Skyline

Sky Farm

Hot, thought the Parisians.

And as it is in fiction, so it was here today in New Zealand. Having decided that walking was a better option than cycling, and having bought some day packs to carry water, J and I took a taxi to Johnsonville to the start of one of the Welly Walks. By coincidence, our driver C, thirty-one years living in Wellington had done the same walk for the first time just a few weeks ago. He was genuinely pleased to be giving us the local knowledge that makes the difference. Mostly about the wind that can suddenly chill, which turned out not to be a problem today.

We started climbing up the steps incised into the forested slopes leading to Mt Kaukau. Hot and humid, birds exotic to us, tui perhaps, were calling while grasshopper or cicada-like trills filled the background. Up on the first peak, the clouds had blown across and the top of 120 m TV transmitter was lost to us. We headed on to learn that the start was the hardest part. Across Kilmister Tops, suggestive of a murder plot, along Parkvale Road and on to Johnson Hill, all along the way the views were, frankly, compromised by ugly overhead powerlines and the elongated scattering of ugly wind turbines. This seemed not to bother the sheep, cattle and cyclists we encountered, not that we asked their opinions.

In short, the views were quite spectacular though the haze denied us the South Island, compensated by views over Wellington harbour and the Queen Elizabeth, which docked this morning, on her maiden Pacific voyage.

It was after some four hours and 12.5 km that we reached Makara Road. A call to C had found him at home early and he organised another car to to collect us. Just as well, we were tired and had run out of water, in my case over two litres consumed.