ONLY A FEW HUNDRED METRES from the track head and I’ve already taken a dive into the thick sludge beneath my feet. It’s a sobering reminder that Mother Nature is numero uno out here. I pick myself up and view my surroundings. I’m encircled by dense forest – silver beech dominates the landscape, with a lush sub-canopy of pepper tree, broadleaf, coprosmas, fuchsia and soft ferns. The track is a labyrinth of roots, fallen trees and rotten logs with a carpet of vibrant moss covering the ground as far as the eye can see. I feel as though I’ve been thrust back into the Mesozoic era.
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