Sense and sensibility

I woke up at 7.30 this morning ready to head out for a walk but I looked out the window and it was seriously foggy, so i had another hour in bed!
Eventually after a leisurely breakfast I packed up and drove up to Lake Hauroko - a relatively local beauty spot (ok maybe 40km away) I had put hiking boots and poles in the car with the intent of doing a decent walk.

I arrived just before mid day in glorious sunshine and 15 degrees. I checked out the walks and found that there was one that was a 3 hour return walk along the lake side and then up to the top of a hill. Checked my watch and headed off thinking that I had plenty of time to do it, even if I was slow. Unfortunately about a mile in I came to a grinding halt. There was a washout drop of about 3 metres, possibly more and I really couldn't see a way across it. There were no boulders it was a very sandy soil and it looked like the only way was to scramble down and then back up the other side. I could see the orange way marker triangle waving at me from the other side!. I decided that I wasn't game enough to try it. I was on my own, am not that fussed on going down anyway and I really couldn't see myself clambering up the other side without some help. There was nothing to do but turn round and head back along the lake shore.
As I got to the jetty a family caught up with me and I asked them if they had got over the wash out - the man said yes they had but that his daughter had slipped and fell several times. At this point I realised I had made a wise choose! (his daughter was probably 11 and very limber, I am nearly 50 and not so limber!)
I was slightly disappointed as was defeated before I even got to a climb but I decided that I would rather live another day.

As I got back to the car a South Island Robin came to visit me - he even had a hunt round the boot of my car to see if he could find any tidbits. You can see the shots here