Taking it easy

For us it was an easy day. We laid in for a bit watching the news from Japan, chatting on the internet and reading. By late morning we felt we should go out and appreciate the excellent weather outside. We walked up river to the next bridge and crossed over. On the other side of the river was a thin but long riverside park which walked through. In one section we found ourselves walking along a bamboo tunnel which made us feel we were somewhere else altogether. Although quite long it turned out to be a dead end so we back tracked and stuck to more obvious paths.

Opposite the bridge back into town there was a stairway leading up the hill to the two towers that overlooked the area. We had the option to take an elevator which could be reached by a tunnel into the hill but we opted for the exercise. We made it up fairly quickly and only paused for breath when we reached the top of the lower building which was the top of the elevator shaft. From here the views were grand. I had hoped to see the volcanoes of Tongariro and Egmont in the distance but it was too misty for that.

What we could see was the higher tower nearby and of course that had to be climbed. We made short work of the climb and enjoyed the slightly higher view offered from this tower. Sadly, both towers had been used as urinals at the top which made it unpleasant to hang around. The taller tower had a population of sand flies hanging around at the top so we didn’t stay long.

We headed down the steps we had ascended and made our way to the nearby mall and supermarket where we picked up a few bits and pieces as well as lunch. We then walked back to our accommodation along the bank of the river.

We drove back to the supermarket late afternoon to pick up dinner. We treated ourselves to steaks which we only do rarely. Having learned that the special offers on wine cycle on Monday mornings we picked up a dozen bottles of something we liked to be consumed later in the year. Once we’re in Whangarei this process will need to be stepped up.

Today we’re going to head north along the Whanganui River and look at some of the historical sites along there. No specific plans as to where we’ll end up this evening.