A walk from home

The community I live in has a large number of interconnected walkways.  Many of these take the walker well away from busy roads which is a bonus.

One of my favourite sections of walkway tracks along the base of a hill.  There is a small stream that runs alongside the path and the hill and the hill is wooded with regenerating native bush and introduced plants and trees.

One the other side of the path is a school playground and then the backyards and gardens of people’s houses.  A walk along this path offers me such a variety of interesting sights and experiences.  I can enjoy the sounds and activities of the children at school if they are out of the classroom.  I can listen to the sounds of the stream and the various calls and songs of the diversity of bird life, both native and introduced.

I can also enjoy the changes in plants, flowers and trees in the gardens.

I often chose to return home up a steep zigzag path that climbs the hill.  Over the spring and summer I was delighted to see several native pigeons or Kereru.  These are newer visitors (or hopefully residents) to this area.  Tuis, Fantails and Grey Warblers are often to be heard amidst the sounds of sparrows, blackbirds and thrushes.

At the moment the hill is dotted with splashes of intense autumn colour as the leaves on the flowering cherry trees turn and drop.  The native bush is lush and green and very damp smelling as nature produces humus from the falling leaves and twigs.

I can feel a long way from the busyness of life and its stresses and strains as I walk this route.  I return home with my senses revitalised and my energy boosted.

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