Wellington Walk

There's a 12 km walk laid out in Wellington called the City to Sea Walkway which I learned about from a clever iPhone app I downloaded called Welly Walks. I thought I'd do some of it because it wasn't raining.

I followed my instinct more than the map and added a few extra climbs just for fitness. The walk took me up into Victoria University where I realised that the students must be quite fit. I was passed by runners, cyclists and the odd jogger, none of whom seemed to notice the big gradients.

Mount Street Cemetery was quite a surprise. Lots of dead Irish names; mostly died young, mostly in the 1860's plus or minus ten years. Claims of birth in Kenmare or Kings County and other Irish locations told their own stories.

It seemed that every hill led to a new sports field. Young boys playing soccer, parental encouragements carrying in to the stands of Pine and Manuka(?) Ten minutes later a pitch appears with older boys playing rugby. Further on, beyond Mt Cook, there are teenagers finishing a game, three-cheering each other. Another car park and there are six or seven year old girls chasing a soccer ball with intent. Lots of Saturday sports. Will Ireland play a quarter final here in the Westpac Stadium in the Rugby World Cup in October 2011?

I turned around at MacAllister Park and looped back along Mourua Stream Valley and through Central Park with its wonderful Nikau Palms and Mamaku Tree Ferns.

They say that the eight hour working day was invented here, a response to the oppressive working conditions that people had escaped in Britain.

The rain held off, spitting on me just occassionally. I covered about 13 km in about 210 minutes. It required some effort but worth it for the views and the experience. I still wonder about the birds; there are a lot less than I expected, though I admit autumn is not a great time to hear them. Tui's with their twin voice boxes fill whole valleys. Bellbirds too. Even blackbirds, introduced in the 1860s but little else I could spot. Cats, rats?

Thanks Em & Pete!