Miscellaneous local rides

It’s been a while since I last wrote up a blog post. We have been biking, but it’s been mostly just local rides that we’ve done and written up before, and there is no point in repeating myself. Still, John took a few interesting photos that are worth sharing.

On 9 February, we biked Te Ara o Whareroa, between Paekakariki and Raumati, and along the way we found that several new seats had been installed alongside the track.

Two seats just before the track climbs (photo by John)

At the top of the rise, near the tram track crossing, there is now a picnic table
as well as a seat (photo by John)

A little way past the Aeromodellers’ airstrip there are a further two seats (photo by John)

And two more closer to the Raumati end of the track (photo by John)

A few days later, on 23 February, we biked along the Wellington waterfront, from Oriental Parade to the cruise ship terminal. We rode past the site of the Statistics NZ building, where I worked on a short-term contract in 2008. However, the building was a victim of the November 2016 earthquake, and had to be demolished. It stood empty for a year, but now it's gone.

The site where the Statistics NZ building once stood (photo by John)

The etched glass panels of the walkway opposite the Stadium create interesting shadows
 (photo by John)

When we had coffee at Karaka Café, we watched a class of paddle boarders
 on the Frank Kitts Lagoon (photo by John)

On 1 March, we biked from Mana to Plimmerton. After lunch at the Big Salami in Plimmerton, we rode to the end of Moana Road. The last house usually displays a mannequin in the upstairs window, which is clad in some interesting outfit – often related to a topical event. A couple of years ago, John took a photo of her in a 1930s outfit, to celebrate Napier’s Art Deco weekend.

The Mannequin in an “Art Deco” outfit, February 2016 (photo by John)

This time the lady who owns the house was out mowing her lawn, and we stopped to chat. She told us “My name is Liz Quinn, and that – as she pointed at the mannequin in the window – is Manny Quinn. Get it?” She said that she and Manny Quinn shared her wardrobe, and that she liked to dress her appropriately. On this day Manny was wearing a summery outfit of beach shorts and bikini top, to celebrate our lovely hot summer.

Diz and Liz discuss “Manny” in the window (photo by John)

On the way back along the Plimmerton beach front, I spotted this charming letterbox

On 3 March we again biked Te Ara o Whareroa, and this time we were amused at the behaviour of some cattle, which were standing in a wetland. First they were in a cluster, but gradually, they formed themselves into a line and advanced together. When we came back 20 minutes later, they were still standing in the water.

First they were in a cluster … (photo by John)

… then they formed themselves into a neat line (photo by John)

In the last couple of weeks we have done some serious rides. These blog posts are coming up shortly!