How many river crossings does it take to kill a camera?

Several, well I lost count at which number river crossing when my camera took a accidental dunk in the water. I love this camera, it's my first serious prosumer style camera. I learnt everything about photography I know with this thing, I sold my first photo with this! It also taught me that I don't need a big DSLR rig to produce good photos, in fact being so compact, I've taken this thing everywhere and capture so much more.

It was the Saturday, weather forecast for the weekend is grey and rainy but it's not too bad to start with. What's the plan - it's the "Westcoaster 30km" It's another Adrian's Adventures, I'm not fully committed to the whole 30km - the adventure starts at Bethells Beach, run up the Te Henga trail, which I must add is just so beautiful, join onto Goldies Bush, do the loop, check the Mokoroa falls and run back to Bethells. It's serious elevation, and a long day out. I decide I will join the rest of the crew at Goldies Bush and do the loop, covering about 14km. Jenny, Pete and Sandrine also have a similar plan to me whiles Adrian, Liz, Sean, Hayley, Julz (yay finally see Julz after a long time), Jane, Allan and Brittany start off at Bethells. It's a pretty good turnout!

I get to the carpark at the Te Henga track entrance, and decide to start the trail so I would meet the others as they run from Bethells. This is great decision as I make my way down the Constable Rd stairs and out to the coast and cliffs. The views are primo - just beautiful even on this grey, dull, rainy day - it's incredible to see out to Maori Bay and Muriwai from this vantage point. I'm also wearing my photography hat at this point, and mostly hiking, stopping and taking lots of photos - and I have something in mind for the future.
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It must be about 2km in and I see the group come around the corner, we stop briefly and we stop again as we bump into Jenny and Pete. The whole group is now together and we are off on our way into Goldies bush to set on a adventure we won't forget. We climb up those Constable Rd stairs and cover a bit of the gravel road and into Goldies bush, it's a big downhill, more stairs (that we'll have to come up on our return). It's very lush, the trail here is nicely groomed, and we are all having a bit of fun running downhill, jumping about, taking photos.

We reach the swing  bridge, this is where we decide to tackle the river. But first some photos on the bridge, there was a group of 3 girls there chatting with some of the group. One of the girls asked kindly to take our photo, and later I found that she is my insta-friend Paige! A chance meeting out on the trail - I'm very thankful she took our photo, we did miss Liz though, as she hadn't caught up yet (taking too many photos ;)), and we had almost forgotten about her!! (Sorry Liz)
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We head down to river, everybody together now, and no chance of anybody speeding off now. The track runs on the banks of the river and there are several river crossing. As soon as we start, we are tackling several crossing and it's like this the whole way to the waterfalls. We have to tuck in under branches, on top of rocks, and through the water. The rocks are my main concern, remembering back to last time I was on a waterfall adventure where I almost slipped and here the rocks had a lot of moss on them and although my Icebugs are great in the mud with those big lugs, they are not effective on the slippery rocks

It was out of my comfort zone, with so many crossings. Pete encourages me though - saying you'll remember this in a couple of days thinking it's much better than sitting in an office in front of a computer. And now as I'm writing this in front of my computer - that's exactly what I'm thinking! Pete and Ad make sure everybody get through the river crossings, this is very reassuring and I'm very thankful for this. In one of the tricky crossing, Liz slips - big time, there is a big slippery rock you just have to go through, she loses her footing and into the water she goes. She's a strong swimmer but even then she looks to be in a bit of shock, Pete and Ad are over there straight away trying to think of alternative way - which is not any easier, up a bank and down slippery rock again. Everybody else gets through safely, Pete is the last one through, but he slips coming down as well! He's ok, Liz is ok. We have negotiated the crossings, it was scary at times mainly because the river was high, it was raining and because of all the stopping the cold was starting to set in, but at the same time it has built up my confidence more.

​It's on one of these crossings that my camera takes a dunk, I have in my right hand but I slip slightly and my hand goes into the water, and the camera goes in. Surprisingly the camera is still working, I switch it off. And by the next river crossing, I have put it away in my bag. The next time I get it out is when we get to the waterfalls - it turns on and I'm able to take a few photos. Ad, Jane and I decide to go to the base of the falls, as I approach the falls and look to take another photo, it's gone, black screen. I try to turn it off and on, nope. Open the battery bay, water drips out - and I know at that point it's gone. I can only smile at this point, and I sit down on one of rocks, facing the falls. Ad is behind me, and takes a photo of this moment.

The others have climbed up the track to the top of the falls to the viewing point and are watching us and the falls. The Mokoroa falls is complemented with the falls right next to it - Houheria Stream Falls. The falls are going off - lots of water with rain, I've read that it can be dry but we've caught at the right time. We decide to join back to the others, I go up to the view point, take a few photos with my Fuji - which I also had in my bag - but I hadn't been using because it's bigger and heavier. Ironically it is weather sealed! Anyways everybody is ready to go, in fact they have left already. Only Pete, Ad and I are left, I stuff down a sandwich and hit the uphill - this part of the trail, going back to Horsman Rd is well groomed, and we see a few more people on the trail. There is turn right as we head back towards the swing bring to complete the loop. It starts out pretty good, well groomed and then it turns into mud. In addition the rain has become heavy.

From the swing bridge it's a uphill to negotiate the stairs back up to the carpark. I see a couple of fantails very close, I saw one very close to me when we were at the base of the waterfalls as well.

Back to the carpark where Pete and Jenny are, Sandrine also has her car parked there. I'm just up the road, a short run. It's wet, and I've got mud in most places. And back to reality as I drive back, thinking about the rest of the crew who have to negotiate the Te Henga track back to Bethells Beach. It would probably be 3pm till they finish, long day out. Long and adventurous:
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