When the Sun Shines Get Out and Enjoy!

I grew up hearing these words and they are ingrained in my whole being, so much so that in my old office working days I would feel like a caged animal on a sunny day. In those days Dan and I would live for every weekend and tag our three week’s annual leave onto all the long weekends to maximize our ability to get away ‘tramping’ (hiking to Brits!). Abel Tasman, Queen Charlotte Walkway, The Milford Track, Tongariro Crossing… happy memories indeed.

Last weekend gave us a glimmer of that old life. We are so fortunate to have so much beauty on our doorstep, but it isn’t always easy to just ‘go for a tramp’ with two preschoolers. On Sunday afternoon we went for a walk in the South Headland’s Reserve (see earlier post on Dan’s first visit). There are so many footpaths amongst the bush, with sweeping vistas of the Southern Coast. I was so tempted to push on and explore further, but dusk was falling and we couldn’t risk it with the girls. Next time we’ll start out earlier and pack plenty of provisions.

We carried Sophie in the backpack and Charlotte walked most of the way. It was my first exploration and I was so excited to find this gem on our doorstep. We’ve been living in Wellington for around ten years and even now we are constantly discovering new walkways on the many surrounding hills and each one brings a totally fresh perspective on this rugged, wild and stunning landscape.

And earlier in the day we visited the Island Bay Marine Centre again (see earlier post) and learned about Hermit crabs. Sophie remembered that a turtle had bitten her finger on her last visit, as she kept pointing to the turtles and then looking at her finger with her bottom lip a little quivery! She was quite relieved to get out ‘nip free’ and tuck into some morning tea!