Cycling to Pencarrow

A favourite ride is still the trail out to Pencarrow lighthouse at the bottom of the North Island from Eastbourne. We did it recently for our 24th anniversary: a picnic out on the coast followed by a swim (not Mish) and dinner at Eastbourne. 

Looking back toward Wellington city. 

And post swim, ready for dinner. Nice beachy day out. 

Into winter (still mild)

Had a night in Wellington to celebrate Mish and Jason and Janey finally selling their Sydney home.

First, offloaded bags at the little Ohtel  at Oriental Bay and walked around the corner for margaritas at the yacht club. A repeat performance from earlier this year when we did exactly the same thing on my birthday, halfway between  our two-day move out of Newlands. Only, this time, we didn't have to roar home in the morning to beat the truck coming back to finish loading. 

So we got to enjoy the morning view and a slow cup of tea this time.

Mish playing with a panorama view from the room. That's her red car in the middle, parked opposite for the night. Weird traffic and city on the left.

Looking east and north into the harbour.

Back home and in gardening clothes, we've taken out  five small Christmas trees in the yard. Not our thing, and its opened up the view a bit. The redcurrant and blackcurrants behind them will appreciate the extra sun too. 

Have to justify the monster chipper we bought, so in they'll go, possibly tomorrow if the rain holds off. Will tackle the stumps later. Shouldn't be too much drama to get them out.

Grow your own mulch AND firewood.

Mish still outside, late in the afternoon, pruning one of the big lemon trees. That mulch pile getting nice and big.

Day trip to Petone

Off to Petone today in search of new hiking socks - and we found them. $50 a pair but, hey, excellent socks for the Routeburn Track later this year. 

Petone, place of cafes as well as outdoor shops and op shops, is also the home of Wellington's most delicious and gutsy Reuben sandwich.  So we get one (and share it now) and take it down to the beach where there's a coffee van and a harbour and city view. What's not to like?!

Another Petone feature is the free water from the Hutt aquifer. 

Filling up the water bottle:

Back home in the afternoon, missing most of the city traffic heading north, in time for a sunset drink on the veranda. 

Got ourselves a comfy new couch and Mish came home from Sydney earlier this year with a banksia artwork.

Spring weekend walks on Wellington hills

Had a couple of walks in places we haven't been to before. This is on Te Ahumairangi Hill (possibly meaning 'whirlwind'), looking across the stadium and wharves to Wellington harbour and Miramar peninsula. Tugboat heading out.

 Mish walking up an old radiata pine.

Saturday was calm and quiet and we walked through part of the town's green belt on the Northern Walkway.















Another radiata, looking south west over suburbs.

 

Sunday also calm and quiet and warm and we walked part of the Southern Walkway and Skyline track. Views from here look north to the wind turbines. Gorse in flower everywhere.



These tracks cross paddocks so we had some cow company.  Lots of walkers and mountain bikers around too.

It's suddenly turned rather chilly

Had a walk on Petone Beach on the way home and strolled out on the pier. That's a few white fronted terns preening, late afternoon light on the city behind them.




And looking the other way to the western hills of the harbour.

Newlands under the rainbow

Taken by coworker Lauren from her place, looking over the burbs to Newlands (not a bad shot with a mobile). City is on the right and we're under that rainbow's end hoarding our pot of gold (not).

Christmas eve eve

And what a stunning day it was. High 20s with a breeze, perfect.

Cycled out to the bottom of the island from where the road ends at Eastbourne. Lots of people diving (for Christmas lunch probably). Bit of snow left on the Kaikouras in the South Island.

We have a new walking track near us, so checked it out last week. It overlooks the harbour and has a bush walk as part of it. Very dry all over town at the moment but the ponga ferns are hanging in there. We've had stuff all rain for months now.

Looking east to Petone. The beach where the first English settlers landed. I cycled to work one day last week and got half the beach in my right ear - blazing southerly that day. 

And below us is the other end of Newlands. The posh end, with the street below actually called Dress Circle, and harbour entrance and airport on horizon.

And blooming pohutakawa all over the hills of Wellington. New Zealand's Christmas tree.

Dragging off a logging train beside Wellington harbour

Happened to be barrelling down the road and captured this cargo bound for the Wellington port and Japan.