Sue's long walk

Reflections. Tomorrow I have a  flight home. I want to thank all off you who have been following and supporting me on my long walk. It started as a dream and now over 1000km later I have completed what I set out to. I was never going to be a purist or walk every f... inch. It was my walk and it had to be both achievable and enjoyable for me. Catching up with a lot of our North Island family has been an added bonus. The TA has been an amazing experience and it has reinforced just how beautiful our country is and also the kindness of everyday people. When asked why I wanted to do the walk I was never really sure of my answer. To see if I can, to rediscover NZ one step at a time, to honour my parents, to be an inspiration for my grandchildren. If you have a dream then life is short and you need to make it a reality. The TA is a gem kiwi,s have yet to really embrace. It is the only continuous trail in the world that goes from top to bottom of a country. It has you walking on beaches, nativ

The Pohutukawa flowers are starting to drop showing their flowering season is coming to an end so is my long walk. Today I walked along Oriental Parade. Wellington is full of cyclists and people on scooters. It has ethnic diversity that is so unlike Southland. Again I saw homeless people sleeping rough. From Oriental Parade I walked up Mt Victoria. It is a rabbit warren of walking and cycle trails. I followed the southern walkway which was well signposted. Some amazing views as a beautiful day in Wellington. I managed a good view of the south island.  There was quite a bit of climbing but Wellington is not flat. I walked through Truby King park past his old house and garden. It was very sad as it once had been beautiful but now almost derelict. The trail kept me off main roads and eventually ended at the beach in Island Bay. In a corner of Shortland park by the beach was a stone marking the end of the north island section. I took a Reggie Perrin type photo leaving my clothes on. I felt

I had a bit of a later start and caught the 'train' bus into Wellington. I took the an all stops bus so had a scenic route. It was the first time I had ever been in a double decker bus. From the Wellington railway station I walked the water front to Cambridge terrace and was able to leave my pack in my room. Wellington water front was vibrant with a farmers market, lots of street vendors and buskers. It was a stunning day and everyone seamed to be out enjoying the day. I walked the water front then pass the Beehive and old Parliament buildings and up through the historic Bolton street cemetery. I then walked to the Botanical gardens which were lovely and there were heaps of people. I had a look at the Cable car museum and at the Observatory saw the sun and solar flares through a telescope. I then crossed to Tinakori road. The old houses amaze me. They are generally two storey, have no section, the neighbors house is less than half a metre away and the side walls are roofing iro

I had my usual early start. Was pleased to slack pack. Paekakariki holiday park required a minimum of 2 nights to rent a cabin. I walked back to the main road then crossed under it and the railway to start the Escarpment track. It involved a bit of climbing and I walked on the narrow tracks of the cliff. Some amazing views. In total there were 1200 steps but more going down. A couple of TA walkers carrying packs passed me. It started to drizzle a bit. By 10 I was in Pukerua bay. The next track was Ara Harakeke which is a combined cycle and walk way into Wellington. I had a coffee and a break at Plimerton then walked to Paramata and then on to Porirua. The track was really scenic and took me both under and over railway and SH 1. There was a section round Aotea Lagoon where lots of families were enjoying the park. It also went through Great homestead and their gardens then down through Adrenalin forest. The trail finished at Porirua railway. As no trains are running due to li