By the numbers
1 hot sun
31,666 steps
21.82 kms
The morning started off pretty well when I got up. Luckily I
had gotten dressed as I would soon find there would be problems. I started by
playing door tango as the main door between the room and the loos wouldn’t let
me back in. I ended up going up and down the lift with a new key card until the
guy at the desk said it had happened to five others on the same floor. He came
up with me the last time and tried his master card and nothing. Someone on the
other side of the door had to open it and then a wedge under the door to keep
it open. I was then in business as I could brush my teeth and put shoes on as I
wasn’t wearing any and not getting annoyed at all. The card did work on the
dorm room door and I was actually the only one awake. The one thing I knew was
that my calf muscle was sore even though I kept walking hoping it would become
alright as the day went on.
Off into the sun I went hoping that I would miss most of the
heat of the day and I had plans to have a quick breaky and walk to a shot tower
that was used in WWI, which is near the Mt Eden prison. I stopped off at one of
the most well known stores to have a look at their annual traditional Christmas
display. Before I went towards the shot tower, since it was too early for most
of the shops to be open, I headed back up the street to Upper Queen Street
where I was looking for the bike path hoping I could walk it too. I wasn’t expecting
to do the whole path and I ended up walking all the way to the edge of the
motorway. Half way the path turns pink as its either called the Pink path or
the light way. It goes by both names. I was lucky as I knew where I was without
needing a map as I walked up Pitt Street heading for Karangahape Road. I wanted
the Grafton Bridge as I had to be on the other side, although I ended up with a
quick wander through the cemetery and had to drag myself away since I knew I
might stay longer. Following my map I ended up getting distracted by a building
that was Trinity College on and then along a wooden church along Khyber Pass
Road as it looked nice. I went around the corner as I wanted the loo and found
another church that was a Baptist on a corner street. At the same time I had
seen a car that I had never seen before go past and had the plate as Dr. Sin. I
wondered if he was going to church, but knew I couldn’t get distracted looking
for cars that would be long gone.
I did find the shot tower as it was easy to see above the
sky line and that meant that it was also near a train line. The shot tower had
been used in colonial times when Britain had stopped sending shots to New
Zealand by ship. It was also used in WW1 to make live and blank shots to
training camps in NZ. Only really the top half of the tower exists as nothing
on the ground level does. I nearly waled the wrong way and the right way was
actually past Mt Eden Prison that held the objectors for WW1 and some Maori too
who objected as well and they were given physical work. Pretty sure I was being
watched taking pictures and I had my guide with me so it was alright. I was
wondering where the entrance was, but I thought better as I was wanting to
visit the museum as it was beginning to open at that time. I also wanted to get
out of the sun as it was getting a little bit hot. On the way to the museum I
saw a game of cricket being played, although I did keep walking.
Making it to the Auckland Museum, I sat down to have a drink
after leaving my bag in storage. I soon learnt I was sunburnt and knew that
once I got back to the hostel I would have to change to my other wide brimmed
hat to cover my ears as I had gotten a little complacent about the sun. I did
have a walk around the music exhibit of the New Zealand bands that included
Lorde though I prefer the heavy metal band, Lordi. That is me anyway. I found
some names that I could use for heavy metal New Zealand bands. There were quite
a few bands in New Zealand, although I wasn’t paying that much attention even
though they covered every genre from punk to rap. There were the older songs
like Midge or Madge. I started up the top floor of the museum looking at the
war memorials to have a look at the names as I was thinking I could help Claude
with finding some. I soon found that there was a little bit of the museum
closed as they were updating the displays. I was interested in the homefront as
the Germans living in NZ were treated badly included beaten up and even the
Gumdigging Dalmatians were treated with suspicion. I did have a look at some of
the records too that was part of the museum and the Centoteph of the soldiers.
The museum hadn’t changed that much and I ended up having lunch and going book
shopping. I had worked out that I wanted to head over to Western Park where the
house at the end of the movie Hunt For The Wilderpeople was located. First I
had to drop the books off.
I wandered off to the hostel where I dropped my loot off and
headed out again wearing my other hat. I ended up on the pink path again and
soon fond I was heading to the wrong park. I was walking to Victoria Park and
not Western Park located in Freemans Bay area. I found two houses that I had
thought was the house used in the movie and one of them was covered in building
work. Later on I had found that the house I was looking for was the run down
one that I took one photo of before walking on. I had been looking at my phone
as I wanted to see the map and my position was showing me exactly where I was.
It was amazing that even though my data was off it still showed me on there. I
found that I ended up on Ponsonby Road that pointed me onto Karangahape Road
where I found my way towards the hostel. I wanted to stop off at the DVD shop
as I wanted a new pair of headphones. I caught the bus there and back, which
was lucky as it saved my feet. I did get some dinner on the way and had fish
and chips for $5. I think I have done enough walking on this trip and I have
one day off before heading back to work.
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