More Wellington Scenery

A bit of a chilly week.  Walking up to the car was a bit wet at times, and hanging on to a pole and an umbrella had its humourous moments.  One night Harry was late leaving and so I drove the car for the first time down the hill to meet him. Harry has started to drop me off along the way now, gone is the door to door service to work I've gotten used to!!  I walked along Aotea Quay the first time, but it was a tad too windy and noisy and so then settled for a drop off at Hobson Street - as the crow flies two minutes from work, but along the road and concourse about 15 minutes.  Health wise a pretty good week - a visit to an Osteo - more walking down and up stairs - and instructions to walk on the heel more, with my bottom in (apparently I walk like a pregnant woman at the moment - that's not good for someone in her 50's).  I can stand in the shower now and walked without a pole to work.  We went to the Aviation Historical Society mid winter evening and watched Fly Boys - a movie we had seen before but couldn't remember much of.  Also caught up with Sharn who was here on work and with her we went to the American Marine Band playing at old St Pauls and dinner at the Thistle Inn.  There's a bit of history there ... 70 years ago the US Marines were stationed around Wellington - the aim of strengthening the defences in the Pacific - there was really large camp at Paekakariki -where about 15,000 camped out in areas that are now farmland where cows graze and mushrooms grow, market gardens and local swamps where pukekos roam.  I used to play over the fence in the fields, where the toitois grew large and lupin allowed young children to play in secrecy.  We would often find spoons, bits of china left by the campers. I do so wish a 7 year old had an appreciation of history - but not so ... On Sunday we took a walk out to Battle Hill - it was picturesque on the way there around the inlet - and up on the hills overlooking transmission gully - which may not be as peaceful soon with the resource consents for the new road on its last round of approval. There is a tui bill board saying in the area: last war 1846: yeah right!! The locals disapprove of the plans for a new road - it does seem rather a shame to ruin such a peaceful countryside - last time was back in 1846.  At that time there were a number of skirmishes between settlers and Māori and in 1846 Governor Grey arrested Te Rauparaha. A month later the English troops bombarded Te Rangihaeata’s pa at Battle Hill. After enduring the attack for several days – with the loss of nine people – Te Rangihaeata fled north and with the end of Ngāti Toa in the area the Europeans settled peacefully.

And then it was another week which went reasonably quickly.  We did some prep for painting the bathroom, went for Yum Cha, watched poor Ireland get annihilated by the All Blacks at Jill and Grahams, a nice walk around the countryside at the Brooklyn Windmill where we didn't take our camera and wished we had - we had the privilege of seeing an emu doing a mating dance - just for us!!