By the numbers
21.78kms
1 coffee
31,614 steps
I knew the day might start a little slow as it had been wet
the night before and I had been expecting that it could be the same as before.
The weather was a bit wet and I was still happy to go out into the rain for my
cemetery tour at Waikumete. I got dressed and headed out for a walk to Grafton
station knowing I would get a good ride on the train. I was hoping to get a
Subway along the way and found that it was actually closed, but a bakery was
open and didn’t have coffee, but I needed food. I could try that later.
Arriving at the station, I found I could get the earlier train before the one
that I had picked to catch. I was happy and out of the rain for a little bit as
well. The train journey seemed to be
quicker than I had expected it to be as I arrived in Glen Eden in what could be
less than half hour. I wasn’t complaining at all.
Not knowing where the public loos were had me wondering and
since I had an internet connection at the train station. I searched for public
toilets in Glen Eden and left the map open for me to follow. There wasn’t a loo
at the station, so I had to search. It wasn’t far as it was the next street
over and I had spotted a coffee shop. I also spotted the magic words coffee and
books. There was a bookshop that sold coffee, it was shut on a Sunday. Well
played bookshop in Glen Eden, well played. I found a shop that sold coffee and
missed a car with a number plate that read NO TIME. I went to get it and missed
it. That was a cool number plate. Glen Eden seemed to have a bit of art work
around of the area and I followed some of the art and even got told off by a
random duck that had been hiding on a path. I wasn’t sure what the weather was
going to do when I headed to the cemetery and I didnt know how many would turn
up due to the wet weather.
Once I made my way to the cemetery, I realised it had been a
while since I had been there and a gate they had at the end I was on had been
upgraded instead of just a bar to stop cars. I did learn they had moved the
train station, I don’t know when from out front of the cemetery just a little
further down the road to its current position. Mainly as a reason to stop
people damaging the headstones. The tour was about the children that had died,
not all as it would have taken all day and no one could do that much research.
The section in front of the Sextons cottage was the oldest part and included
one little kid that had died and the father had made a brick fired headstone
and there had been attempts for it to be removed, but never happened. I felt
like I should have been to the open day the week before and I think I will make
an effort next time to be in Auckland just for that as it sounded like a great
day. The Friends of Waikumete were really good and informative. Even though
there were only three of us that turned up that gave some good talks on some of
the people and pointed out other stuff too like the pauper area was actually a
section where trees were growing and grasses were also. Turns out there are
people buried there and they just cant be found as there is no marker. People
actually have picnics there as evidence has been seen. Some of the others
included a murder suicide with strychnine a poison through one of the employees
of the Yates farm as in the seeds of today. A mother gave some to herself and
kids and only the son survived. Another had an illegal abortion, but never
survived due to complications and there was an inquest. There were drowning as
well called the New Zealand / Auckland disease I think it was called. There
were others like Lottie a nurse who was at Gallipoli helping the wounded. She was
on one of the ships and she was in the Gallipoli display in Te papa museum.
Another was a soldier who fell off a bridge and had a huge funeral even though
he had not died of war wounds. He had stepped back to let a train pass and fell
off the bridge. People have some good stories.
By the time the tour had finished, the rain had stopped and
the sun was trying to come out. The brolly and raincoat had been packed away. I
decided I wanted to wander around to look for some family as I had wanted to
update my photos. I tried to remember one in the Wesleyan section. I was
actually one row off, which was pretty good for me. The cemetery I should point
out is known for its wild flowers and other plants as people do point out that
it isn’t being looked after, which isn’t actually true. Its a whole eco system
to itself and the flowers look really nice. Once I decided it was time to leave
it was because I wanted to be in Parnell for the rose festival and to see what
was happening. Wandering over I knew I would miss the train and I actually did
as I stepped on the platform and the train was leaving. I had half hour so I
went to get lunch at a real bakery. No fingerbuns, but there were rolls with
other goodies. I went back to the station and waited. The train wasn’t too far
off anyway, which was good.
The train took me all the way into Newmarket where I had my
trusty phone map ready for me to find my way into Parnell. Without it I would
have had to get the bus. That would have been easy, but I wanted to wander and
take a walk to see where I would end up. I took the path through the back
streets thinking my map was wrong as I wanted to head through Newmarket Park. I
came to some rail lines and wondered if I had to cross and then the park
appeared right next to it. I went one way and the train line went the other. I
popped out below Parnell and walked up the hill not wanting to take a track
that I was unsure of. I ended up below the Holy Trinity Cathedral and actually
went inside for a look. I was trying to be sneaky in taking pictures as the
stained windows looks pretty cool. Last time I had walked past was when they
were doing renovations and everything had been fenced off. I went off to find
the Rose festival and found it teeming with people with stalls and bubble
blowers everywhere. It was cool to see that the whole area was popular as it
would normally be quiet. The roses were all out and I was happy to see them.
After spending some time at the Rose festival looking at the
roses, I headed back down the hill into the city, but wanted to checkout the
old Auckland railway building. It is now apartments and I took a look around on
the inside and it had not really changed, but I wasn’t going to walk into the
building further as I did not have a pass and thought I might get into trouble
if I actually walked inside the locked area. By this time the arena narby was
emptying of people and it was becoming busy so I thought I better make my way
into the city, but went to have a look at the station known as the Strand,
although this had last been used in 2011, but apparently the Northern Explorer
uses the station. It had the history of the railway station and why it was no
longer in use. I did hear sirens nearby and wondered if they were coming for
me. I thought it best to make my way back to the hostel and ended up at the
university after climbing some stairs. I knew exactly where I was and since I
was needing relief, I visited the Uni library again without being noticed. I
headed for the Queen street bus stop where I wanted the bus, but went into the
Warehouse shop for new headphones as mine had died. I went around the block to
get to where I needed again and had some homeless guy wanting to have a go at
me outside Maccas. I glared at him and he backed off, literally stopped. From
the bus stop I watched him and found he was doing the same with others so must
have been on something. I headed back to the hostel with food as the sun was
starting its decent from the sky and I could see the light starting to fade.
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