Cambridge

The light had softened by the time we left the sanctuary. We drove back towards Cambridge as the forest receded behind us and afternoon settled more deeply over the roadside. Back in town, we went to Lake Te Koo Utu. It sits close to the centre of Cambridge and is easy to miss unless you deliberately turn towards it. We parked and walked slowly along the shore. The water was still, holding trees and clouds in reflection. Autumn opened in layers of yellow, green and red, with shadows so deep they turned blue. A breeze moved across the surface; the image loosened, then slowly came together again. Katherine stood beside the lake and watched the water. After a while, she took one photograph and lowered her phone. She said nothing. Neither did I. Some places do not need to be spoken over. The lake was not always regarded as it is today. It was neglected for a time and even used as a place for dumping waste, before years of clearing, restoration and care gradually returned it to the town as public green space. Water few people once wished to look at came to hold trees, benches, walkers and afternoon light. I continued around the shore. The grass was soft underfoot, leaves lay along the bank and a few branches floated in the water. Houses appeared through the trees. Their windows faced the lake; roofs caught the afternoon light for a moment, then darkened again. Not far away, a white timber church lifted its spire into the blue. The church and lake seemed to answer each other: one was water, the other a point in the sky; one drew the eye down into reflection, the other upwards.

I used to think a place needed something impressive to be attractive—commerce, events, sights. That afternoon beside the lake, I did not particularly want to ask what it was useful for. A lake, a church, a path that could be walked slowly, an afternoon in which stopping cost nothing. The sun had not completely set when we left. Reflections deepened across the lake and the blue above slowly lowered into the water. I looked back at a place that had once been considered unworthy of attention. I could not say exactly what it was useful for. But that afternoon, I wanted to stand there a little longer. Perhaps that was enough.