Point Dorset

It was another cracking autumn day in Wellington, so we decided to go for a walk around Point Dorset, on the Eastern side of the Miramar peninsula. We spotted some surfers in Breaker Bay as we set out, but they were just waiting for the big waves to come in, so we didn't manage to get any action shots of them.

Climbing to the peak from the entrance at the Pass of Branda, we came across the site of the Oruaiti Pa marked by a pou whenua:

A kingfisher flew past and landed on a stalk:

A man paddled past (far below) on his paddle-board:

The kingfisher kept following us:

Back down to beach level, and the waves were attempting to be spectacular, but not very successfully:

As we walked back along the street to the car, the kingfisher turned up again:

A Walk In The Park

Yesterday was a sunny, still day here in Wellington. The weatherman has promised us storms for tomorrow, and wet and windy weather for the rest of the week, so we took advantage of the lull before the storm and headed up into our back garden, also known as Wellington Botanical Gardens, which are just up the hill behind our flat.

There are several walks around the gardens, or you can just wander aimlessly. Although we set out to do the latter, we found ourselves unintentionally following the Sculpture Trail, with works by both local and international artists, including a Henry Moore.

We stopped off at the Lady Norwood rose garden, which is completely bare at this time of year, but should be more promising in a few months time. Take a look at this picture now and compare it to our next visit!

We also looked inside the Begonia House, which has tropical and subtropical plants growing in a classical Victorian-style glasshouse.

The herb garden was a bit bare as well at this time of year – hopefully it will spring into life more as the months progress, and I’ll be able to nip up there to grab a sprig of thyme or oregano for dinner. From the top we could see out to Oriental Bay, where some yachts were out – something that we hope to take up in the summer.