Two walkabouts

From parts of the city,  you can see last week's snow lying on the high parts of the Ruahines, but without wind it's been quite lovely weather here this weekend. So, I have been on two walkabouts (6.4km and 5.3km- thanks Strava!).

I've been reading a friend's blog, and she is on the northern end of the long version of the St Francis walk I'll be doing a little of next April. Her blog posts are full of beautiful, inspiring photos, but they also tell the tale of quite difficult walking. I am hopeful that my 'southern end' of the walk, nearer Assisi, won't be quite so strenuous, but meanwhile I feel it is time to begin upping my fitness as daylight lengthens, and spring starts to appear.

Both this weekend's walks started near the Manawatu River. On Saturday I parked near the bridge, then headed over into the Massey grounds, before spending some time in the Aboretum- one of the most unexpectedly peaceful little oases in the city.

Here's my route:

It is of course election season here, and the approach to the bridge is as full of election hoardings as ever:

I loved the shadow patterns as I crossed over the bridge...

I'm trying to 'invent' different variations on the city walkways so I keep my interest level high. Diverting off the Bledisloe walway through the Massey campus led to the discovery of a fern walk that I will explore another day soon. The sign for it alone was very inviting, and I caught sight of big pongas in the gully below.

Once I came back downhill, I sought out the Massey Aboretum. There is often hardly anyone walking here, and it is always a place with unexpected surprises and tranquility.

I kept coming across little signs that spring is imminent, like these fern fronds by the Turitea Stream.

As I arrived back on the Bledisloe Track I enjoyed seeing so much sunshine under these trees, in a place that I have often seen looking wintry and cold, and it was good to pass other walkers here enjoying it.

Today was my second walk, and after dancing around in the water for Aqua Zumba at the Lido, I headed around to the end of Dittmer Drive. I knew that a section of this walk had been widened and improved since I was last here.

I hadn't walked far before coming across a colleague coming back the other way- always nice to see her. A lot of the new section of track is quite open and exposed- would be hot walking on a warmer day. I loved the sight of these cabbage trees.

And not far from there, I saw another exciting sign of spring about to be sprung- a kowhai tree coming into bloom- a very NewZild sign of springtime...

And with those pleasant spring thoughts, it is time to bring the weekend to a close, and get ready for the new work week ahead...