'Babes in the Wood'

The above photo was taken by Joan Hyde when Audrey and myself were about 17 months old, in Puketi forest. We used to go for occasional picnics in this forest. A giant Kauri tree - Te Tangi o te Tui (The Lament of the Tui) - stands there. The name was given to the tree by hunters of the Rahiri tribe who were hunting kereru. It is the fourth largest in NZ. with a height of 50.9 m (167'), a diameter of 3.94 m (12.9'), and a clean bole at more than 30 m (98.4').

Audrey used to do a lot of riding on horseback and I liked to explore the local forests in the hills where if one got lost one just followed the downward run of the streams. The New Zealand forests were ideal for young children's explorations as there were no dangerous animals or any snakes.

I was provided with a 'pocket watch', and before I went to the hills, I would state how long I would be, and walk or ride on horseback as far as I could for half the time, and then return.