Rambling in Richmond

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This morning we set out with Robin and Sandra to take Nelson on his walk. We headed across the road and into Dellside Reserve which can be traversed via a number of tracks. We started out on the Jimmy Lee Creek Track along which we encountered a bird hide that has been set up for keen twitchers. We didn’t even have to take shelter in the bird hide to see a Tui. He was quite happily sitting on a tree adjacent to the bird hide singing for all the walkers who were out this morning.

Before long we had some of the inquisitive fantails flitting around in the bush beside us. Unlike the Tui they wouldn’t sit still for a photograph, but we still managed to take a few shots of these cheeky little birds.

At the Kissing Gate Robin, Sandra and Nelson turned around to head home, but we continued up over the hill ... reasonably confident that we would find our way back to Hill Street via another route ... eventually.

We met some other locals out tramping and they pointed us in the right direction to go up over the top of the hill. We had just taken the steps they had told us about when another group coming in the opposite direction asked if we were the Australians! They had been told to keep an eye out for us and to reassure us that we were going the right way.

We hiked up over Grassy Saddle where we were treated to amazing views over Richmond and Tasman Bay and, of course, those fabulous mountains again in the background. It was just a shame about the high tension lines overhead which made it a bit difficult to take a clear shot of the scenery.

From the heights of Grassy Saddle we made our way back down to Hill Street via Will’s Gully Track. At one stage we had a Weka stroll across the track for us so that we could take a photo. We finally re-emerged onto Hill Street, but we were about 200 street numbers away from Robin and Sandra’s house so we still had a bit of a walk before we could put our feet up.

We had a very lazy afternoon reading in the glorious sun before Sandra and I headed off to line dancing. I haven’t line danced for at least 10-12 years so I am glad that it was a beginners level class. At least I knew how to grapevine!

With Robin and Sandra winning Bolivia tonight the trophy is in the balance at three all.

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