Green in the City

I had a trip to Invercargill for work this week. It was a long drive, busy roads and many clients booked in. I was tired and felt like having a sleep, or eating lots of sugar. I had an hour break between sessions and I found myself driving to Thomsons Bush. Wow, what a gem. In the middle of the city, off a busy road, there is this magical green area, that was just the tonic I needed. 

I had come across a forest that was left intact when the city was cleared and built in the mid 1800’s. It was nature, as it would be in the backcountry. Untamed by gardeners, as parks are usually in the cities. Kahikatea trees tower over other native trees and bushes. Birds flew all around me, singing their charming songs. Tui’s, wood pigeons, bellbirds and fantails galore. 

I walked the trails slowly. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds. I watched them fly, play and feast. I inhaled the intoxicating smell of forest, I breathed it all in deeply. I sat and took it all in, the green all around me. In no time, I felt restored, alive, calm, relaxed and so energised. I then continued my day, taking this magical experience and feeling with me, which stayed, even as I drove out into the traffic in the middle of the city.