More than first meets they eye

I drifted off to sleep with the lapping of the waves and distant sound of chirping birds; it was peaceful, long awaited tranquility; absolutely nothing could take me away…

“Morning all! Come on out! We are expecting the coldest day in over a decade and we have to get these tents down before the next storm!” Tranquility? Peace? Chirping? That was something else, definitely not freezing temperatures, hiking through wildlife parks and torrential downpour!

It was apparent that the world was set against me: everything that Mother Nature had up her enormous sleeve had come hammering down. Once I looked around me, everything somehow seemed to be luminous, alluring, and ironically perfect. It seemed that, solely, I was the target for all erroneous things that would happen on the atrocious day.

It was inescapable: everywhere I went I was followed. It was different to physical pain, in comparison that would be bearable! Trees were all around – perfect height to withstand the power of wind – and there were small caves around each bend for shielding the dominant rain. However, in this scenario, the trees were closing in, suffocating me, and the caves were in the way of my every move. This was simply indescribable – indescribable torture.

Life became worse as I knew it, I came out of seclusion only to discover the ragged terrain resembling a tsunami-stricken zone: the trees either shriveled or simply gone, all the renowned wildlife vanished, and it appeared that what was visible to us, ‘wildlife aware’ students, was absolutely sodden – so much for the drought?!

I was in awe of what had happened around me: the landscape had completely changed in a matter of minutes. It had become gruesome, deserted and threatening; I was frightened to be there, nevertheless, I respected what I had just witnessed; it made me even slightly curious. Then it struck me: was there more to Mother Nature than first met the eye?

I had just drifted off to sleep when a sudden splash of freezing cold water hit me; subsequently the squawking of the seagulls captured my being; it was ghastly, I wanted to leave, I had to leave; however, somehow I could not – something held me back.

“Morning all! Come on out! We are expecting the coldest day in over a decade and we have to get these tents down before the next storm!” Today, I had almost run out of patience! It was almost impossible being contained, knowing that on the other side of the suppressing tent all night was the remarkable wonder of life: untouched, unharmed, ultimate power of life.