Nicky & Cookie

After a nice night at the Eco-Park watching small children ride miniature donkeys ( jealous ) and waiting to see if the would let loose the Alpaccas ( they didn’t :( ) we made our way up the junglie gravel road. Only two minutes in and we were confronted by the chubbiest pigs i’ve ever seen. ( And I’ve been to Hackney City Farm mind you. I assume they are fed on left over fried breakfast sausages there ;) ). “Ahhhhh look at his ugly face. Get a shot will ya?” … Well, he didn’t like that did he. They turned and charged for Cookie’s rucksack. A sudden flash back to that Guy Richie film reminded me that pigs eat ANYTHING, and these guys were monsters. Grabbing Cookie’s walking poles in one hand and dragging his pack across the gravel in the other I made a hasty retreat… I mean, look at his teeth! How many other Te Araroa hikers have met the same fate? A chilling lesson in animal handling was learned and, making sure we had got the appropriate You’ve Been Framed footage in the can, (“Aaaand that’s a wrap!” ) we evacuated the premises quick smart.