was no taste in my mouth, and the noodles were sour from the first bite.

"Excuse me, can you sell me this bottle of wine?"

They discussed it and said, "We don't want to sell it, we can only give it to you."

I drank a big sip of red wine from the jug, and the warm thread stretched from my throat to my stomach.

This is a young couple from Barcelona, ​​Spain, Gemma and Daniel, who are also hiking enthusiasts.

"Barcelona has the most beautiful hiking route in Europe, Carros De Foc. If you have the opportunity to go to Spain in the future, you must go! We will treat you to authentic Spanish food. Today there is only bread, sorry."

I really don't see what there is to apologize for.

I put together 5 chairs to spend the night in the kitchen that night.I closed my eyes, but I could still feel the red light of the electric heater turning on and off.I soon fell asleep.

The next two days were uneventful and the Whakapapa Holiday Park was deserted in winter.The only new resident is a Czech guy named Kowal.When I heard that he was from the Czech Republic, I couldn't help but feel very cordial, and told him a story that happened in Prague...

Seven years ago, I went to Europe to study abroad and traveled to the Czech Republic after graduation.I live in a small hotel not far from the Charles Bridge, one of the most beautiful old bridges in Europe.European individual tourists and Asian tourist groups coming and going, coupled with the stalls set up by local small vendors, make it impossible to see the original appearance of the bridge.

On the second day of arriving in Prague, I walked to this bustling bridge.Since the completion of the waterworks on the Vltava River, the river is no longer frozen in Prague.Leaning on the railing and looking at the glistening Vltava River, I let my thoughts drift away.Suddenly the silence around me was suddenly broken, and I heard someone shouting: "Grab him!" I looked back and saw a man with a fierce face rushing towards me aggressively, as if he was holding a woman in his arms. Bag.Just as he was about to pass by me, I stretched out my foot, and the man just ran away without paying attention to his feet, and I tripped him to the ground.The bag in his arms flew forward a few feet.I took two steps forward to pick up the bag first, then turned my head and saw that he had jumped into the river, splashing a lot of water.

"Thank you." A pleasant voice came from beside him.

Turning around again, a beautiful girl was smiling at me.

"and then?"

"Haha, are you serious?"

"..."

"I wrote it, but after I finished it I always wanted to see the Charles Bridge and the Vltava River."

"Come on, come on, the Czech Republic is a beautiful country, and the prices are cheaper than other European countries. Many poor people from France and Italy come to the Czech Republic to make a living. Now visas are also convenient. You know, before 1989, the Czech Republic was not open to foreigners. People are open."

We chatted about some topics about New Zealand. Koval's plan is the same as mine, which is also the Northern Ring Road. I talked about my experience and wished him good luck.In the end I only walked some small spots around the village, occasionally looking at the huge volcano in the distance, still feeling scared.Mountains cannot be conquered, and those footprints leading to high places are just to overcome one's own fragility, laziness and numbness.

The Obscure Old Hunter

After my trip to Tongariro, I returned to Palmerston North, because Stewart finally wrote that the mountain blue duck conservation project can be carried out this weekend.The mountain blue duck is a unique teal in New Zealand, and likes to move in the rapids in the mountains.In order to protect the eggs and ducklings of the mountain blue duck from being predated by ferrets or rats, we will place traps near the prey's activities to deal with those nasty natural enemies.Traps require periodic inspection, cleaning and resetting.Andrew from Palmerston North EPA gave me a briefing on how the traps are constructed and set up.From the outside, this is a 30 cm square wooden box. Open the cover and overlook the internal structure of the trap: the lower left corner is the prey entrance, the middle is the spring animal killer, and the right side is the bait holder, where eggs and other bait can be placed. .After the prey smells the aroma of the food, it drills into the wooden box through the small hole on the box body, and after entering the second small hole leading to the spring machine, it is immediately patted into meat sauce.The two holes are not in the same straight line to prevent the prey from exiting.A mouse weighs around 200 grams, so even the slightest touch can trigger the trap.Andrew threw a short piece of rubber tube on the mechanism, simulating the scene of the prey being shot to death, and the metal clip hit it hard, making a loud noise.

"Be careful when setting it up, don't hurt your hands." He repeatedly told me.

Volunteers for this project also need strong outdoor experience, such as bush crossing, orienteering and water wading ability.

On the morning of October 10, Nathan, the son of Stewart Sr., the person in charge of the trip, drove me from Palmerston North to Fielding (Fielding), where we boarded Stewart's jeep and headed to our destination, Aurora. River Valley (Oroua Valley).There is a small pond on the top of the mountain on the side of the valley. When we arrived, several cute little ducks were playing in the water. They have a nice name Paradise Duck (Paradise Duck).The sky above the river valley is shrouded in a faint mist, which can be regarded as a poem and a picture.Occasionally, the sound of gunfire echoed in the mountains, that is, the hunter found the target.

We started down the mountain road into the canyon, which was quite muddy due to the rain.We didn't go fast, but we reached the first trap soon.Our work is divided into two parts, cleaning and reset.Stuart first threw away the spoiled eggs in the trap and replaced them with fresh eggs, then put the new bait rabbit meat into a small tray, placed it in the trap, and finally re-locked the trap cover.After completing the arrangement of a trap, Stuart recorded the number and status of the trap in his notebook.Later, I would go ahead and open and close the traps, and he would change the bait in the traps and clean the carcasses.Nathan went to another trap area a little further away, leaving us far behind.

At noon we ate some bread on a rock by the river.The Aurora River flowed quietly in front of us, and Stuart was also sitting quietly. He was a quiet old man, and he hardly spoke to me except to remind me of some precautions when installing the trap.

"Every time I come to this forest, I sit on this rock. I probably remember every stone here." He didn't look like a joke at all.

Stuart first came to this river valley in 1968, and now more than 40 years have passed, he gazed at the sparkling river affectionately, without saying a word for a long time.For him, it must be a place where many good memories are hidden.

After dinner, we went back to the rest hut, I thought today's task was over.Unexpectedly, after sitting down for a few minutes, Stuart put on his boots again and was about to set off again!
My legs hadn't quite recovered from the Tongariro hike and were a little weak.In a dense forest on the side of the road, Stewart said: "We're going down the river." Then he broke through the undergrowth and prepared to crawl in.

"You mean walk into the river?"

"Yes, we're going to wade to the other side."

"But I don't have a holster..."

"You don't have to go..." He smiled.

As soon as I gritted my teeth, I decided to carry it to the end. Volunteers should look like volunteers!No matter what, we can't embarrass the Chinese!
New Zealand's rainforest is densely covered, and Stewart was able to find a shortcut to the river in such an environment without using a map at all.I followed him, and I fell down from time to time, but I got used to it later, and simply ignored the mud and scrapes on my body.

There are many traps lined up on both sides of the Ojoa River. There are usually brightly colored triangular signs on the tree trunks near the traps as reminders. Stewart occasionally uses GPS to locate traps with missing signs.We had to wade many times, going back and forth between the two banks of the river. In some sections of the river, the current was extremely turbulent. We walked slowly in the middle of the river arm in arm in order to cross the river safely.My shoes and socks got soaked very quickly, and the shoes are waterproof, once the water gets in, I can't get out, just like stepping on a boat.

"The jungle in New Zealand is very safe, don't worry about poisonous insects and beasts. The only danger is some thorny plants. You see, this leaf has a row of thorns on the leaf surface, which is very rare." Stewart is like a guide on an adventure show, familiar with every treasure Introduce me to the environment in the jungle.As a member of the Deer Hunting Association, his long-term hunting career allowed him to travel freely in the woods.Deer are an exotic species in New Zealand and have caused serious damage to native vegetation, so the government encourages hunting of deer.

We worked until four or five in the afternoon, and finally completed today's plan.Back at the cabin, while the sun was still on, I quickly lined up the wet gear on the porch to dry.The water in the shoes can't be poured clean.

Volunteering isn't all about walking by the beach.

That evening a group of young men came to our cabin.After inquiring, it turned out that it was the nearby high school students who came to camp.They got some fresh venison from somewhere, made steaks, and invited me to try it.Like Tongariro, there is no light in the room, but the fire is burning brightly. When you open the door and enter, you will feel the warmth.There was a small candle on the table. By the light of the candle, I ate the first bite of venison in New Zealand.It tastes amazing!

"Let me thank your chef!" I held up the camera and followed the chef.

"Hey, John, you're going to be famous, in China!" someone yelled, and we all laughed.

A few days ago, in the same mountain hut, I endured loneliness and boredom alone. A few days later, I was able to get along with my young friends so happily. The trip was really full of hope and surprise.

On the morning of October 10th, we finally found our first ferret in a trap.According to Stewart, the protection of the blue ducks in the Oroa Valley began in 17. By 2008, the number of blue ducks had increased from 2009 to 6 (six chicks were newly added). There are about 12 or 3 ferrets, and when he said this, he expressed his relief in his tone.I was shocked by these two figures.He has worked hard for [-] years in this place that no one knows, just for a few birds to live better.Seeing the white-haired Stuart kneeling on the ground intently to inspect the back of the trap, I was silently moved.For him, it doesn't matter whether others understand it or not, as long as it is something he thinks is valuable, he can do it.

Because we had to rush back to Auckland, at 12:[-] noon the next day, we ended the trap inspection work ahead of schedule.I bid farewell to Stuart, Nathan and his son on the side of the road, and made an appointment to meet again in the future.

New Zealand pie from a stranger
From the sunny Fielding to the heavy rain on Lake Taupo, I waited for an hour soaked and was rescued by Sean.

"Have you ever tried Steak and Cheese Pie? It's a New Zealand specialty." At a gas station, he stopped and asked me.

"I've never heard of it, what is that?"

Without further ado, he got out of the car and bought me a hot pie!It was tearful.The people of New Zealand have moved me time and time again with such simple hospitality. I will always remember this kind of friendship without borders.

At 9:5 p.m., I'm finally back in Auckland after being away for 5 full months.Sean continued to accelerate, overtaking one car after another. Looking at the city of Auckland from the North Shore Bridge, thousands of lights were reflected on the sea, and the Sky Tower was like a late sunset. I felt a sense of "going home".It has been 5 months, and I have survived safely in New Zealand; it has only been [-] months, and those days of working in the company have become a distant century.

The warm embrace that Oakland owed me melted into the faint moisture of the night, and I could never see it again.

Intermission
At the end of October, I returned to China for half a month to deal with private affairs.There are few blue skies in Beijing, and the pure sky of New Zealand has become my biggest concern in China.

During my stay in Beijing, I received a message from Gemma, saying that she and her husband had returned to Barcelona and invited me to meet again in Spain.Received another email from Sean: Brother, when will you return to New Zealand?If you want a ride, please contact me again, maybe I will buy another one for you!Does this guy always make people cry like this?
Ah, yes, and Koval, the Czech who has completed the Tongariro North Circular, actually told me that the first thing he will do when he returns to the Czech Republic in 3 weeks is to find a robber on the Charles Bridge and push him into the water , and then met a beautiful girl...

(End of this chapter)