Random reminder

Press, 7 January 1983, Page 17

Random reminder

BRIEF ENCOUNTER It’s not much fun having kids these days, you don’t mean much to them really; they’re disobedient, too fond of their freedom, and will run away at the drop of a hat. Or so a certain bushman working in the Marlborough Sounds area thinks.

He was camped way out in the wopwops working on the upkeep of a track in readiness for the expected holiday trampers. His only company as he boiled his lonely billy one chilly dawn was his faithful dog. Later, when out working along the track, he saw a young goat in the bush, and as he prided himself on possessing the ability to produce realistic goat noises, he naaed a few times and sure enough the goat understood and came running over to him. He petted it, his dog sniffed it and the little foundling instantly accepted them as though the adoption papers were officially signed and sealed. The trio became good friends and whenever the kid wandered away the bi'shman’s naaing would bring it scampering back.

By midday it was a real scorcher. Being alongside a stream our man stripped off, left the kid on the bank by his clothes, and with his dog plunged in to the glorious pool. He is a big man — XXOS — and his huge body crashing into the water made a frightening sound and an awful splash that scared the wits out of the poor kid waiting on the bank. Emerging from his dive the bushman was just in time to see a bobbing goat tail fast disappearing into the bush. Hastily he scrambled out and ran after it, loudly naaing. With running and continual loud naaing he was almost out of breath. The remainder of his breath was taken away when suddenly he found himself face to face, or words to that effect, with a group of girl trampers who immediately burst into into a chorus of loud screams.

Heaven knows what effect the sight of an immense nude man crazily naaing coming crashing towards them out of the bush had oh the surprised girls. Maybe less than if he’d stopped to explain.