Turere Lodge is a family favourite for Wellingtonians. The annual pilgrimage comprised 17 in total, with nine adults and eight children, aged 5 to 9. My friend assured me the entire lodge had been booked, so there was plenty of room for tagalongs like me. I find it hard to turn down a tramp—better still with friends—so joined in. I was the only adult in the party who wasn’t a parent themselves. Our group gathered in the carpark and started making our way along the gentle Orongorongo Track, catching up on the year that had been. The children walked or…