Middle Earth tour Day 4 Between archives cemeteries and hill conspiracies

Middle Earth tour Day 4 Between archives cemeteries and hill conspiracies

Another early wake up this morning and I was happy not to be hearing howling wind or the rain from the night before. That had really picked up once it had gotten dark and at least I was inside to miss all of it. For that I was happy and surprising was that I was not in one bit sore from being bashed around by the wind.

I had gotten up early enough to walk towards the archives so that I could be there for when it opened. I didn’t make like that as I had gotten there just after it had and that was with having breakfast and a coffee. I don’t think I realised how far it was though I was not walking very fast and going at my own pace. I knew the direction I wanted to walk as it was to the parliament buildings and then over to the archives, which I knew to be the easiest route instead of dodging the bus zone and traffic lights.

Once in the archives I went to make sure I could put my bag away and had my pad with me. One thing I did notice was that they had no slips that you could ask for copies of documents either by email or posted to you.  We were allowed to use our own devices to record what we were wanting. I used my phone as I had figured I could put them onto dropbox an online storage so that I would not lose them. Turns out I could use the wifi for half hour for free before being logged off. I was happy about doing that for sure. The records I was after were waiting for me when I arrived except for one that I later found out wont be available until Tuesday as they are fixing the shelves. That means I will be back again. I couldn’t help but listen to a lady talking to the helpers at the archives as she had no clue about sources of information and was telling the bloke that her whoever had told her the dates. Then goes on about being in Australia and when asked what part of Australia for a period of 1840 she said she wasn’t sure and started to throw out states. She was told some didn’t exist then and it would either be NSW Vic or Tasmania I think it was.

 I did find a suffragette signer in the family and copied a few records that I will keep on file. There were two restricted files I will enquire about from the 1870s. That would be helpful. The records were not the only part I was visiting as I had walked into the Waitangi Treaty room with its big vault door.  Knowing I would be back tomorrow I had lunch before I thought what I was going to do as my plans were askew a little bit. It was just after 1pm and I had to work out what I wanted to do and quickly. Once outside I went for a look around and entered for the first time the church called old St. Pauls and it was lovely too. I had made a decision about my final destination and that would be the Karori cemetery around an hour walk away.

The walk was simple enough until I thought about climbing some stairs to The Terrace a street I was after and the pedestrian access was at Church Street. Those were the hardest stairs I had gone up in a while and I was puffing billy having to stop. There was around 5 or 6 flights then the same thing happened at the university after I rounded past the cemetery there. I was following the signs again for city to sea and they were lost themselves. Looking at a map near the sports feild I realised I had overshot the location I was supposed to be and would have kept doing that if I had not sopped to look. I would later find I could have taken a short cut through the actual campus grounds, but at the time I didn’t know that. I had to climb more stairs and then a steep driveway where I had people speeding past me up the hill. I was thinking that people had built this place on purpose as they knew I would be walking up and complaining.

Once I had gotten past the university I knew where I had to go as there was signage for the town and for a park called Zealandia. It was on my way, but I wasn’t going to stop there. My goal was else where and I was following signs and under an old tunnel that had been strengthened luckily. I have wondered about the suburb or town called Northland as its nearby. The Google map I had was not very helpful at all as I kept getting screwed up somehow, but with signs telling me the direction of the cemetery I was happy. Google is punishing me by making me walk up hills and steep paths. I was enjoying the walk as it took me on a short bush track and through places normal tourists would ever walk as they catch the bus instead like all smart people.

Once I had entered the cemetery I headed towards the office as I was after the actual locations of some family members who were buried there. What I wasn’t expecting was to get the exact locations and the fact the lady was actually getting maps out that were hanging up including telling me who was at the start of the row including who was between them too. She explained one lot hadn’t paid for the plot and had to be exhumed and moved to another part of the cemetery close by. They were the only ones I couldn’t find out of the others I was looking for. Several of the highest ranged military officers in New Zealand had graves at the cemetery or was that just headstones. Throughout the cemetery were tours for military people off NZ and people who had drowned from a ferry disaster that was called the Penguin. I had thought the graves had pictures of penguins. No such luck. I found another memorial for another dead prime minister, Peter Fraser. I knew by this time I should get back before it got dark. The cemetery still had me in the grip but I knew if I didn’t get back before dark from this area then I might be in a little bit of trouble.

The walk back was pretty easy as it was mostly downhill all the way. I was enjoying this part of the walk. I found the less demanding shortcut through the university instead of following carparks that seemed to go nowhere or did they. Once I had found Cuba street I knew I was on the home straight to get to the hostel even though I stopped for lasagne. I managed to get back to the hostel with out getting caught in the dark. I was impressed, but could be in need for another holiday when I do get home. My feet were sore and i wanted a shower and know that tomorrow a Tuesday is my last day in the big smoke and have so far found the extra day I thought I needed was in fact needed after all. A spare day is sometimes good and required.