For once, today started laid back and casual. Our avid adventurers, Rob and Mark, had just arrived after spending a few nights in the wild, so they were more than keen to have some extra time in the warmth and comfort of the cabin.

As we had all discussed last night, this morning was to be an easy walk, but a secretive one, as we did not want an entire group following us. There were five of us trekking into the depths of the ballroom forest today, a place so beautifully aged to perfection that you'd have to see it to believe it.

Fallen trees, branches, bleached-white stones and running streams. Musty smell, (like PVA glue to me) the aroma of rotting wood, leaves laid to rest and moss growing in abundance like a warm blanket over the aging arbour, now resting peacefully after having faithfully serving its time.

It takes the sun a while to penetrate through the canopy above, it is darkened, and very very still. It would be akin to walking through a city after a catastrophic event, and noticing how still this area is. Compared to the rest of the park, where things are ever changing, moving and breathing with the wind, this forest is positively dormant, except for the water exiting the mountains.

I was as content as I can remember. I wasn't cold, I wasn't shivering. I had all my camera gear with me, enough food and water, plus infinite time. I had time to sit and think about my compositions and time to sit and contemplate my next move. There was no rushing around, there was no panic. I felt truly at peace, and I cannot tell you how happy that made me feel. I took stills, video and timelapse.

The boys in the group had decided to climb as high as they could up the falls, after some initial shooting at the base of the falls, Mieke and I decided to try and get up where they had gone, but the scent ran cold when we encountered a lot of dense scrubby bush where there was no way we'd get through. Accepting that the boys would do more adventuring than shooting, we happily accepted that shooting the ballroom forest would be make us more happy than climbing. And so we spent hours exploring and shooting, talking and enjoying what we do.

At the end of it all, the boys literally tumbled out from the bushes above, scattering down like three marbles falling down the hill, all covered in different species of plants, dirty, but satisfied. They had gone further than they had anticipated, higher than anyone probably had, but couldn't take the cameras up to the final tier. Content, accomplished and happy, after 6 hours, we left the forest and headed, as you do, for the tavern, for a wine a natter and some warm fire.

Accomplished. Happy.