By the numbers
14.78kms
21,453 steps
2 bus’
I had a strange night though personally it wasn’t a problem,
but I could hear the street noise and that was around midnight where I could
hear bottles smashing and abusive people. I am happy that I was not on the
street side of the building as I am towards the back. I did however sleep
really well and woke up at 8am feeling really refreshed and energised. I was
leaving for Cambridge today for the day and I was hoping it would not be like
last year when I got stuck in Pokeno as I had been stuck there for around 4
hours after I had done everything within a couple of hours.
I didn’t actually know which bus would be taking me to
Cambridge, which was only really 15 or so kms away from Hamilton. I could have
gotten the regular bus, but I knew Intercity the national bus service would get
me there. I had to look the bus run up online as I then knew it would be the
bus going all the way to Wellington. I didn’t have to wait very long, although
I had gotten food on the way to the bus stop. I was leaving Hamilton for the
day where I would see what Cambridge was like. Cambridge was settled by the 3rd
Waikato militia around 1864 and there is quite a bit of issues with taking land
and the land not being able to be developed so some farmers failed. In some
form its like soldier settlements after the First World War. The bus was
apparently not the normal bus and was a Richies. I heard it was meant to be a
double decker, but the driver seemed to be happy with what he has as it had
cruise control and a limiter for the speed.
It wasn’t actually very long before the bus pulled into
Cambridge where there were other people waiting, but I was more than happy to
get off with just my backpack. I had my trusty phone map that had no data to
use, but seemed to find where I am with no problems. I walked around the block
to take pics of the Town hall built in 1909, the clock tower and the war
memorial. I had to check inside the information centre to see if they had
anything for the heritage trail. There were three, but I wasn’t sure if I had
the right information, although I headed down the road to the museum. The funny
thing about the museum was that it was inside the building of the old
courthouse. The museum was only two rooms. One about the beginnings of Cambridge
with the Waikato Militia and the resident redoubt before they changed to the
armed constabulary. There were also different sort of cameras and some other
objects from the area. The other room was about some of the people who served
during WW1. It turned out to be funny as the ladies there were really nice and
I was chatting to one lady from Whangarei and she directed me to a book I
already had.
After the museum, I found it had gotten cloudy and cooler,
although that didn’t last long. I headed in the direction of the Leamington
Cemetery as it had some Waikato war soldiers buried there. It was a little bit
of a walk, but I made it there via a local domain that had miniature trains and
playground. The cemetery turned out to be not very big at all as there were
people at one grave that I thought it best not to let them see my camera. I found
a memorial about the Waikato soldiers especially when they did not know the names.
I watched the council gardener over one side of the cemetery dancing to music
he was playing loud. I thought it as cool, but I didn’t stick around the cemetery
for too long as there was a crowd gathering and I didn’t think there would be
much going on with the newer part of the cemetery.
One of the places I found was where the surveyors had landed
so that they could map out the streets of the new town of Cambridge. It was a
plaque down one of the streets, which was helpful. I wanted to take a walk
around Te Kotu Domain, which was a lake that had been cut off from the Waikato
River after an eruption. I came across the bowling grounds and Begonia garden
house, which had some really nice roses and cactus in the hothouse type
building. The time was counting down before I had to catch the bus, although I
think I was doing a bit of walking in the area. St. Andrew’s church was a
building that looked really nice when I had been on the bus and had been built
around 1881. It was interesting to look at in person even though it was on the
way back to the Town Hall. I was hoping I wouldn’t be too late to get the bus
and I only really had a half hour.
While waiting I got stuck with an old fella in his motorised
buggy who was trying to ask me something while I had music going and reading a
book. He breathlessy asked when the bus for or from Auckland was coming. I couldnt
understand him so he slowly moved to the bench next to me, where I realised
what he was after. I told him I had no idea what times they would be coming so
he might have to ask the ladies in the info centre. I had contemplated just
walking off and returning around 5mins later by going around the block. Poor
bugger slowly slid along the bench seat to the bus shelter edge as he couldnt
get up and was so out of breath. I had to help him out of the seat by grabbing
his arm after I had asked if he wanted help, even though he never asked for it.
He never came back. I soon realised the bus was getting close to an hour late.
One turned up that was heading to Auckland and I found after showing the driver
that the bus was still coming. Somehow where I was I was able to log onto the
Bunnings free Wifi and checked on the bus, which never said anything about
being late and its origin was Tauranga. I even had a Mana bus turn up and ask
where I was going. The strange thing was for some reason my phone decided it
wanted to be on flight mode. The bus arrived over an hour late with no
explanation.
It wasn’t that long to return to Hamilton, but I knew that
it was my last day there so I wanted to get everything sorted early. I think a
couple of passengers were not impressed the bus was late. I was just happy that
I had not been forgotten. By the time we got back it was just after 6pm and I
was looking for food. I stopped at a steak house type place and I had the girl
at the front tell me that she would ask her manager if I could eat. Seems it
was alright, but I had to sit outside. I had a nice steak with duck fat cooked
chips. It was really nice and I had wanted a decent steak or a pizza. I don’t know
if I was outside as I wasnt dressed how they expected or thought I was one of
the Hamilton elite that seem to hang around the town. Tomorrow I am heading to
Whangarei where I am hoping th weather will be decent enough instead of being
wet as they seem to be predicting.
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