Another river route variation...

The great thing about walking along the Manawatu River pathway is that there are many variations and starting points.  Yesterday morning, Christmas Day, I started at Albert St, and headed towards the Fitzherbert Bridge, with a short diversion across the gravel. There was a sign about dotterels etc nesting, but I suspect it would be on a shingle bank on the other side of the river. Maybe another day soon I will take my zoom lens down with me...



 There are different views of the river from different places- here I am looking back towards the cliff they have 'tamed' where the new 'steps' are. I haven't been brave enough to try them but they were certainly busy on Christmas morning. Maybe I can choose a nice quiet time when nobody is likely to see me, once I have walked a few more hilly tracks.

I stopped off to see the stone with information about Hokowhitu Reserve. So much Maori land in this area just got siphoned off into European hands. It is a story we should all know more about.

OK so that was 4km instead of 3.6km. Tomorrow I think I will go for a swim. But hill walking needs to start soon~

Preparation for Europe...

This poor neglected blog will have a renaissance... I have several months leave coming up in April and am heading to Europe. I'll be visiting quite a few places to do with my family history, and also just enjoying some new sights. But pretty much everywhere I will be walking, so it is time to up my walking game here at home!

Here was today's walk- across our new He Ara Kotahi pedestrian/cycling bridge, along the riverside path, across the road bridge, then a loop back through the Esplanade.

Today I was very thankful for all the trees that gave me shelter from the sun, and the breeze along the river path that kept me cooler. I couldn't help but think of our Aussie cousins faced by such awful catastrophe, with so many trees and homes burned down.

 This was the path along the 'other' side of the Manawatu River, where we never used to be able to walk. I was glad for all the shade they gave at this time of day.

 These beautiful big trees stood in a paddock with crops growing. When I get into my walking groove, I always enjoy watching how things change as the seasons progress, so I'll be watching here.

 Once back across the Fitzherbert Bridge, I was again enfolded by shady trees, deciduous ones in this area that bring joy in autumn and spring, and stand stolid through the winter.

 There are always different plants flowering in the Esplanade, no matter what the time of year. I don't know what this plant is, but it reminded me a little of nikau flowering. I wonder if it is related?

 I headed back under the shade for the bush walk part of the Esplanade.

And finally I enjoyed these hydrangeas before I headed to my car...

Gorge Closure

It's hard to believe how many months the Gorge road has now been closed- and there is still so much slip clearance and stabilization to be done.

At first it seemed like the Gorge track was closed as well, but there is now a sign that makes it clear you can travel ahead to the DOC carpark if you want to walk the track. 

And from the first viewpoint, after about half an hour's climb at my speed,  you do get a small view of the slip.

 

I think I would be very giddy if I had to work along this terrace that is being constructed on the slipface. What a huge job they have done already...

Back in the Gorge

Sunday was Gorge day this weekend. After the rain and cold of Saturday (though the weather bomb fortunately passed us by) the sun was shining warmly as I headed onto the track. And the sunlight was just catching the wee waterfall you see as you emerge from the under-the-road passage.

You could see that progress had been made on the benching since the last time I was here, though the slip still looks very large.

I wonder if the road will be open by the time I return to New Zealand in July?

It's autumn now, so not so surprising to see fungus of various kinds along the track. This orange fungi is quite prominent- quite fluro, and stands out in the dark!

One thing that always amazes me is the sheer variety of fungi, many growing from rotten logs or tree trunks. I seem to often see kinds I have never seen before...

And I always like to see leaves lying on the track, caught by the light that is filtering through. So many little treasures to notice along the way...

Terraces

The Manawatu Gorge road has been blocked by a huge slip for months now, and it will be months before it re-opens. You can catch a glimpse of the slip-face from the first lookout when you climb up on the Gorge walking track.

Contractors have been cutting a series of terraces into the hillside to improve its stability, but today was the first time I have been able to see signs of that from the lookout. They are now down to bench 4 or 5...

Ten Week Countdown

Today most people I know are back into the teaching year -whether for a Teacher Only Day or the New Class- while I still have lots of time to 'please myself'. Regardless, the start of the school year has really galvanised my thinking, as it makes my departure date very concrete! It's just over 10 weeks before I leave for Paris and my walk from Cluny, and the school term of 10 weeks seems to provide the perfect 'number' for a countdown.

I've already walked many of the nearby hills, so I keep trying to find ways to put variety into my training. Today I decided I'd walk the Turitea Walkway uphill from Massey, but as a variant I would start near the bridge and cross the river first. Then, instead of my usual combo of city walkways from Old West Rd, I decided I'd turn right along the road until I reached the Massey entrance, and come back downhill that way.

There was a spot of 'variety' right where I parked my car, as work is being done on the stopbanks near the bridge.

 I love the flat beginning of the track on the edge of the Massey campus, as there are bridges that cross the Turitea Stream several times. Today with the sunshine, there were some lovely reflections on the water.

Once I was out onto the more rural part of the track, I passed some of these berries. They looked quite yummy, but I had no idea what they might be, and whether or not they might be poisonous- so I had to leave them alone. They were another reminder that the season is progressing, even though we are all moaning about the mostly lousy summer so far.

When I reached Old West Rd, I had my last view of the stream as it passed under the bridge, before I headed up the road for my return journey via the Massey campus.

It was quite warm by then, so I was glad to find some sheltered seating under trees near the Massey library, and gulped down plenty of my water. It was an easy descent, and return to my car. Week 10, Walk 1, done.

Meandering in the Esplanade

It's a public holiday in the old Wellington provincial area here today- and though I usually think it's a crazy time for such a 'day off' when school holidays are still 'on', it was great to wake up to sunshine, after a weekend of grey skies and rain.

I decided that a relaxed wander in the Esplanade was what the morning called for, and it's a place that always has new pockets of beauty to catch your eye. I first walked next to the bush along the river track, and this was the first piece of the flower gardens I came to, with the hydrangeas in dappled light under trees. 

The gardeners at the Esplanade have every right to be proud of what they do: this is just one of the beautiful colourful gardens dotted around. It was great to see some many people wandering through as families, looking relaxed.

There are a few 'crinkum crankum' trees in the Esplanade, and the branches on this one were reflecting the sunlight in an eye-catching kind of way.

First time for ages, I also took a wander in the rose gardens, and there were lots of 'raindrops on roses' left over from last night- seemed to suit the 'favourite things' kind of morning.

 I can never get quite enough of raindrops on roses....

 ...but they weren't restricted to just the roses....

In summertime they have many varieties of dahlia in the Esplanade, coming in all sorts of colours and shapes. The monarch butterflies seem to especially like the orangey-red ones, but I like all of them...

I finished my walk back along part of the river path... passing many others out walking and relaxing.

328: river high

The rain stopped and the sunshine finally returned this afternoon- but the river is running fast and high...
and hrmmmmphhh the forecast is for gale force winds tomorrow.

265: beautiful afternoon

This afternoon we had the best spring weather yet. I took this photo down by the riverside on my way home.  I was just wishing I had my new walking sandles with me to take a walk along there...

228: snow on ranges

There was still some snow lying on the ground this morning after yesterday evening's most surprising amount of snowfall- and the ranges were draped in snow to low levels. The sunshine made it all look very pretty, even though it was -2 degrees...

207: snow-free hills

Well, this was a surprising turn-up for the books: no snow visible this morning on the hills behind Palmerston North!
Yesterday much of the country was in the grip of a severe winter storm. It was very chilly here in Palmy, but the worst weather I saw was a small bit of sleet, that I could almost imagine a few snowflakes in. However, roads were closed by snow just over the other side of the ranges, and I fondly imagined I would be putting a photo up here today that showed snow low on the hills near Palmy. But the whole storm seems to have more or less bypassed us, and you only see snow when you get a glimpse of higher parts of the ranges!

200: riverside sunshine

Down by the riverside on a gloriously sunny winter afternoon.
And this is the 200th post for the year!

183: landscape stitching

At the photography night course I am doing, the tutor taught us about taking photos so it was possible to stitch them together, so this morning I have been out experimenting. Lo and behold, when I checked the CD that came with the camera, I even had the PhotoStitch software on hand!

Down by the Riverside

 It's hard to believe we are still having so much lovely weather this winter. The ground is sodden underfoot after several nights with heavy rain, but daytime conditions have mostly been partly sunny and calm. This afternoon there were a few drizzly patches, but there was still plenty of time to get outside along the river for a walk.

 A work party from the Council seems to have been chopping up branches etc, and a few piles of  chopped wood were dotted around.  I realise I have a bit of a 'thing' for taking photos of chopped up firewood!

 Here is a view of the Manawatu River itself, with such lovely brown tones along its banks.

 Winter trees always look better with blue skies! The cliffs behind run alongside the river.

 And here's a view that shows more of the cliffs.

A few people have houses up near the cliff edge. Not sure how/why permission was ever granted, as you could take bets on how long they've got before the cliff slips away into the river...

And here's another 'winter tree with blue skies' shot to finish off with. I know I enjoyed these winter moments of happiness while I was out walking... Palmy Pride!