A Harrowing Experience, Would Somone Please Get the Door

On the night of Thursday Dec 10 I had a most harrowing experience. I was camped at Waihi Beach and awoke sometime after midnight. As nature came knocking I arose to open the flap (of the tent), but in fumbling to do so the zipper took a great mouthful of the nylon fabric in its teeth, and despite my best efforts, that included predominantly yanking the zip both up and down, it would not budge. To my horror, I was trapped inside my own tent! This was certainly not how I envisaged my trip ending.

Unfortunately 'finesse' is something that seems to dissappear from one's repertoire under such circumstances - think fumbling for the front-door keys whilst jumping up and down on the spot after a long car trip home - so I followed the old saying, "When at first you don't succeed, pull the bloody thing harder!:" Somehow, if we ignore the minor tears that will preserve the memory of this awful experience for as long as I retain possession of my tent, it worked. I was free to attend the business at hand.... and at this point if I may take the opportunity to apologise profusely to the elderly couple, the owners of the cream campervan neighbouring my site at the time.