The Mighty Wairoa

Her force can be heard before it is seen. A feeling washes over my body, reducing it to flesh and bone. My mortality is felt in each step. One, two, don’t look down, three, four, heart pounding in my chest, five, six, I take a moment to ground myself.

She doesn’t care how strong, how cunning you are. A thunderous roar echoes off the narrow walls carved deep into the gorge. Sparks and flashes of water transformed to mist fly through the sky. A place few choose to venture, a hundred or so feet below, a waterfall cascades into a perfect clear blue pool of water. A tumultuous current swirls, in stark contrast to the still, ancient cliffs, fungi covered trees and bearded moss hanging off the ferns. A deep breath to fill my chest, oh the feeling of being alive!



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