This year, our younger daughter started university. Like her sister, she moved into an apartment near campus. Neither of them came home for the break. For the first time, the house held only Katherine and me.

For close to twenty years, our journeys had always begun with four people. Rooms were chosen for their beds; meals began by asking what the girls wanted. Before departure, someone was usually looking for a missing layer or pushing one last thing into a backpack. Once the children had grown, those sounds disappeared from beside the luggage.

I packed the ordinary bottle I use for walking, one that can take either cold or hot water. Most New Zealand walkers fill theirs from the tap. I filled mine with hot water.

We were flying from Auckland to Nelson. Once on board, Katherine and I took a photograph in our seats.

This time, there were only two people in the frame.