Southern Walkway

Today the weather was absolutely beautiful, for the first time in ages and ages. Clear skies, almost no wind at all and lots of slightly warm sunshine! Seeing as I had a day off and Liv was back at school after a lazy two-week vacation, it was definitely time for a Proper Walk!

Seeing as we live just below Mt Albert, the obvious choice was the Southern Walkway - a route that runs from Oriental Bay in the city all the way all down(not really down, more like up-and-down-and up-and-down again) to Island Bay on the far south coast.

Enlarge the map and you'll see Kilbirnie about half way down.

So with sandwiches, water and warm woolies in a backpack, I set off around 1.30pm. The whole walkway is around 11km, but I hit the path just after the Mt Vic lookout point and went from there all the way down to Island Bay. With lots of photostops, and a lunch break, and one detour down a horrid, muddy wrong turn, it only took me about two hours. The views were sensational and despite being able to see the city sprawl and hear the distant hum of traffic and aircraft, it really felt as if I was quite far out in the country at times ...



Looking back toward Kilbirnie - the edge of Kilbirnie Park can be seen at the bottom of the picture and you can see just how big our 'bay' really is!


Then on towards the Mt Albert section - recognize the 'LOTR' look of the place - where the hobbits have to "get off the road, quick!" and the Black Rider comes sniffing, sniffing ...?


This is above the Melrose / Berhampore section of the walkway - I missed a lot of photos in the section before this because I got talking to a friendly American who was out with his two dogs. We went past quite a lot of places that I'll need to go back to again soon ... but it was nice having company for part of the way!



From the lookout above Island Bay, I could see the Interislander far out at sea and far above and beyond it, almost hidden by the haze, are the snow-capped peaks of the South Island - and that is definitely on the cards for my next expedition - a day trip on the ferry over to Picton / Nelson on South Island.



Looking back towards Miramar from the same lookout point.



Finally arrived at Houghton Bay, where three intrepid young men were about to plunge into the icy oceans with their surfboards - squealing like little girls, they were, but in they went! And at this stage, the wind chill had turned my fingers white from cold, so how they managed it, I have no idea!


The the last stretch along the ocean towards Island Bay itself - and along the way I spotted a very original house: it is perched on a few spikes, it seems - the homeowners had just ridden their small funicular up the rail to the front porch, but I was too late to get a picture of that!

And then back home on the next available bus! :-)