The Mt Sampson guard pig

A gem of a hike just 15 minutes from Warner. Starting off Basin Rd it's an hour for the fit, two-and-a-half if you're Nathan Turnbull. The views from Mt Kobble are fantastic as you rise up through rainforest to the summit of Sampson, where you can take a moment to tune in as you rest.

Tune in I certainly did, to the sound of something moving through the rainforest below me. I deferred to the eight-year-old boy inside me and went into Delta-force mode, stealthily creeping through the rainforest to greet the unsuspecting hikers and enjoy their scare.

What I found on the other side of the rock I'd crept to was the most furious wild boar — bucking and hissing, eye to eye. I froze as dread washed over me, then the neurones fired and I engaged my best rendition of Alpha Male, yelling at the top of my lungs and waving my arms. Had the pig been a little brighter that sight should have triggered the pig equivalent of laughter, rather than the terror and uncontrolled retreat I was unspeakably happy to see it make.

So — if you plan to summit Mt Sampson, beware the guard pigs. Take a stick, or someone you don't like very much. I'll leave that to you to decide.