1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to this Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:13,093 Speaker 1: from News Talks at me and. 3 00:00:13,013 --> 00:00:14,853 Speaker 2: As I turned on my phone for the first time 4 00:00:14,893 --> 00:00:17,933 Speaker 2: in three days, it lit up with text messages from 5 00:00:17,933 --> 00:00:23,493 Speaker 2: my wife. There was a photo a tiny baby trussed 6 00:00:23,573 --> 00:00:27,293 Speaker 2: up and a cotton wrap like a fresh, fleshy burrito, 7 00:00:27,453 --> 00:00:31,093 Speaker 2: with a little woolen hat for good measure. Congratulations. Her 8 00:00:31,133 --> 00:00:36,253 Speaker 2: message said, you're a dad. I knew she was joking. 9 00:00:38,613 --> 00:00:43,253 Speaker 2: I'm not denying there was an element of risk in 10 00:00:43,653 --> 00:00:46,213 Speaker 2: deciding to go tramping through the back country of the 11 00:00:46,293 --> 00:00:50,053 Speaker 2: Kahudungi National Park while my wife was at home thirty 12 00:00:50,093 --> 00:00:52,253 Speaker 2: two weeks pregnant. I knew there was a bit of 13 00:00:52,373 --> 00:00:55,493 Speaker 2: risk in that decision. But I also knew that if 14 00:00:55,493 --> 00:00:58,973 Speaker 2: she had had the baby while I was dragging myself 15 00:00:59,053 --> 00:01:02,613 Speaker 2: up a distant ridge top, her first words to me 16 00:01:02,693 --> 00:01:07,493 Speaker 2: when I emerged from the bush would not have been congratulations. 17 00:01:09,253 --> 00:01:16,293 Speaker 2: It's funny. I reckon solitude in the bush. You know, 18 00:01:16,333 --> 00:01:20,933 Speaker 2: the uncontactableness I reckon. I reckon It's a big part 19 00:01:20,973 --> 00:01:23,933 Speaker 2: of the attraction of tramping for me. I love the 20 00:01:24,573 --> 00:01:28,253 Speaker 2: physical challenge of tramping. I love the birds, the peewacka 21 00:01:28,293 --> 00:01:32,213 Speaker 2: waka flitting about when you're under the canopy, the care 22 00:01:32,493 --> 00:01:37,813 Speaker 2: ah rack rack squawking over the valleys. I love how 23 00:01:38,453 --> 00:01:40,893 Speaker 2: I love how, you know, kind of humbling it is, 24 00:01:40,973 --> 00:01:43,773 Speaker 2: how how insignificant you feel when you stand on top 25 00:01:43,813 --> 00:01:47,013 Speaker 2: of a mountain ridge and you're kind of confronted by 26 00:01:47,093 --> 00:01:52,373 Speaker 2: your your relative puniness. But maybe above all, I just 27 00:01:52,613 --> 00:01:56,173 Speaker 2: I love that feeling when you can see nor hear 28 00:01:56,693 --> 00:02:03,413 Speaker 2: no sign of human beings, no sign of civilization anywhere. Realistically, 29 00:02:03,773 --> 00:02:08,813 Speaker 2: that solitude is I'm probably about to take a massive hit. 30 00:02:09,653 --> 00:02:11,653 Speaker 2: When I was in the Kahudangi it struck me that 31 00:02:11,893 --> 00:02:14,693 Speaker 2: it is only a matter of time, a couple of months, 32 00:02:14,693 --> 00:02:18,613 Speaker 2: a couple of years at most, before satellite, internet and 33 00:02:18,653 --> 00:02:23,053 Speaker 2: communications technology mean we will all have internet and cell 34 00:02:23,093 --> 00:02:27,413 Speaker 2: phone reception all the time. It won't matter if you're 35 00:02:27,413 --> 00:02:31,293 Speaker 2: in downtown Auckland or halfway down the traverse from mule 36 00:02:31,333 --> 00:02:35,013 Speaker 2: Tide Peak to the Undertoky Forks Hut. If you want comms, 37 00:02:35,293 --> 00:02:39,453 Speaker 2: you will have comms that endless stream of notifications Z 38 00:02:39,813 --> 00:02:43,893 Speaker 2: buzzings in your pocket. I'm not going to deny that. 39 00:02:44,573 --> 00:02:48,693 Speaker 2: You know, there are some obvious upsides to being contactable 40 00:02:48,773 --> 00:02:52,173 Speaker 2: all the time, especially in my family where there's a history, 41 00:02:52,693 --> 00:02:56,373 Speaker 2: thankfully not mine, of people going missing in the bush. 42 00:02:56,613 --> 00:02:59,053 Speaker 2: You know, in emergency situations, it's just going to be 43 00:02:59,093 --> 00:03:01,933 Speaker 2: so valuable to know that you can always get a 44 00:03:01,973 --> 00:03:05,653 Speaker 2: call out. And for trampers who want whether forecast updates, 45 00:03:05,773 --> 00:03:09,573 Speaker 2: or people in rural parts of the country with connectivity holes, 46 00:03:09,773 --> 00:03:13,453 Speaker 2: it's going to be a game changer, no doubt. But 47 00:03:13,573 --> 00:03:21,093 Speaker 2: with all that is gained with increased connectivity, I just 48 00:03:21,133 --> 00:03:26,773 Speaker 2: regon that that humbling sense of solitude is lost. It's 49 00:03:26,813 --> 00:03:28,933 Speaker 2: going to be that much harder to escape the world, 50 00:03:29,213 --> 00:03:31,173 Speaker 2: even for a couple of days, you know what I mean. 51 00:03:31,893 --> 00:03:36,333 Speaker 2: And you know, I just hope that in years to come, 52 00:03:36,373 --> 00:03:39,373 Speaker 2: when our child is actually born and is maybe old 53 00:03:39,493 --> 00:03:43,493 Speaker 2: enough to go tramping, a voluntary code of conduct of 54 00:03:43,613 --> 00:03:46,493 Speaker 2: sorts will have become the norm for trampers when they 55 00:03:46,493 --> 00:03:49,053 Speaker 2: head into the New Zealand bush. Yes, fill out the 56 00:03:49,093 --> 00:03:52,733 Speaker 2: intentions book, Yes, tell someone where you're going, But for 57 00:03:52,773 --> 00:03:57,213 Speaker 2: goodness sake, unless it's an emergency, please put your phone 58 00:03:57,253 --> 00:03:59,133 Speaker 2: on aeroplane mode. 59 00:03:59,173 --> 00:04:02,253 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 60 00:04:02,373 --> 00:04:05,653 Speaker 1: to newstalks'd B from nine am Saturday, or follow the 61 00:04:05,653 --> 00:04:07,133 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.