A Day in the Life

Rongotea, and there really is nothing here to speak of. They have a few town gardens that'll take an hour or so to tend.

The rig's steering feels too light and I'm not sure why. I doubt I'm hauling more than a couple of tonnes - tractor and mowing deck. Tyres seem ok - a mystery.

The Hino seems untouched since when I parked it up on Friday. Engine hours are where I left it. My shit is scattered about the cab as per normal.

I like the filled sausages they sell at the only store in town. There's a light rain falling on a slate grey day. There'll be snow about someplace, but not this near the coast.

There's really not much to do and I figure I'll rip into it and then to the store for a sausage and crappy coffee.....

.... And hideous the coffee was. It's now nearly lunch and I'm fetched up at a nature reserve called Mount Lees. There's a few hours of mowing to do, which is why I'm hauling around the tractor.

Frosts have curbed the growth so it'll be a cinch. The Manawatu is very green at the moment even though we haven't had that much rain.

Fantails witter at me and I see a big fat native pigeon glaring at the intrusion. In truth, few people make it here this time of year. It's too isolated.

The last of the agapanthus wave their deep blue flowers amid yellowing beeches, olive greens of ratas and titokis. Wispy maidenhair ferns peek out - yeah, it's pretty cool here!

Later, at home and safely knocked off, my boy tries to tap me for cigarettes. I'm just grateful he's home and not out creating mayhem. There can be few shops in town he hasn't been banned from. Why does he rebel in such a fashion? My own father and I fell out over politics - it seems more dignified than thieving.

Of course, I'm no shining example, but I know the end game and it isn't pleasant. The clang and crash of the cell doors, the drunken ravings, snarling authoritarianism and, above all, the excuses and denials of one's room mates. I never spent much time in the crossbar hotel - just long enough to realise I didn't want it for my future.