subtle autumn

It is all a wee bit strange at present, noticing just the first changes of autumn around me. So far, the changes have mainly been quite subtle, though in places the deciduous trees are starting to look more obviously autumnal. The strangeness comes from the fact that I know when I reach Paris in less than three weeks now, I am going to be plunged headlong into spring, with blossoms blooming, and leaves budding out in spring green. But then when I start walking at a higher altitude, I will 'step back' again towards winter where some trees might still be quite bare.

But for now, I am still home in the southern hemisphere, in the subtle part of autumn. Out walking this morning I even saw a tree in full blossom- a native lacebark, which rather unusually does flower profusely in autumn.

And back home in my garden, I looked at the magnolia that is the first garden tree to blossom when the spring arrives. Its leaves are only just showing the first signs of autumnal browning, but when I looked closely, I was surprised to see the buds that will burst forth in a few months time are already forming.

This blog will have a little hiatus soon. For those of you who want to follow a little of my exploits in France, I will try and blog when I can at another blog, Festina Lente.

Along Green's Rd

Last night I read an account written by someone who has walked the route I am planning to walk in a few months- and it scared me somewhat! I knew that the Cluny route was going to be very hilly- but I didn't really think too hard about the long distances that might be needed if the limited accommodation is booked out... So, I decided that my 'training' so far has been a bit like 'playtime' compared to what is to come, and today had to be another 'hill' day. And finally, we had a 'proper' summer's day for it. I parked my car at the end of the sealed section of Turitea Rd, so I could walk up the metalled road and through the walking/biking section onto Green's Rd- then return.

There were lots of wildflowers along the way.

 And it also seemed to be a busy time for 'nests' for various insects or spiders.

The sunshine was pouring down as I reached one high point, ready to walk downhill then up the other side again. You can't see them here, but a group of soldiers were training for what looked like mine-sweeping operations. One of them offered me some water if I needed it: my face probably looked quite red and sweaty when I passed them, but I had a bottle of drink ready for when I reached the high point of the walk at the top of the very next hill.

 As I sat down at the high point for a drink and some fruit, I noticed a power pole, that seemed to provide a good contrast with yesterday's small pylon...

 There were quite a few native tree ferns alongside the road in various places.

And to finish- a bee on a thistle...

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.

Ups and Downs

This time in five months, I am going to be in Singapore for a day, en route to Paris, before I head on to Cluny, where I will begin walking. Five months has a definite kind of 'urgent' ring about it, in terms of 'It is well past time to get fitter and I will be walking tomorrow rain or shine!' Thank goodness it was drizzling, rather than all out raining when I woke this morning...

I've been reliably informed- by someone who has already walked the routes, that the route from Cluny to  Le Puy is much hillier than what I encountered further south from Le Puy to Santiago last time. So, hills it is. I live in a city that is very flat, on a flood plain- but a major fault line lies not far to the east, so there are hills and ranges right on the eastern edge of the city. And there are walkways straddling a major hill near the university, and it is there that I intend to do a lot of uphill and downhill walking in the coming months.

 This morning I parked on a side road from where I could join the Turitea Walkway halfway along. The first bit of the track climbs through some lovely bush.

 Before very long the track emerges out onto farmland, where the view today was of a drizzly haze over the hills. I am sure the Irish must have a word for this gentle, barely-there kind of rain.

 The sun wasn't out, but even on a dull day you could see shadows on the pond, and so many different kinds of plants seemed to be in this pond. There used to be a pair of ducks that hung out here- I wonder where they have gone. The pond looked oddly empty without them.

It's funny, even when you have walked a track a few times, there are always new things that jump out at your eyes. I had never noticed the orange bits on some of the broom flowers before.

And another surprise was the amount of fungi I saw today. I really only expect to see them like this in autumn.

I'll be back on these tracks a lot in the coming months, so you might get to see more photos from here...

More from the Secret Garden

Back in March I posted some photos from my sister's garden: she has little hidden treasures all around the place. I was there again today, and have a few more treasures, (or different angles on treasures), to show you... Enjoy!

Kahuterawa Rd- springtime

 I have begun 'training' for a couple of Chemins in France next year... and today took a 20km walk up my old training haunt- Kahuterawa Rd. I had walked the first 4km last weekend, so mostly walked swiftly up this part of the route, without taking photo breaks- but I couldn't possibly pass by without taking a photo of this handsome rooster. His crowing was apparent from well down the road.

Once you pass beyond the Green's Rd intersection, things become more isolated and 'wild' looking, and the river keeps you company as you walk.

It was calm when I started out, and so I was able to take a photo of some young pine cones: the past two weekends it has been too windy and they were moving too quickly for a close-up...

This shot is taken from the bridge at the top end of Kahuterawa Rd, where the Sledge Track starts, and where this bridge leads to Burton's Track. It marked about 10km of walking, and I had a 10km return trip ahead of me. I sat at the picnic tables and had 'lunch' at about 10am (!) then rewarded myself with a chocolate treat, before heading back down the road.

Drizzle started as I left, and a kind elderly man stopped to offer me a lift. I think I know who he was- a man who has done a lot of volunteer work to open up the tracks in this area for people's recreation. But I didn't want a lift- I am likely to encounter far heavier springtime rain on the route from Cluny next year, and I was 'training'. The man understood. I love the sense of 'mystery' in the hills when their tops are draped in cloud like this.

 I was excited to see some clematis growing against a rocky outcrop on the roadside where I could get a close view of it. (Mostly it is higher up in the trees.) I was reminded of all the spring flowers I saw in 2008 when I walked south from Le-Puy-en-Velay. Somehow, the northern spring seems not at all far away.

 This is a view approaching the Green's Rd intersection from the uphill end of Kahuterawa Rd: it's not so often I reach it from this direction, and the gnarly old macrocarpa stand out from here.

 One of the things I loved last time when I walked along this road many times to 'train' was that I saw the changing of the seasons- from spring to summer to the beginnings of autumn (when I left NZ to go and walk in the French spring...) My heart already is singing with the thought of the changes I will see in the countryside, and I was glad to see so very many obvious signs of spring. There were only glimpses of sunshine this morning, but the light brought these tiny little leaflets to life.

And the lambs- they always announce 'spring'!

Music in the City

It's been winter storm time here in Kiwiland- at least ten days worth of it... but just in time for the Rugby World Cup Roadshow outside in the Square here in Palmy yesterday morning, it cleared. This first photo is of the MAD group- Manawatu African Drummers- performing before the daylight had quite arrived. They are being filmed for TV... The Manawatu Community Choir also performed, just a little bit later.

One of the other tents in the Square had the UCOL students cooking a free breakfast. Yum! Thank you- the early start meant I had left home without breakfast.

This morning brought a super frosty surprise:

...but there was another special event on downtown, that fortunately didn't require quite such an early start. It's lunchtime, but the foodcourt at the Plaza is looking suspiciously full all the same don't you think?

Hmmmmmm what are all those people looking at?

Surprise! I think it's a Flash Mob!!!!! Yeeeahhhhhahah- such fun. I have always wanted to be part of one of these! Where's the next one Jen??!!

And with the Flash Mob over and done with, we all just 'melted away' as you do with these things. I imagine some thought it weird- but hope that many enjoyed it as we did. I crossed over at the Square to see this lovely bed of polyanthus being cared for by the Council gardeners, who bring us colourful joy even in winter...

I carried on walking up Broadway to find an international event in full swing outside Downtown. Here is the Japanese drumming team from IPC in full swing.

And this dancing group was also from IPC: this dance is a traditional one performed to 'cheer people up'.
After our recent storm, such a dance was great to see while standing outside in the sunshine. It made me think of the seismic events that have affected lives in Canterbury and parts of Japan so badly this year, and the many people that are in need of something to cheer them up.

Just to finish, a small bit of movie of this dance:-