By the numbers
Cemeteries: 2
Steps: 39723
Kms: 27.38
Major dislike: Stairs to what I think are to F$%@ Mordor
Memorable song of the day: Walk 500 miles
Podcast: History of cake in the US
Today I was spending a full day in Gisborne where I would
try to visit a cemetery and do many other things including the visitors centre.
I woke early before the other two in my room as they were pulling some serious
Z’s. I looked out to find the weather was overcast and I hoped it wouldn’t be
cold at all. Stepping outside I found it to be really pleasant. My map had told
me the cemetery to the hostel was around 2kms and i knew I would stop for
something to eat on the way and have a coffee.
I had not walked the main street as I had gone the back way
after leaving the info centre the night before so got a good look at Gladstone
street, which is the main drag. I found a bookshop I wanted to visit later that
had a cafe, but once I found Maccas, I knew I was set for the morning walk. I
had some food and could access the internet on my phone as I have no access at
the hostel other than for use on my computer, which is fine with me. Doesnt
bother me at all. I even ignored someone ere Instagram. I am keeping up with
the kiddies or am I? The cemetery I wanted to visit was near the golf course and
A&P showgrounds. I wanted the historic part of the Houhoupiko or the Makaraka
Cemetery as it is now known as. This was a bit further than the 2kms that I had
counted on, but I did get there. What I wanted to see was the Poverty Bay
Massacre monument that was part of the Te Kooti campaign in New Zealand around
Gisborne and Whakatane areas. Te Kooti had started a new religion that I cant
pronounce or really remember.
On the way I realised I was going further than anticipated
and also I knew there was a private Maori cemetery along the way. I was dodging
kids along the way as they were starting to go to school and when I came to the
private cemetery the big monument caught my eye inside and I had to see what
that was about. I don’t know who Carroll – Timi Kara and according to a guide I
have the name is Sir James Carroll. Apparently he was pretty significant in the
government and even acting prime minister in 1911. The base of the monolith
type grave happens to be full of water and it is green. Green enough if you
were not paying attention that you might try to walk on it. I found the memorial
once I crossed over to the other side of the double fence.
I wanered around the whole cemetery finding people that were
interesting including a master mariner who had his story on the back of a
headstone by the name of Thomas Chrisp who died in 1911 and was born in Blyth
Northumberland. There was a monument to the soldiers who lost their lives in
the battles in the area as well. It wasn’t yet lunch time and I was off
wandered off with 9kms on my fitbit that showed me I was already picking up the
k’s as I was going. The top of my list was to visit the info centre so I could
get some ideas of what else I could visit while here. I knew of a couple of
monuments, but that was it for this area and I wanted more. I also knew I
needed to do a load of washing tonight or else I would be out of clothes. I
took my rambling wander to the Information centre and stared at what looked to
be a pill box, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why this concrete
thing was outside and it was too late for the New Zealand wars. Later I found
it was a WW2 pill box and one had been blown up after the war and caused some
damage. This was the only surviving one out of three in the town. Behind it was
a totem pole donated by the Canadian government to the city of Gisborne, which
I thought to be pretty cool.
Once inside I didn’t really find anything of real interest
in the area that I wanted to see other than a walk that gave panoramic views
from inland, but was later told its inaccessible by foot as I didn’t have a
car. I found the museum, but was unsure at the time if it was local or not
since I had been working with no map at all, but finding my way around by
Google maps before I left home. If its in a straight line, I can find it like
the hostel or the cemetery. I got a local map and I asked the girl if she knew
where Hirini Cemetery was located as all I could find was on a NZ wars website
and she couldn’t tell me. She did tell me that it was her first day and I think
I broke the new girl. I shouldn’t try to break the new people with questions.
Her supervisor helped me after she helped another customer. I ended up with the
location of the museum, the opening times and a guide to the historic walks and
where I could find Hirini cemetery. The lady told me that there was controversy
about the cemetery as it was not maintained enough. I thanked her and went on
with my journey.
I wandered towards the surf club away from the town centre
and the museum as I wanted something to eat and to walk around the harbour as
there was a walk that took me past two statues that I will get to in a sec. I
knew I needed to stop for some food sometime and I ended up with a hot sandwich
that was bacon and chicken schnitzel, filling but must be doing wonder to the
insides. I was off again to find the statue of young Nick who was apparently
the first person to sight land and could have been the first person to set foot
on land. He was given a gallon of rum or something like it as a reward. The
next was a statue of Captain James Cook and about his journey. There were several
other statues to the landing in the city, but they will come later. I visited
the grounds sneakily to the steam train museum though its a volunteer thing and
there wasn’t anything to see. I did however stand outside Stationary Warehouse
to use their internet. My phone at the time was glitchy and could be because it
was in a hot pocket on a very warm day. At least it was mostly cloudy during
the day so the sunburn factor or the heat wasn’t too bad. I headed towards a
monument that was to do with the Maori battalion during WW1 and Wi Pere who was
a parliamentarian. The monument I found was covered up as it was being restored
I found later on.e museum that was known as the
The museum was not far away and I took a bee line towards
the Gisborne museum otherwise called the Tairawhiti museum. A bunch of old
ladies that I found was on their 61st school reunion and they wanted
photos and I wanted coffee. I had placed my bag into storage when I was asked
if I could take photos of their group. I said sure and took several. Once I
received my coffee however they again wanted me to take a group photo. This
time they were laughing about my shirt that said ‘Last clean shirt’ and the
fact I was from Australia. I got to chatting with a couple of them while trying
to finish my coffee and was given their history like how their grandkids had
moved to Oz. Plus that they were from the top class in their day and the
organiser was the one who had always been in charge. At least I could escape
from the ladies so to speak to explore the museum. Part of the lower part of
the museum was the bridge of a ship that had wrecked itself called star liners
Belfast or something like it. It was not a replica, but the real thing and had
been part of someone’s home until it was gifted to the city. There was photo
proof of the history of Gladstone street, a gallery of the man who created the
four square man and was an artist that drew The Phantom and Batman apparently.
I think the man must have been from Gisborne, but I knew he was a New Zealander
as he was in the Waikato museum too. I didn’t know that the freezing works
played a huge part in the local towns either.
I bought a book on the local landmarks in Gisborne and vowed
I would take a walk up Kati hill in the morning. I wanted to visit the main WW1
memorial, but that never happened as I got distracted by a Suffragette memorial
for Margaret Seivwright who was known by Kate Shepheard. I seem to be finding
plenty in the town so far and then I looked at a statue that was of Wal Footrot
and Dog from Footrot Flats. Of course i would find them eventually and I never
knew they were there. A bookstore called Mair’s Bookstore was my next stop as
it had a cafe until I found the cafe closed half hour before. I had a drink at
Maccas while drowning in schoolkids after school. I walked out another exit to find
the library was packing up from their booksale and tomorrow was their last day.
I will be back to explore as I will see i they have something I am after or a
cheap NZ history library book for $2. I did see an odd sock poem, but I will
put that down later.
Back to the hostel I went so I could do some washing where I
thought I would relax for the rest of the afternoon. I wanted to look for the
cemetery as I had my washing in the machine. Hirini Street is actually the
street behind the hostel and I went wandering looking for the cemetery. It was
not sign posted and I would have missed it if I had not been looking. It was
named after a chief called Hirini who had a government funded marker, but the
rest of the cemetery was neglected even though the lawn was mowed. There were
broken headstones and one that was hidden by undergrowth. I wasn’t there long
at all and the other side of the cemetery was a Caltex service station. After
my washing was done I used the local dryers at the Laundromat as the dryer at
the hostel was already in use and would be for an hour.
The goal after the washing was hung out was to checkout the
war memorial. Guess what happened to my plan? I went looking for the monument
for the Captain Cook landing instead. That was all good until I ended up power
walking up Kaiti hill. I was headed toward the WW1 monument that I knew was up
there and not the one on the river that was supposedly the shortest river in
the southern hemisphere as it was around 1200 metres long. I knew it was near
dark, but wasn’t close enough that I could still see to take pictures. I was
nearing exhaustion walking up a huge bunch of stairs. I did eventually find
another statue of Captain Cook and the maker had put the wrong uniform on the
statue so he was not actually Cook at all. The uniform is Italian and the
correct Cook is elsewhere in Gisborne. It is very controversial as well.
Deciding I better get off the hill before dark I found the hell stairs I think
were from Mordor. Luckily I was going down and not up like the poor lady who
was at the bottom seemingly waiting for me to get down. I decide to find food
and not go any further for the rest of the day as I was buggered and it was
dark. Had done all I had set out to do.
Poem by Robyn Hancock
Odd Socks
I wear them on my feet. Fighting for individuality, they’ll
never be complete. They lie in wait, trying not to be discovered. Lurking in
the most unusual places, underneath duvet covers..
Oh how they vex me, as I try to find their pairs. Spending
my washing days. Searching in great despair. I’m sure they have an agenda, a
secret plan of their own plotting to take over the world. Entering different
time zones. But who am I to argue. I think odd socks are neat. Thats why I let
them stand proud as I wear them on my feet
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