This particular Sunday morning started even earlier than on a work day. Our alarm sounds at 6:15 and by 6:50am we are out the door. The day hasn’t woken yet, it’s still quite dark and the birds are only just starting their dawn chorus. As we head along the motorway we start to see a dash of blush, peeking out from behind the hills. A little early morning mist clings to the land. We are watching the day wake up and it’s beautiful.

Today we are doing a walk at Patuna Chasm. It’s been on my bucket list for about 3 years. Finally we are doing it. Patuna Chasm is in the Wairarapa on private land so you have to book, and it’s popular. It’s also only open over the warmer months of the year, which is why it has taken us so long to do this.

We are on the first walk this morning, departing at 8:30am and are joined by my mother & father in law. We arrive and get ready, it’s a wet walk, some of it being through a river, so we change our clothes and shoes into ones we are happy to get wet and I make sure my phone is in a snap lock bag. Before beginning the walk we read through the safety signs. It mentions that in some parts the river is 1m deep and more. I knew it was a wet walk, but I didn’t realises it was that deep. This is going to be fun. And cold.

We depart punctually at 8:30am on the back of a trailer fitted with chairs. The seats are all wet, probably from the dew last night and I have a very wet bottom before we even enter the water. It’s a bumpy drive out to the start of the walk. I am fortunate not to suffer from motion sickness and actually really enjoy this type of travel. Our driver manages to navigate some pretty tight bends and after about 20 minutes we arrive at the start of the walk. After a bit of a safety briefing we are off.

Around 16 – 18 people are in this group, but we pretty quickly all find our own pace and spread out. The first part of the walk is through native bush. When I picture native bush, this isn’t what I imagine, it’s quite scrubby, but native bush is exactly what it is – manuka, kawakawa and ferns. The bush is peaceful, void of city noises. I can hear cicadas, magpies, running water and the odd bleat from some sheep.

The first part of the track is quite muddy and slippery. I take care not to fall over, while Daniel goes out of his way to slide in it, doing some mud surfing. The track then leads into a steep incline. I am actually surprised how well I manage it. I’m not huffing and puffing to the same extent as usual when I reach the top. We walk along the ridge for a bit before coming to a huge limestone rock that has it’s centre worn away. It looks like a big wave and is very impressive. The rock is smooth and super fascinating, a great place to get some photos.

A little further on and we begin to descend into the chasm. There is a rope to help us abseil down the bank.

When we get closer to the river I notice an old fossilised shell embedded into the rock. I find it fascinating at how much detail is in it and thinking about how many thousands, millions of years it might have been there.

It’s now time to enter the water. The wet part of the walk has begun. The first moment it feels freezing and I wonder how I am going to manage walking in this cold water, waist deep, but after a minute or so it doesn’t feel so bad (probably because I have gone a bit numb.) We walk up the river going slowly, navigating the rocks, some of which are quite slippery. Taking small steps is key. We see the huge rocks of the chasm, washed smoothed, shaped by the flow of water over many years. The rock face in some areas is engulfed in vibrant green moss with water droplets glistening in the light. It is simply beautiful.

It’s not too long before we approach a waterfall. Water pouring down over the rock face and moss in tiers, fanning out into the pool below. The photos don’t do it justice. My mother in law offers to take some photos of me next to the waterfall so I head out, but next minute, without even thinking, I just go and stand right under it. The water is very fresh, but so magical. And I just stand there, getting completely drenched under a spray of cool water.

I feel very alive after that and we carry on with our walk. This time we are going back down the river, towards where we first entered the water and then carry on past it to do the rest of the walk. For most of the walk, the water is below my knee, but one part gets very deep. The rest of my group decide to get out of the water and find a way around the side, but you know me, I just swim through it. I am totally soaked, from the neck down, but I’m loving it. We get one beautiful, precious life and I find moments like this, getting wet, taking the ‘road less traveled’ is what makes life so sweet for me.

We are lucky to have such a perfect weather day. There is no wind and in the patches where the sun manages to break through into the chasm, it’s quite warm. I imagine it could be a very cold walk on some days. We then approach the part of the walk where it starts to close in and get dark. We were told by our guide at the start that it would, and he assured us it was the right way. Just as we start to enter it, there is a big hole in the rock above and light floods in. It’s so bright it kind of hurts my eyes. I also find that the darkness of the chasm and the brightness from above intensifies the colours of the forest canopy. There are so many different vibrant shades of green.

Further in, there is a spot where the only light is coming from some cracks in the rocks above. This is such a unique experience and quite an adventure.

We finally make it to the end of the walk and climb out. We need to walk along the river bank for a while before heading up to the collection point. But there is also an optional swim add on, it brings you out further up the river and then you just walk back along the farmland to the collection point. No one in my group wanted to do this so I begin following them on land, but looking down at the group that has decided to do the add on swim, I just keep thinking, I’m missing out. And so, I join them.

Most of this last part is in water below my knee and we walk through another little cave. This one has some pigeons in it and their soft cooing is echoed around inside. Beautiful. The last part of the walk is where you have to swim. Well, you can walk, it was probably up to my shoulders, but I chose to swim, and it was excellent. I’m glad I listened to my gut that said, go do the swim.

Back at the collection point I enjoy the warmth of the sun on my skin and wet clothes while we wait to be picked up. The drive on the back of the trailer is cold. The combination of wind and wet clothes is chilly, but I remind myself, it’s only temporary and once back at the car park I am in warm dry clothes in no time.

We then make our way to Featherston for one of the biggest burgers I have had from Vixen. Delicious. And it certainly satisfies the hunger created on this walk. Their fries are pretty good too.

Its a challenging walk, the rocks were quite slippery in places and the water deep at times, but if you take it slowly and absorb your surroundings, I am sure you will see it for the adventure it is. You will spend the majority of the walk in the water, I timed about 50 minutes on land and about 1 3/4 hours in the river.