My brother nearly dies for scenery.

I don’t understand how each turn of a corner in New Zealand can lead to mounting magnificence. Beauty comes effortlessly to this land.

As the sun set, we drove out to a beach where the water is a deep green.

In search of better views, my brother and I clambered to the top of the hill that’s behind me there in that picture. See how tiny I am there?

The views from the pinnacle were amazing.

We chose to go down another way than the way we’d come.

On the scramble down the steep slope, I lowered myself into a trap. There was no way further vertically and no path down (except to jump).

I grappled at grassroots and dug a foothold in the dirt. I used both to jump up and hug a pine tree, then pulled myself out of the sweaty situation.

Hearing rocks clattering far below, I glanced down to see my brother at the base of the mountain. He’d been with me only seconds before.

His laughter echoed up to me before I realized that he’d fallen.

He descended around 40 feet in a matter of seconds and suffered remarkably little for it, so I call that a win. You can see the scuffed up dirt along the path where he fell—and him at the bottom—and get the idea.

Brushing the dirt and pine needles off, we headed home.

It’s good to see views and stay alive all in one day.

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Indy.

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