Nelson

Walking requires a little planning. Time and direction, water and food, sun and weather protection and of course, suitable clothing and shoes. Today, a few hours were available in the daytime so I just took off from the former Copthorne Hotel with a vague ambition to walk up a steep hill. Fortune favoured me and I found a sign that pointed to the centre of New Zealand, the perfect focus.

The folk in Nelson must really love their trees. Someone has seen to it that there are labels on them. And rightly so because so many are specimen trees that deserve recognition for their success. And in honouring the trees, those who had the ideas that brought the trees to Neslon are also honoured. Around Christ Church Cathedaral are fine examples of Blackbutt Gum from Australia, Weeping Redwoods from the US and splendid oaks from Britain and Turkey. The streets are today littered with their autumnal colours together with the deciduous discards of many other trees in firey reds and blazing yellows. Why do the Ukranian fishermen leaving the bottle shops not stop and stare at their majesty?

There are lots of bits of art scattered around, some bad, some worse but not much that makes sense to me. There are lots of artists shops offering some brilliant local glass and ceramic works that (fortunately) don't fit in my suitcase.

All of these were distractions. I should have been walking. So I headed east along Nile Street seeking the Botanical Reserve off Maitai Road. There I took the steep path up to centre of New Zealand, named as the origin of the ordnance surveying for the country. A great view but oddly nothing that confirmed the elevation despite the elaborate plumb marking BH (Botanical Hill). My iPhone indicated it was about 150 m but my puffing suggested the air had less oxygen than that. I wanted to take pictures but 48 retired hillwalkers appeared - clearly they were active hillwalkers, retired from graft. None a day under 65, their guide not a day under 70, these people were fit. He told me in his Yorkshire accent that there 47 as if I needed to know. Then I realised they were all women. He did want me to know. Peculiar.

I fled. On down through Sir Stanley Whitehead Park as I wondered why not Whitehead or Stanley. Was Sir a short guy, a powerful politician, a mason (I'd seen more than one lodge). Endorphin fueled thinking usually brings clarity, lucidity yet I couldn't stop wondering about the stupid length of the park name.

I had a great view the Boulder Bank that protects Nelson. It's composed of granodiorite drifted longshore from the north and is 13 km long. Maori oral tradition remembers that it was invoked to block the legendary explorer Kupe rescuing his his wife, Kuramarotini, who had been abducted by his rival Kereopa. They'd come from Polynesia hunting Te Wheke, the great octopus, that lived in Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Maui, the Top of the South Island. Fortunately, Kupe got her back when Kereopa realised he couldn't outsmart him.

I ended up crossing the Maitai River on the double width iron bridge. A couple of black and white birds kazooed beneath it - I later found out they were Paradise Ducks who have an unusual call to say the least. I saw the ugliest building in New Zealand but at least it had a clock on it (and if it's not the ugliest, I don't want to see the competition.

Anyway, that was it. A two hour walk over about 7.6 km. We later ate in Hopgood's Restaurant which has to be mentioned because of their seared scallops. I was stunned by how good they were. Wrapped in streaky bacon, sitting on artichoke purée with a dusting of shaved white truffles, they were complimented with transparently thin slices of roasted root veg. Sweet, sour and salt all combined in luxurious privalege. The seafood here is awesome. And they know how to cook too.

Thank You Richard & Isobel