The Star of Canada

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23rd November

Getting good at sorting myself out in the morning, it’s them best way to avoid a hypo incident in a walk is to straight out for my walk after breakfast. Having looked at a map yesterday I decided to follow the river to the botanic gardens and go to the museum and have lunch on the way back. It is a flat walk following a cycle path, so pack my normal water, snacks and glucose tablets. Left the campsite just before 10.

The first part if walk takes me along the sea from and past the docks, where they are manoeuvring another timber laden ship out of the harbour. I think they load one shop with every tide.

No need to use the railway line to cross the river today the river is the shortest in New Zealand at 1200 metres. The cycle paths falls short of the botanic gardens so I walk along the street for a bit, I gear the clock chime 11 o'clock. This may take longer than I thought , but I stroll along not really fussed about the time.

I get to the botanic gardens, have a wander around and decided that a break from walking is needed. Found a grassy slope under the shade of a tree, put my coat out, lay down, kicked my shoes off and had a snooze with my hat over my face to prevent any more burning. I am still red at the end of the day even though I am using factor 50 sunscreen.

After a while I have a snack and head of in search of the museum. I hear the clock strike 12 on my way. The museum has a cafe, so I will have lunch there. Get there and it is $5 entrance fee, not expecting as that is about £2.50. Have lunch of quiche and salad first, as I am ravenous ,that is what walking for over 2 hours does to you.

After lunch, I had all ok around the museum and was pleasantly surprised. There were the usual exhibits about James Cook and the early days of European settlers in the area and Maori exhibits and history.

In the next room I got the fright of my life, there must be a sensor near one of the exhibits and suddenly the wall slid away to reveal another room. I carried on through the museum and then did the sounding wall trick on the stairs as, I did not jump this time.

After viewing the secret room I went downstairs and found a room all about boating, diving and surfing history of the area. I rounded a corner and a door was labelled “The Star of Canada", I tried the door and it opened. I love the story behind this exhibit; The Star of Canada ran aground in the bay (in 1912 I think) and when it was salvaged a local man bought the wheelhouse and put on his plot of land and lived in it, and as his family grew he just added bits to the back of it.

Eventually a more permanent house was built on the site but his daughter continued to maintain but she does and it was eventually passed to the museum and relocated and is now exhibited as it would have looked when it was on the ship, along with things like light switches which had been added when it was used a house. I just love the resourcefulness of New Zealanders, why build something from scratch when you can repurpose a wheelhouse from a ship.

Time to head back to the van, I and been at the museum almostb2 hours at this point. I begin to think that I may have overdone it with my walk today, at least it was all flat. Thought I would treat myself to a coffee from the coffee van when I got to; but the already packed up for the day when I got there. A poor alternative was a can of orangeade from the camp shop when I got back. I was exhausted, too exhausted to even make tea.

Shoes off and feet up for while and generally taking in the sights and sounds of the seafront. Eventually I feel peckish so have the remains of a couscous salad. I even manage to make tea. I half heartedly thought about a walk along the beach in the other direction got to the first bench and sat down and that my lovelies was as far as I got. Spent a while taking the sights and sounds again and headed back to my van, made my bed up and climbed in, weary from my day.

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