Today we bussed into the city to meet fellow Bendites we were introduced to via e-mail by our mutual friends in Prineville. Katy & Steve are on a monthlong visit to the North Island of New Zealand and we happen to be in the same city today. We met at the Te Papa Museum cafe and spent over 2 hours talking about NZ, travel in general and back home (Bend)! It turns out they live only about a mile from us back home! Since we had never met before I used the old cardboard sign method of finding them in the crowded cafe!

I got some strange looks from some cafe patrons, but it worked and we found them!

We had a wonderful time and parted ways as the cafe was being closed down! Robert and I headed over to the grocery store and bought some food for dinner then bussed our way back to the B&B to grill our fish.

Monkfish grilled with lemon! The seafood (kaimoana -literally foodsea, or “food which has been gathered from the sea”) is awesome and fresh in this island nation!

Not such an early morning today, but we still had a long bus ride! We rode the bus all the way around Wellington Harbour, through Petone at the north end of the harbour and down the east side to Eastbourne, again to the end of the bus line. We had a short walk to the Wildfinder bike hire stand and collected our e-bikes for a ride around Pencarrow Head, the eastern land at the mouth of the harbour.

The view across the harbour towards the Miramar peninsula. We’re on the Rimutaka cycle trail!

After about a 30 minute cycle against a head wind we could see the lighthouses at Pencarrow head.

The upper Pencarrow lighthouse is the original, erected in 1858 and started operating on Jan. 1, 1859. the lower lighthouse was erected in 1906 because the upper one was frequently obscured by fog or clouds. The lower lighthouse is still in (automated) use.

We finally made it to the base! Now we have to kick in that pedal assist to get up the hill to the upper lighthouse!

It seemed less windy up on the hill!

Looking to the south over Cook Strait. It’s too foggy or hazy to see the South Island today. A lonely little sail boat is bobbing on the waves. A huge cruise ship was passing out of the harbour when we started. It’s long gone now!

Starting our 16km ride back we saw this concrete structure extending out to sea.

Then we saw this sign and understood the significance of the concrete structure, and it explained the smell at the lower lighthouse. Not too pleasant on an otherwise wonderful day!

We checked the weather, and double checked (considering yesterday’s storm) and were satisfied that today is the day to tackle the 10km Escarpment Track! We were up early, packed our daily supplies and caught the 7:23am bus to Wellington Station. We intended to catch the train to Pukerua Bay on the Kapiti Coast, but it was replaced with a bus for track maintenance. So our trip north took a little longer (and bumpier) but we finally made it to the start of the track, a part of the Te Araroa Track that traverses the entirety of New Zealand!

The yellow line on the sign map shows the track.

The bus dropped us off below the hill where the track starts so we had a little extra walking to do!

Last chance to bail! No amenities on the trail!

The view after you walk through a little residential area. The trail then follows next to the train tracks and is lined with kawakawa bushes. We picked a few leaves to chew while on the trail. They tend to be a little astringent, so it keeps you drinking water to stay hydrated!

Once on the track proper we looked back towards the tiny town of Pukerua Bay. Puke rua means two hills in Maori, maybe referring to the two sweeps of shoreline on the bay?

The first of two swing bridges, saved a lot of hill descending and climbing!

The track used to go that way, but a landslide (a mere ‘slip’ as landslides are called here) caused a temporary detour to be constructed. Posts and a rope railing to hang onto and pull yourself up were thoughtfully provided!

There were no end of hill descents and climbs! I quit counting stairs after 300. It is said there are over 500 stairs (I beg to differ, I would say more like 1000!)

The views are worth every step! Kapiti Island is in the distance.

Just over the summit of the track is this view, looking almost tropical!

About midway on the track there is welcome shade in small pockets of forest, otherwise you are out in the sun and breeze! It was fairly calm and we were thankful for some shade early on in the hike due to having started by 8:23am! By noon the breeze was picking up, we could see whitecaps on the water far below us!

Arriving at the end of the track in the small town of Paikakariki (pie-kaka-reekee), meaning parakeet perch. The parakeet being the kakariki, or New Zealand parakeet. We saw a few way up in Bay of Islands and thought they were an introduced species!

We covered 6.7 miles in 4hours, 15 minutes, over 16,500 steps according to my walking app! A short rest in Paekakariki and we boarded the train for a smooth 45 minute ride back to Wellington, a well deserved rest, and a grilled fish dinner!

A beautiful morning sent us out to town on some errands. It was clam, sunny and warm, unusually calm we’re led to believe, this being Windy Welly! We visited the waterfront on our walk around town.

We found the Paddy Fountain! We learned about Paddy the Wanderer at the Wellington Museum.

More beautiful murals in random places around town!

We headed home on the bus and none too soon! A ‘Wellington Southerly’ suddenly descended, the sky darkened, the wind whipped and thunder pealed! Then the hail came, pea sized pellets banged and crashed on the skylights and against the south facing windows! It was roaring! Our hosts messaged us to ask if we’re okay. They live up the hill from the bach we’re in. We messaged back that everything is intact down here! They replied “always a relief to hear things are ok after a Wellington southerly – it’s dramatic isn’t it – comes in with a hiss and a roar and the sky blackens – worst is over in the first quarter of hour or so”.  And so it was!

Hail covered the gravel driveway! There were still piles of hail in spots on the road the next morning!

Waikanae (pronounced why-kin-eye) is the end of the line for the Kapiti rail line out of Wellington. Of course we have to go to the end of the line!

All Aboard, track 4 to Waikanae!

We took the bus into the city, to Wellington Station and hopped the commuter train up the Kapiti Coast to the small town of Waikanae.

Enjoying the view through the big train windows.

The station at Waikanae is inland so we caught another short ride on the bus to Waikanae Beach.

Our first glimpse of Waikanae Beach between 2 Monterey Pines on the dunes.

The Kapiti Coast is named for the big island close to shore here, Kapiti Island which dominates the horizon. It is a pest/predator free nature reserve that is home to several native bird species that are thriving there. You can visit by special permit with Department of Conservation approved tour operators, for a hefty price! After walking the sandy beach, looking at the shells and driftwood tossed on the shore, we caught the bus back to the station. We caught a returning train and hopped off at the next town south, Paraparaumu (para-pa-rauw-moo) to check out the beach there.

Fishing boats were being pulled out of the water by cars and a tractor!

This town is a little larger, with more going on, mainly fishing boats returning. The boat was beached and a trailer was rolled down to it then a winch pulled the boat up onto the trailer. A car or the tractor with high wheels would then drive the boat away! Kapiti island is the backdrop.

Across the street from the beach was a familiarly named restaurant!

We meandered around town and finally caught a bus back to the station and the train back to Wellington. It was a nice smooth ride!