Hiking the Rod Donald

It feels like forever ago now, but the weekend after we did Woolshed Creek we got out again, but this time for a day hike to the Rod Donald hut. It is located in Banks Peninsula and was about an hours drive from our house. We didn’t have the time to stay overnight, and the hut was booked out anyway, but we really enjoyed the hike and definitely want to do it again and stay the night sometime!

There was snow on the ground, and one the way back out the cloud came in. It was misty and cold but still a great trip.

I gotta admit, on the way there I wasn’t as relaxed as I’d like to be about the whole thing. I think I was worried about getting to the hut and back out before it got too cold and dark. I wanted to get all the way there, where as Dave was much more focused on enjoying the journey. Looking back I wish I had relaxed more too. We had plenty of time, and stopping to smell the roses, or in this case, throw the snowballs, made for a much more enjoyable journey, and more memorable for Benny too!

I’m really realising how much getting out in nature makes my soul happy. It can be challenging, firstly getting ready and getting out of the house, convincing Benny that it is a good thing, and having to carry Benny a good portion of any walks, but it so absolutely worth it! Seeing him enjoy the exploring (even if he’s not a big fan of a lot of walking!), feeling my soul relax, getting my body moving, spending time exploring with Dave who absolutely makes the best adventure buddy ever, and helps chill me out when I get stressed. Experiencing how good it makes me feel, seeing how Benny lights up outside, I gotta do more of it!!! I’m working on doing more of it.

How do you feel when you get outside? What lights you up?