Happy birthday, Russ
I rang my old friend Russ in Rununga to ask if he and Jo were going to be in town if I passed through. He suggested I come for his birthday in a few weeks. After my aborted South Island winter expedition had left that option open, I said of course.
Five classmates from school were going to congregate for the event. It was a no-brainer, meeting up with some of my favourite friends from that era. These are the ones who relish an opportunity for a get-together, realising that sociability is important to life as we age.
We had two nights and a day and a half to reconnect. What a cheery bunch of guys, full of life stories, some of which we hadn’t heard before.
We managed a 12 km walk up to an old coal mining village along a decommissioned railway line. Also, a couple of visits to the Donnelly pub.
Overall, well worth the drive to reconnect with my past.