Afternoon mountain wander

working dog!

You're 1600 feet above sea level in the middle of nowhere....

We decided that the road surface was a bit too rough from here on!

 But the woman driving the parcel company van thought otherwise...she was coming up from the other side...and not hanging about either!!

We saw someone on a gravel bike going the other way.....and after we turned back,saw a runner on his way too!

We started from Pen y Fan pond, an old reservoir with seats and a cafe and car park, not far from the village where Carpenter and family live...most importantly going there by car cuts out a considerable hill!!

An old friend, a hairtrim and walk with views

achievements...

Yesterday I went to the Arts Society in Te Aroha- there were about half a dozen women there, not so many as usual as it is nearing the end of term, and next week they will be hanging the christmas exhibition of paintings.

Various media were being used, oil, watercolour, oil pastels and acrylics, and I did a drawing in ink and pencil of the view through the front window. Surprisingly most members seem to be originally from the British Isles, and all have been here at least twenty years. However they are all of the lend a hand and share mentality, not the do it the British way wherever we are sort!!

While I was doing that, The Pirate walked to the top of the mountain with T's labrador dog!!
He had good phone signal on the way up, so I knew of his progress...but signal disappeared on the way down....a combination of the company and the clouds. (my signal was fine)

He couldn't tell me that it was steeper than he remembered at the top...so it was a good thing that I wasn't with him!!     He couldn't tell me that he was having problems with his reactolite spectacles-as soon as he went back under trees he couldn't see.
He couldn't tell me he was taking much more time coming down than expected.....so I was sitting in the Domain (park) for an hour longer than expected....more sandfly bites on my legs.

We both slept well last night...and the dog did too!!

a walk above and below Te Aroha

No, not a flying saucer landed, but a building...after being built it was found to be partly on Maori land.....so to keep it, it is now an Eco study centre.

This is how big a Gum tree should be!

The old fire station-note the old bell on the right!  They use this and the new one too (out of shot on the right)

the walk up to the cafe on the Domain (= public park in NZ)

Erm....looking UP.......

Nice gravelly paths to start with.....

following The Pirate, going up.....

and up even more, with sets of steps.....

and getting narrower and rougher, between huge trees.....at one point I'd had enough, but was persuaded to carry on by two farmers- dressed in singlet, shorts and gumboots (and on the way to milking after a walk) who said it was only 5 minutes to the viewing platform.....15 minutes walking along a narrow zig-zag path with rocks and roots, and a steep drop on one side....

looking down to the Waihou river and Te Aroha racecourse
and a few minutes further....

Just what I needed to instill confidence!!

Yes, 335 metres....only 600 to the top.....

A good view over Te Aroha town and the Wetlands reserve.

The walk down was better, I still wasn't 100% happy- I'd sweated buckets on the way up!   We came down past a Kauri tree..these used to be all over New Zealand, now they are protected, and items can only be made from re-cycled Kauri wood.

Then we were down by the geyser....

The only natural soda water source in the world....I think we were there too near 2pm.....

I felt a bit tired by then too!

Somehow I think I'll be staying down in Te Aroha the town, rather than going up Te Aroha the mountain!!  We'll have to find another for us, not QUITE as steep/sheer going!  The Pirate walked up there four years ago, and would love to take me all the way to the top, to see both sides of the Island...but I'm not sure if I could manage another 90 minutes or more going up.....

Good Morning!

I've been trying to find the translation for Te Aroha....and looking at the Maori online dictionary I found this....

• aroha

  1. (verb) (-tia,-ina) to love, feel pity, feel concern for, feel compassion, empathise.
  Aroha ana ngā tangi a ō mātou wāhine (HM 4/2009:1). / The crying of our women was heart-rending.
  2. (noun) affection, sympathy, charity, compassion, love, empathy.
  Tērā tātau e rongo kei te tuwha haere a Henare i ana hipi, i ana kau ki a Ngāti Porou, hei kaihaukai māna ki tōna iwi, he nui nō tōna aroha! (TP 7/1900:8). / We have heard that, because of his charity, Henare is distributing his sheep and cows to Ngāti Porou as feasts for his people. See also aroha nui.

• aroha mai

  (verb) sorry, I'm sorry, my apologies - a modern usage.

• aroha nui

  much love, with deep affection - often used in signing off letters to friends. See also aroha, nui.

• arohanui

  (noun) with deep affection - often used in signing off letters to friends. More correctly, it should be written as two words, aroha nui.
  
  
  Te is the equivalent of The.
  
  
  It is the name of the mountain,  and also the town founded in the gold rush, about 1830.
  
  edited to add- thanks to Susan Heather (see comments) I now know that Te Aroha is the Mountain of Love.

a day alone

The weather is almost Summery here today.

Look, shadows!

and more...

The sun is picking out the colours on the slopes of Mynydd y Llan

but that  light does show that there is rain in the offing.

I'm reading others writing of rain and gales , looking at the forecast and thinking "not again"...I could do with a week of this, not a weekend!!

The kiln is gaining temperature well, not too fast as it is a well packed bisque and I want it fired evenly.  
With luck I'll have light enough for a good walk when it is done.

I'd love to have company to go up the mountain again, but it looks like I'll be by myself, just like the rest of this busy Springcleaning day.