Hooker Valley Track

 I have been on this track at least five times now- and only once before had the clear views that I was so grateful to experience this day. But this day had a combination of early mist and later clear skies that was absolutely magical.

From the camping ground at Glentanner, I could tell that the top of Aoraki was all clear, but a wide band of cloud was at the base. I drove towards the mountain, in clear skies at first, but then in heavy mist. I started the walk hopeful that things would clear as the morning progressed.

 

I was past the third bridge before glimpses of the mountains began to show. 

 

At the viewing place by the glacier lake, heavy mist was still around, but I decided to stick around with a bunch of others, in the hope that the mist would clear. 

And as things cleared, it was almost a mystical experience. 

 

Sunlight poked through and showed the ice chunks in the lake that I had not previously seen.

 

Peaks started to show themselves, then would be covered with mist again. 

 

Aoraki was the last to show herself. By about 11am all was clear.

I didn’t want to leave the viewing place and had to force myself to begin walking back downhill.

This time the bridges were clear instead of shrouded in mist. And as I descended hordes of mostly tourists were ascending, and I was glad that I had started earlier in the peace (and cool) of the morning. What a precious day. Ka Kite Aoraki.

 

 

Palmy walk- with Camino training memories

Today and tomorrow in Tasmania there is a pilgrimage walk that has become a 'virtual' Camino, since so many cannot presently walk the Camino in Spain, or even walk far in their own country. Throughout the day people have been posting photos from many places around the world of their 'virtual' Caminos. 

I decided against walking 15km+ today, but I did walk about 6km this morning, on a route that I often walked when I was 'training' for each of my Caminos in 2008 and 2012.  The route is very familiar to me, and I enjoyed re-tracing an old path. We are lucky in Palmerston North that we have a succession of city walkways/ green corridors that you can link up, and walk as far or briefly as you wish.  Today I parked my car at Springdale Grove, headed in the direction of the hills, then across behind IPU, before turning back down the Summerhill 'valley' path and rejoining my car. Here are a selection of photos from my walk.

Here is the sign where I started walking- it's looking a bit 'worn' but still serves it's purpose.

 

To the top right of this photo you can see some 'blue' colouring that is the city athletics track. 

It didn't seem to take long before I was heading downhill again, with the view of the hills ahead of me. There has been lots of infrastructure built by PNCC in terms of steps and bridges etc that make this walk possible, and I am grateful for all of it.

As always on a walk, it is some of the 'little' details that make the heart glad.

 

Old fencepost I always love seeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

The path lead downhill, then uphill by a pond, then down again to Old West Road. Sometimes I turn back to my car at this point, but today I decided to do a loop.

Near Old West Rd there were quite a few 'Te Araroa' symbols appearing. The path I had walked was part of the Te Araroa Walkway, but not far from here, I diverged to return back around to the city, while those walking the Te Araroa route continue on down Turitea Rd and into the hills behind the city.

Just before I joined Turitea Rd, I met some sheep that looked back at me. I seem to have often walked here in springtime, when mothers and lambs tend to run away, but these sheep just calmly regarded me.

The next bit of the path is a link path up to Pacific Drive, and I remember on previous occasions,looking at reflections in puddles and this creek as I climbed- because there is in fact a steep bit of climb here that I like to distract myself from. But the view at the top is well worth it.

A new sign has appeared since I last walked here. As you re-emerge into the land of nearby houses, there is the Adderstone Walkway, and clearly people have been planting here over time. There are many flax bushes near a pond, and earlier in the season, you get to see many tui swooping into the flax flowers to feed. For now, the seed pods are swelling and not so appetising for tui at present.

By now, my day's route was coming to a close. I headed downhill into the valley by Summerhill Drive, where there is some shade as the day warms up.

And as I finally rejoined the road before getting back to my car at Springdale Grove, I took time to enjoy the summer wildflowers by the fence. 

 Addendum: I didn't see any tui today by IPU, but the flax flowers in my backyard are a little later, so I did indeed see a tui at home.

Buen Camino to all the Virtual Camino walkers today. I found it a peaceful interlude to be walking today. With all that is going on in the world at present, I hope you did too.

Taranaki Falls

When lockdown was over and we were in Level 2, the Chateau Tongariro was advertising special deals to stay- and I decided to take advantage of their offer. The weather was brilliant, and I was able to walk the Taranaki Falls track, perhaps my favourite New Zealand track as it has turned out beside the Hooker track in Mt Cook National Park.

The track started not far from the Chateau itself. It was a loop track, and by accident really, I took the lower of the two tracks first, which in hindsight I am quite pleased about. It descended at times down to streams, and so the views up higher came as a delightful surprise.

 It wasn't long before I was noticing icy deposits near the path.

 You could look back past the alpine scrub to see the Chateau.

 The stream that I walked alongside in places had icy stretches in the shade. The patterns in the ice were quite beautiful.

 Then all of a sudden I found myself climbing a little out into more open alpine scrub. The three young men in this photo were from France- so had obviously been with us through lockdown.

 Up high I came across a stream that was pretty much completely iced over, and frozen into stillness.

 The Taranaki Falls came into view, and were stunning.

 The white 'circle' around them was ice, as you could see when you went closer. Not a pool to plunge into midwinter!

 I sat beside the waterfall on a rock for ages, just soaking in the unbelievable sunshine and blue skies, listening to the sound of the water falling.

 But then came the return loop. There was a bit of a climb, though not unduly harsh, and soon you were seeing the stream away from the falls from above.

 And above on high you had views of Mts Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu, and also in the distance, Mt Taranaki.

 Later, back in the Chateau I could relax in deep armchairs and enjoy the art deco windows...

 This view of the sunset was from the terrace of the Chateau building, right beneath my window.

 Next morning I drove home via the road near Rangipo and over to Turangi. There was a frost, and the drive was somewhat scary in places with icy roads- but it was so worth it just to see this icy spidersweb- a first for me!

Himatangi Beach

Ahhh summertime- when there is time for a different little wander every day. Thursday evening I enjoyed a slow dawdle along Himatangi Beach and stayed to watch the sunset.

 I've lived in the Manawatu area for many years now- and still find it hard to believe it's possible to have so much beach to walk along, with very little company!

One of the reasons for the slow wandering today is that I had to watch out for jellyfish as I paddled in the shallow water. There weren't a lot- but there were some large ones!

We had some wild winds at the start of the week, and there was quite a bit of this 'spongey' seaweed on the beach, with whatever it was attached to- quite often the flat part of a clam shell.

There were two bits of detritus I picked up and carried to a rubbish bin at the end. There was a broken glass bottle with jagged edges that I was glad I never stood on. And I saw a young seagull curiously playing with this balloon. I was glad to retrieve it so it wouldn't be swallowed.

Then it was time to wait for sunset. These gulls seemed to be waiting too.

It was just a gentle setting of the sun this evening. The ash in the sky from the Australian bushfires, that caused so many vivid recent sunsets, has gone from our skies for now- and hopefully for those in Australia, there will not be much more of it.

Peace!