Yesterday was the sort of day to go for a jaunt. It was sunny and warm, the sky was blue with only fluffy white clouds and the wind frisky but not as stormy as previous days.
With holidays about to end we set off across the hills and onto the Western Hutt motorway, across the first bridge over the Hutt River and on to a specialist shop I needed to visit.
My shopping was successful and off we went again down through the suburbs, out through an industrial area and then alongside the Wellington Harbour on its eastern side.
We followed the road as far as it goes out to Eastbourne and enjoyed the contrast between sea on one side and steep bush covered hills on the other. The Bougainvillea’s were strident in their pinks and reds in people’s gardens
and every so often I think I spied a Northern Rata flowering. ( The Rata is in the same family as the Pohutukawa)
A short distance back along the road we came back to Williams Park in Days Bay. I visited this beach and park many, many times as a child.
We wandered in the park, taking a path behind the duck pond that has been there ever since I can remember
and then stopped for some lunch at the Pavilion café in the park.
After lunch we strolled across the road and out along the wharf where the East West Ferry berths and where young people still like to leap off the wharf’s side and into the deep harbour waters. The chill of the water does not deter them, nor does the height that they leap from.
I stood and gazed out through the Heads of the harbour, off to the horizon which seemed so very far away and wondered about voyaging out there, off on an adventure to another land which would take many, many days. I am not planning on taking any trips but it was nice to briefly dream and to let my thoughts drift with the sea around me.
On the way back to the car I heard a crashing sound above me in the native trees and there above was a very big fat Keruru. This one was not as shy as others I have photographed and I managed this shot.
There were simple pleasures to be enjoyed yesterday.
ordinarygoodness 