Sunday, November 12, 2017

South to North tour: Day 14 Around Whangarei




By the numbers
12kms
17,419 steps
A few more books
I was able to sleep in a little bit and was hoping that the weather was not going to be wet. From what I could tell the sun was shining and I was relaxed as I had the idea that I would take a walk From Whangarei Falls all the way into town as I know it is a great walk and I have done it before. That way I could be picked up while in town. I made sure that my washing was outside on the line before I left as the sun was out. I made sure I had everything I needed and was off.

The walk started from Granny and Claude’s place where I would head to the waterfalls and follow the track all the way to AH Reed Park. AH Reed was a local historian / well known author who walked everywhere. Everyone else on a Sunday morning seemed to have the same idea of going for a bush walk, although I have no idea how many others than the joggers head all the way through to the town basin. I had to laugh once I got close to the AH Reed park entrance as there were people who had gotten off the bus with me from the day before. They were doing a bush walk as tourists do and I was marching through doing my own thing. Once on the road heading for the Hatea River walk it decided now was the time to start raining. It was more of a drizzle, but I had my brolly up until I was at the entrance to the river walk where it had stopped raining. It seemed to have gotten cold as well, but I kept warm by going forward.

I had been to the top of Parihaka on several occasions and I didn’t want to do anything like that this time round as I was heading to the book store. I had no actually walked the full way down to the town basin as I had always ended up in other areas close by and walked to the bridge instead. This time I followed the path past the swimming pool where I came across the local car club showing off their vehicles. I headed down to the shops along the waterfront as I wanted a coffee due to it being a bit of a walk. I had a choc raspberry stick with my coffee from the fudge shop, but I probably did not need that at all. I was on a mission to visit the Piggery secondhand bookshop and I found the store easily enough, although I thought I had gotten lost. I went through the NZ history type books and found what I was looking for. Then I found an $88 book that I had to make sure the price was correct as I had not seen any books by James Cowan in person before let alone exactly what I was after, but the book is available online so I do not really need it that bad. It had been printed in 1986, which I did check as you do.

After getting my loot, I walked off to have a look in town. I ended up with my second pie for the entire trip so far. I was also hoping the shop Papers Plus was able to post my books, but they did not have postage bags. I did find a post office so I do need to go back on a week day to post some books home or else I would be overweight again when I fly home or have a heavy bag when I travel to Auckland. Where I was in town was close to he library, where I knew it would be closed for the day as it is still Sunday. I wandered over and I knew of a settlers cemetery nearby, but I could not remember where it actually was other than being near the Quarry. I thought I had an entrance, but I walked part way past the bowls club before deciding to turn back. I thought with a heavy bag and being mid afternoon it was time to go back. I sent a text off so that I could be picked up, but the text failed to send. I became worried that my phone wasn’t working. So I tried the text again with data turned on. Nope. I rang Claude and got through so something strange is going on. It doesn’t worry me, but I know I have roaming on or it should still be on from my last trip away. I was happy to have been picked up and spent the rest of the day sorting out my books and finishing off one that I was already reading.


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