Keeping up the pace

It's been a fairly quiet week, and only a week since I wrote a post! Life has carried on as usual with the general daily happenings. I haven't done as much sewing this last week, though the last couple of days I've been busier as finishing up one project and several coming up.

I have gone for a walk each day except Sunday. I kept to my plan for pushing myself a bit and have gone for a 2km walk each day. The walk I took on Saturday is one of the tougher ones, well for me anyway. There is a steep street nearby and this route takes me up it. I chose all the routes to give me a variety of walks, some flatter and some hills as well.

On the way up the street I saw this car tucked away - and it doesn't look as though it has gone anywhere for a while!

As I was walking towards the steep part of the street I heard footsteps behind me and soon enough two women came jogging past, holding walking poles. I watched with interest as they headed towards the steep bit then slowed down, the younger one to walking pace, and started using their poles as they went up the steep bit. Off they went up around the corner, and a third woman appeared too, but I'm not sure if she was with them or not. 

Meanwhile I kept walking steadily, and started up the steep section. I made it to the first lamp post and stopped for a breather. Good excuse to take a photo! Then I made my way to the next lamp post - and the two women came jogging down! Up and around the corner I plodded, my hamstrings letting me know they weren't too keen on this particular bit. I was having another breather when the slightly older lady came past again, soon followed by the younger one, and I asked her, "Do the poles make it easier?"  "Yes, 30% easier!" she replied. Hmmm, I thought to myself, I must do some research on this! They got to the brow of the hill and down they went again. I have no idea if they went up a 3rd time as I continued on my loop. 

Crikey! was my main thought while I was watching them. Still I completed my walk which was my aim so that's good. 

I've now sorted my walks into alternate flattish and steeper/more hilly so my muscles get a bit of a change each day. I also work around the weather, figuring that if it's raining earlier in the morning I can always take a break during the day and go for a walk when the weather fines up.

 Today is my "away" walk so I went to Titahi Bay. I edited the map by adding the words "Titahi Bay" and an arrow to show where the bay is.

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This photo shows the bay from above, quite a good angle to see it from.

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There was quite a lot of what I guess is run-off water after the rain creating these little rivulets running down to the surf. Most of them I could just step over but a couple I had to leap - not particularly gracefully most likely but I kept my feet dry!

Mana Island, which looks as though it is sitting in the middle of the bay, but isn't.

I thought I'd walk around the coast a wee bit. First I had to cross this bit which has turned into a wee stream with run-off. It was easy enough to get across as the rocks formed stepping stones.

I went around as far as I could, only about 5 minutes around, scrambling a little bit over some of the rocks. Then I didn't go any further as I wasn't going to get across this gap. The only other way was up the cliff!

When I got back to the road entrance I took another photo as since it was such a clear day the top islands of the South Island are smudges on the horizon.

I really enjoyed this walk today, the slight breeze and the sound of the surf. Then it was home and on with other tasks!

A walk in the rain

One thing to contend with when wanting to increase my fitness is the weather. Especially at this time of year! A lot of folk choose to join a gym, but I prefer the open air. Running isn't my thing but I do like to walk. I've more or less decided that Wednesdays will be my "go somewhere" walk, by which I mean somewhere other than the streets around home.

On Wednesday it was raining quite a bit so I decided to go for a walk at Otari-Wilton's Bush because with the tree cover you don't get quite as wet as walking out in the open in the rain. Though you do still get wet! 

For now I usually go for walks by myself. There are a few reasons. One is that I can go at my own pace - which is steady but not that quick. I can stop and take a breather whenever I need to. I sometimes find when I walk with others, who are generally fitter and not anaemic, I'm conscious of holding them up. Or they go on ahead, stop to wait for me to catch up, then when I get there take off again - so I don't get much of a breather! The end result being I don't enjoy the walk as much. another reason is that I get some "thinking space" and time to reflect. Lastly, in general the time when I go for a walk everyone else is heading out to work. I find if I don't get a walk in early in the day it's less likely to happen.

Part of the map of Otari-Wilton's Bush

I walked in from the "You are here" along the purple path which is fairly flat.

This an outlet from a pipe that goes under the road at the beginning of the walk, lots of fast flowing water there!

A mini-rapid - well not really but the stream is full and flowing quickly.

I took a wee detour to see the waterfall which I thought would be further away, but it was not that far

from the main path. Over a bridge and up a short path.

I was really glad I'd worn my boots as there was quite a lot of water on the path and I didn't need to try and avoid it.

Once I got to the picnic area  I decided to do a small circuit of the yellow trail. I've done it before and it doesn't take long.

 

I haven't been here before when it's been raining, there is a lot of water flowing under the bridge  I needed to cross to get to the track.

And then there were steps! I made it to the top of these without stopping - and then had a wee breather. There were a few more sets of varying lengths. This is where walking by myself means I can stop however many times I need to - which I did after each set of steps!

Decision! Up . . . or down? It wasn't a tough one as I needed to go down a) because that was the route I was taking and b) there wasn't enough time to do the longer walk as Locket would need picking up from her course soon. I think the longer yellow trail was about an hour - but would probably take me up to an hour and a half!

River stream crossing! There are all these little side steams feeding into the main stream which of course fills it up more.

This is another view of the same outlet pipe at the beginning of the walk showing how the water is pouring out.

Once I got back to the carpark I decided to walk up the road a bit. I've always been intrigued by this waterfall on Churchill Drive, right beside the road! It comes from quite high up I think. It usually has a trickle but when it rains it pounds down and I've always wanted to get a photo but it's not a safe place to stop.

A little way up the road there is another waterfall which usually is dry - except when it is raining.

 Photos all done I headed back to the car. It wasn't far for which I was very thankful as I found out a few of my toes had rubbed on my boots and given me blisters on the tops of the toes! Note to self - get some gel toe protector caps or sleeves.  It's possible I need new boots but not at the moment.

I really enjoyed this walk. The rain brought out the earthy smell, which I find very grounding - no pun intended! It's peaceful and quiet, apart from nature sounds, and as I didn't see anyone else on my walk it was as though I had the whole area to myself.

I feel ready to push myself a bit more than I have been doing. 10 minute walks are great but to build stronger muscles and also stamina I need to walk farther. I want to build up to longer more challenging walks over time and this is the way to do it. I also took a small day pack to carry my water bottle etc which added around 5kg of weight. For some it would be hardly a walk at all, but I was happy with what I'd achieved. I found the small trail a little easier than last time I did it. Footstep by footstep I'll get stronger 😃

Titahi Bay walk

On the 4th of January we decided to go for a walk. Since Brains has his learner license Boar got him to drive us there. A while ago I'd walked to the right of the entry to the beach. You don't get far past the boat sheds when you come to a wall. However there is a track and also you can walk around the rocks a wee way before you hit water.

Looking between the point on the left and Mana Island on the right you can just see a smudge of the sounds in the distance. Not so clear as some days.

It's a pretty sheer  rock face although has quite a bit growing on it. The tide must come right up to the greenery as there is a lot of driftwood there.

It continues on for quite a way but I wasn't game to go through the water or scramble round the rocks.

Lots of little pools with seaweeds in them.

Brains walked out a fair distance

Boar, Brains and Locket had a good look in the rock pools.

I was intrigued by the formations on this rock

A lot of different plants growing between the rocks. Must be tough as they survive the tide washing over them!

A different plant with sweet wee flowers.

Some big waves must have deposited this log here.

More seaweeds

Someone enjoyed a feed of mussels!

Precariously poised rocks.

A bigger rock pool

I wonder if it was the waves constantly coming in that eroded the rocks in these almost straight lines!

The art you see if you look up!

A close up because it really amused me. looks a bit like a sheep with wonky horns  :)

The colourful toilet block.

Otari-Wilton's Bush Walk

Jumping forward now to October 25th last year. I decided I wanted to push myself a bit and see how I went on a longer walk. Longer than 10-15 minutes I mean!

Growing up we spent a lot of time in Wilton's Bush as we knew it then. We lived in Wadestown and it was around a 15-20 minute walk from home. Pa often took us there on a Sunday afternoon. Or we'd go ourselves when we were 10 or so. No parents - just us! The fun we had - walking over the pipes across the stream - they're all boxed in now - going across the stream and I do recall on one occasion I met up with a stinging nettle bush! Suffice to say it was not fun.  :(

As my own children grew up we often walked here too and they almost always walked back along the stream bed. There should be a billboard:-

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The board at the entrance to the walk. The green area is all within the boundary of Otari-Wilton's Bush.

Sunlight breaking through the trees, dappling the rocks and stream bed.

Tiny rapid, mossy green rocks, fallen down branches, nature will have her way!

Fungi growing on a stump

A hollowed out trunk . . . 

. . . Room for a Locket though!  :)

The walk into the picnic area is basically flat. Many of the trails are not! I was still feeling pretty good and so we decided to go on a bit. There was a short trail and I remembered it being not too steep. So . . . yeah . . .steps! I had to pause a couple of times to catch my breath wait for people to pass, but I made it to the top of the short hill.  =D>  I was glad to turn off the main trail though as I remember it goes on for quite a distance!

Pretty hard to see but we had to go down to the stream bed then up the other side. The trail is well marked but hard to see through the trees.

Near to the end you walk over the intertwined roots of these two trees, again the sun is peeking through the gaps.

On the way back Boar decided to walk along the pipe - and of course Locket had to as well! And I wonder where they get it from. This probably is one of the pipes I walked over too  :D  I was a lot younger than I am now though!

If you look closely you can see a grey patch near the middle of the photo - Locket! I'm standing on the trail. Boar is somewhere on the pipe too, just ahead I think.

Brachyglottis repanda

Rangiora - or colloquially "Bushman's loo paper"!

I love the way the sunlight is shining through from the back and you can see all the "veins" on the back of the rangiora leaves from the front.

The small yellow trail is the one we walked around from the picnic area. I edited my photo to show the arrows.

A larger photo which shows how small the trail we took really is in comparison with some of the others. For me on that day it was plenty. Since it was my first big walk since my PE I was really pleased with myself. I was tired but I achieved a few things:- a longer
walk, all up around an hour; steps!; pacing myself through the walk.

All in all a lovely way to spend an afternoon.  :)