Toutouwai, North Island Robin at Bushy Park. These little birds are such cuties, and so tame! 🐦
At Bushy Park near Whanganui, this huge Northern Rātā: Height 39m; Diameter 3.72m; Girth 11.70m. Detail shows a plant growing on the tree.
Given it’ll be winter, and ski season, I jumped in while a room was available and booked my next long weekend holiday for early July at Tongariro National Park. I don’t ski, but everything will soon be booked up by those who do. I plan to do some <5 Km walks.
The Veronica Loop Track in Egmont National Park is ~3.5 Km long, with an elevation gain of ~240 metres. This ‘moderately challenging’ route about killed me! On the map below I started with the right-hand side of the route and the elevation map: 1.4 Km of steps going straight up!
Feature request @help : after editing a Post via the web interface can we have a link to go straight to the published post please?
Actual Kiwi (the birds) are rare in Aotearoa New Zealand and sadly hard to find. At least on Taranaki Mounga, although I didn’t see or hear any, I was alerted to their possible presence.
An OK read: Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam (Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) by Jennifer S. Alderson 📚. This was free — I haven’t read the others in the series and probably won’t. Some very unlikely events.
Not great. It all seems very stuffy, old-fashioned and rather unlikely. The Death of Amelia Marsh (Sally Nimitz Mysteries Book 1) by MaryJo Dawson 📚. Just not my thing, I guess and it was a mistake to buy it.
I’m only just this minute home from holiday, but look at these wonderful tiny pink fungi I saw at Bushy Park near Whanganui.
Steps going up Veronica Loop Track with Taranaki Maunga rising up behind. Don’t know why it’s sideways. I’ll correct that in a day or two. Update, 18-May-22: photo orientation corrected and alt text added.
The almost 4 Km Veronica Loop Track at North Egmont National Park took me a bit over 2 hours and left me beyond knackered! The first half was steps all the way up. The second was tricky track. 211 metres elevation gain! Amazing though.
They’re serious about not letting dogs into Egmont National Park. 🐶
You get the best views from half way up the mountain at 1150 metres (probably, if it’s not pouring with rain).
I was hoping to walk a couple of 1–4 Km trails today at Egmont National Park, Te Papakura o Taranaki. However, this region’s under a Heavy Rain Warning and my plans have switched to visiting a couple of cafes and relaxing.
Mountain shaped ginger chicken at Siam Thai restaurant in New Plymouth. Super delicious.
Taranaki mounga is enormous! Very imposing from the surrounding countryside.
Here’s one of our friendly neighbourhood horses enjoying the warmth of dark ground on a chilly morning.
The first episode of CW ☛ Naomi was very interesting and enjoyable. Thanks to Winding up season 1 of Naomi - Old Ain’t Dead for cluing me in to the show. I thought I was bored with superheroes, but I’ll be watching more of this one. 📺
I have a rare holiday coming up: 4 days visiting Egmont National Park for some short walks, sightseeing and photos. Guess I’d better pack rain gear. 😒
