Journey's End is the place where Convergence happens. Once a year, over the new year, the family gathers to take stock: what the past year has brought, connections to the past, aspirations for the future. It's a time for processing, reflecting and sharing. We dance, we sing, we talk, we eat, we swim, we squabble, we work out issues. We live together. It's a time for making new relationships and deepening old ones. After seven years I feel part of this family and enjoy watching the children grow, the teens mature and the rest of us progress through the stages of life. Some of the whānau pass on and their presence is remembered, their legacy honoured.
Creatures of habit, we pitch our tents, park our caravans or buses in roughly the same spot. Some of us have an early morning sauna, embracing the magic of starting the day through heat and a cool plunge in the river. There's no meat, no drugs, no alcohol. My body thanks me for the detox. Food prep is shared and cooking together brings us closer. Nothing like chopping onions to get conversation flowing.
This year I connect with a range of people. Some I have met before and some who are new. I strike my tent with regret, knowing how the busyness of everyday life will absorb me but feeling rested and grateful for time out.
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| Main marquee |
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| Sauna |
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| Plunge pool |
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| John in the kitchen |
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