Te Araroa : Waikanae to Wellington

KM this section : 81
KM completed : 1686

Colonial Knob summit.  No sniggering please.

The two German lads from the hut a day or so back are going to hitch into Wellington, all road from here apparently.  Well I reckon they missed out...  From Waikanae there is a pleasant (Flat!  Dry!) river walk, then a well built scenic path through wetland, and a bit of beach.  Then yes, we have a number of kilometres along the centennial highway, but there's a pedestrian walkway, and with the traffic to one side and the waves to the other I think it's rather cool.  Before long the walkway departs a little from the road anyway, but remains easy walking until my camp for the day, the ah, heavenly, Mana.  Well, it is nice, a fine pub where I have schnitzel for a change (so much meat) and a free campsite - rather cool just a little way from the capital.

The Wellington Cable Car.

Shockingly, the walk to Wellington from here is lovely, a climb on well made paths, and actual grassy ridges, over a couple of big hills, Colonial Knob and Mount Kaukau.  I'm in a hall of residence again, is nice, not quite sure about the city mind you, seems to have many hipsters who want to sell me expensive craft beer.  I at least get a cheap, good, Pad Thai - Pad Thai really should be cheap.

One last bit of North Island, I'm having a lazy day, the pack is almost empty and it's just ten kilometres to the last bit of route - though I will have to walk back.  But, as I walk I don't seem to be making much progress.  Eventually I realise they have changed the route, my idea of the distance comes from the PDF map file I downloaded, but the signs are taking me a different way entirely, and the GPX line agrees with them.  Amusingly, it is close to the scenic return route I'd planned, though with extra bits to take in more of the high points around Wellington - a city so hilly that some residents have private cable cars to get to their homes.  Well, I make it to the end, incongruously set in a small children's playground, I have to move it though as I absolutely must buy new shoes, the current pair (thirty dollars from The Warehouse) are in pieces after just three hundred kilometres or so.  In defence of my cheapskate ways, the similarly priced pair from Decathlon back in London lasted fourteen hundred kilometres.  Anyway... fortunately there is a dead straight road back to town, where I do indeed acquire shoes, plus of course beer.  South Island tomorrow!

More new shoes!

Photos to go with this post can be found here.