Category: Not Walking

At the end of the John Muir Way, we caught a bus to Edinburgh and walked about 4km  to the Northumberland hotel. Our packs felt very heavy after 11 days of only carrying our lunch and raincoats.

We wandered the streets for a couple of days together, checking out the National Museum, and walked around the Edinburgh Castle. This castle is used by the Royal Family regularly and holds the Crown Jewels, not the family jewels.

I also visited the Surgeons museum which was filled with sample of various body parts, usually diseased or broken. I found it very interesting but I could see some very quesy looking people around.

August is the busy festival month but July was busy enough for us after 6 weeks walking quiet trails.  The city was busy preparing for the 100s of events. Roads were  closed off and scaffolders and people in hi viz clothing were busy working to get the city ready. 

August brings  the famous Edinburgh Tattoo.  It is a  show that us repeated many times through the month and  lasts for two hours, featuring a dynamic blend of Bagpipers, Marching Bands, military demonstrations, and mock battles. I am not sure why it has the same name as permanent designs on the skin. The English language is very confusing.

Kay caught an overnight bus to London a couple of days before her flight back to New Zealand. There had been train and bus strikes and a global Microsoft breakdown while we were here  she didn’t want to risk missing her flight home.

I then moved to stay with my granddaughter, Hope, and her fiance, Daniel. They have been away from NZ for over 6 months now, so I was pleased to see them both. They both have good jobs and are settling into life in a first-floor apartment in a big city, which is only about 15 minutes walk from the city centre.

I visited Garry’s niece, Natalie, and hubby Paul and met their gorgeous 3 year old daughter,  Polly.  The last time I saw them was in about 2007 when they had recently arrived I Edinburgh. We talked and talked, even when Polly said, ” No more talking.”

I also caught up with Billy who had worked with me in New Plyouth quite a few moons ago. He now sells $600 shoes in a tiny wee shop in the heart of Edinburgh.

I also visited some old haunts of my son Dean’s and friend Megan. They looked at my photos and said that not much has changed there in 20 years. Mind you, that is a small period compared to the age of Edinburgh. Evidence of a Mesolithuc camp has been found, that dates back to 8500 BC. So it us a very, very old city indeed.

Two nights in Penrith and three in Glasgow, then 2 in Helensburgh gave us a good time to rest and recuperate  wash our clothes and sort our plans for the next walk.  I visited the local libraries to do some online work, and we shopped the op shops mostly.

In Glasgow we took a hop on hop off tourist bus as it was cold and wet, and we had done enough walking. We hoped off once but generally just enjoyed the humorous commentary by the tour guide. We learned that Glasgow was built by the wealth created  by the tobacco trade, which used a lot of slave labour. They are not so proud of that these days.

We stayed at a hotel in  Kevin Grove in the city centre very close to the museum.  Glasgow is an arty and musical city, unlike myself.

We had already made the decision not to walk the Kentigern Way after reading g that the signage could be a bit confusing. We had had enough of that already.

The promised heat wave was not going to be forthcoming and the idea of walking in the rain in Scotland without having booked accommodation did not please us.

We spent a lot of time on the internet trying to work a plan for the John Muir Way, which goes across the country from Helensburgh on the East to Dunbar on the West. 134 miles or 216 km, it will take us 11 days of walking about 20-30 km a day. 

In the end, we signed up for a self guided walk with Macs Adventures. Kay has used them previously and said they were good. This means that they organise the accommodation with breakfasts, they transport our gear from hotel to hotel and provide a daily plan for us. Their app had all the directions and instructions, so we just have to walk. It costs a lot more, but we didn’t want to be trying to find somewhere to sleep after a day walking in the rain. We were both relieved when it was booked.

After 2 nights in the city, we moved  to an airbnb out at Paisley  which is a town in its own right but  part of the greater Glasgow city.  As we had all day to fill in and were feeling that we had been a bit lazy, we decided to walk out there. It was only 13 miles or 21 kms. It took us 6.5 hours.

So off we went with our raincoats on as   cold squally showers were  predicted all day. And for once they got it right. 

The walk was interesting as we got to see many different parts of the city in detail. We basically  walked for 6.5 hours along the main arterial route across the city, going  from one set of little local shops to the next.  We took cover  from the rain in shop doorways, petrol stations, police stations, and whatever else we could run to when the heavens opened.

Each group of shops, about 1km apart, had at least one barber shop and one or two hairdressers. They were all busy and made me think that hair was very important to these people. More important than coffee even, as we struggled to find a cafe along the way, eventually finding one run by a church group that sold cheap coffee and pastries, was warm, and had a toilet. That was just what we needed.

In the  19th century, Paisley was a global centre of the weaving industry, giving its name to the Paisley shawl and the Paisley pattern. A young Queen Victoria wore shawls made here, so just like the influencers of today, this helped make the local garments sought after around the world. This declined in the 20th century with the last mill closing in 1993. I remember making Paisley dresses in the 1970s having no idea where the word came from.

We both liked this place as the  buildings were all old but more spaced out. The history was evident as there has been churches there since the 6th century.

 There are about 50 churches in the city although some have been converted to apartment buildings or put to other uses such as thd Art Centre.  The civic buildings were magnificent too, made with huge columns and very ornate decorations.  Flash buildings like those always make me wonder how the many poor working families felt when comparing them to their basic cottages with outdoor toilets.

We were there for  the annual celebration of Sma’ Shot Day. There was a parade down the main streets followed by the burning of an effigy of a “cork”  . It celebrates the historic victory of local weavers in a dispute with their employers, the manufacturers, known as “corks”

Our airbnb was the ground floor on the left of the photo below. It was very pleasant, if not minimalistic.  Only 2 coffee cups but 12 wine glasses!

I took the opportunity to cook some proper veges and try out the pies in a can that we had been seeing in the supermarkets. Take off the lid with a can opener then cook in the oven. The steak and kidney pie was surprisingly very nice and only £2.50. My bag of veges was £1.

These Brits really do like their statues, and so do the birds. But we  noticed that the birds weren’t too keen on Queen Victoria as she had none of the proverbial running down her head, whereby the local statemen were covered in bird poop. Go figure that!

Some of you have been asking me what I have been up to so here is a little post to bring you up to date.

After leaving New Zealand in early April, I arrived back on 1 October 2023, after my trip to Nepal and Australia.  I had been away from my house for over 2 years at that stage, so was pleased to be back. I walked in and unpacked my bag as though I had only been away for a week. Nothing had changed except  the fruit trees had got bigger.

My calendar was prepopulated with Granny duties well before I arrived back in the country.  So I had some busy days with active toddlers followed by some lazy days recovering.

I am doing about 10 hours accounting work online each week for my cousins business, which fills in some time and tops bank account. Being 65 I now get the Old Age Pension which all New Zealanders are entitled to, no matter what their assets are or income is.  It is not enough to do more than basic  living but I have always been cheap to keep. The work helps fund my adventures before dementia sets in.

I did a couple of 3 day tramps over this period namely  Pouakai Circuit with Kay in early December 2023. We had three days to walk the 25km track through forests, alpine tussock fields and the unique Ahukawaka Swamp. I had done this tramp numerous times when I lived in New Plymouth but this was Kay’s first time. This track has become very popular over the last few years so there have been some good upgrades to the track.

It was cold up there on that mountain but Holly Hut had a good supply of firewood. We had been told that there was no firewood at the next hut, named Pouakai. That would mean a miserable evening there. So I asked or encouraged or bullied? everyone into carrying a few pieces of wood with them. So we had a good roaring fire and even left some wood for the next lot of trampers.

Tramp to McKinnon Hut in Ruahine Forest Park

I did a 2 nighter up in the Ruahine Ranges later in December with 4 others. Friday was a walk up a river crossing it 22 times followed by a final crossing on a cableway high above the river, and then up to Kawhatau Base Camp for the night. The track was quite overgrown and there was a lot of stinging Ongonga weed that needed to be cleared.

The next day we went back and did a lot of work on the landing spot for the cableway making it much easier to get on and off.

Saturday was a 1,000m climb up into the Hikaurangi Range to McKinnon Hut. I huffed and puffed the whole way up, definitely not so fit! But the others were clearing the track as we went so I didn’t hold anyone up. It was so nice to be up on the tops again.

Sunday was all downhill until the river. I spent a fair bit of the time on my bum on the steeper parts.

June 2023 to September 2023

After months travelling and not working I knew i would need to top up my bank account again. So I took up my cousin’s offer of work at his accommodation complex in Western Australia. I flew out Kathmandu, Nepal on 15 June 2023 heading to Perth.

I have always enjoyed the bits of work I have done outside of my usual Accounting roles. The best job I have had was planting tomatoes in Bowen, Northern Queensland, in 2005. Being outside, not having to tax my brain too much, and without a computer in sight is good fun. I am sure it isn’t what I would want to have to do for the rest of my life but I enjoyed the 2 months there.

So I am hoping that 4 months as a general dogs body at a complex that caters to about 100 workers will be similar. The guests are miners, road workers, farmhands; all dressed in Hi-Viz overalls, driving tough vehicles covered in red dust and working shift work. So it is a very busy place with beds to make, bathrooms to clean, clothes and linen to wash and dry, meals to prepare, dining rooms to clean and a lot of outside work and repairs and maintenance going on.

Cousin Evan and his wife Gaylene went over to Australia 40 years ago to shear sheep and have stayed there ever since running shearing gangs and accommodation for them. When the mines opened up they switched from shearers and Backpackers to the much more lucrative miners.

I had only met Evan a few times over the years as he grew up a long way from my family, and I had never met Gaylene.  But we got on well from the minute I arrived. Gaylene’s choice of language is very similar to mine so I felt relaxed with them very quickly and we fast became good friends.

I was put on the roster for housekeeping, laundry, and  kitchen hand duties.  That first week was very hard work, bending, lifting, sweeping, washing mountains of dishes, and scrubbing huge pots and pans, chopping boxes of vegetables and even sewing curtains for up to 12 hours a day. I was knackered, to say the least! But this would be a good way to lose some weight. When I am at home, in a “normal” life, I put on some weight. When I can no longer fit my jeans, I take off for a damn long walk so the weight falls off. Days of housekeeping would give me the same result, so I was happy.

However, Gaylene soon found out I was an accountant, so she very quickly handed over all the office work to me and took me off the housekeeping roster. So there I was chained to a desk and computer 12 hours a day, 7 days a week  after expecting to make a few beds and chop a bit of broccoli!

In reality, I was quite glad and enjoyed getting the office sorted out and installing a new accounting programme and booking system. There was nothing else to do as my meals and accommodation was provided and we were miles from anywhere. There was one local shop, a sports club and a school in the town. Nothing to do outside of the office so I just worked. Two nights a week I did 5 hours in the kitchen just to remind me of the hard work I was missing out on.

I had thought I would find myself a rich miner while I was there, but the men my age all looked too old and worn out, and the young guys weren’t interested in me. So I lucked out! However I did manage to have dinner with Richie McCaw, who is one of New Zealand’s most famous All Blacks. That was a fun weekend away in Melbourne which I hadn’t visited for many years. I also went to my first Aussie Rules Football game.

It was a very busy place and I am full of admiration for how hard my cousins have worked to create their village. They work very long hours and have little time off. A few times I was given “day release” so took a vehicle and explored the surrounding area. I found a couple of walks and drove 60 km to buy a pie. This area is known as the Wheatbelt and it was the canola season while I was there so the fields were full of vibrant yellow flows as far as I could see.

Gaylene and I also had a day release and drove into Perth to watch the Barbie movie. That was a good movie as I had no idea what it would be about and was pleasantly surprised.  I had no idea that Ken had been treated so badly and what silly bitches those Barbies were. I am glad I didn’t have a  Barbie. Barbie is the same age as me, but looking at her figure,  I am sure she has done more damn long walks than  me.

I spent 4 months at the village and also some time with my son and his family in Perth. Cameron has a nice boat so did a trip over to Rottnest Island, a 19 sq. km protected nature reserve, 30km across the sea. The rich go over on their boats and moor in one of the many bays. Others take a ferry over.

The day we went over was windy and Cameron warned me that the sea would get rough when we left the shelter of the river and Harbour. I was mostly excited about this and chose to sit up on top with Cameron to really get the experience. The others were sitting safely down below.

As the sea began to get a  rougher I realised I needed to go to the toilet.  Cameron was not impressed, growling at me for not going when it was calmer. My bladder and bits and pieces down there are getting close to their “best by date,” so I had to go. I fell over and crawled to the ladder trying to find something stable to hold onto. Cameron was yelling at me, that he wasn’t going to pick me up if I fell overboard, which wasn’t very comforting.

I made it down the ladder without being washed into the sea then  stumbled my way inside the cabin and wrested with the toilet door. I was very relieved, in both ways,  to be sitting down on the toilet!

I learnt a good lesson that day. When on a boat in rough seas I should pee before going up top.

We moored up for a couple of nights, using the dingy to go ashore. Rottnest Island is a wildlife sanctuary with lots of basic holiday homes and a few shops  and a pub. Everyone arrives by boat, bringing their food, bikes and everything they need with them.

I went over to explore the island  with my granddaughter, Rebecca and her boyfriend, Frazer. We landed on the beach then walked up over paths over the sandhill. At the top there was lots of people looking at the views and racks of bicycles which are the main mode of transport on the island. Frazer had brought a big bike lock over with him.

“Grab a bike and follow us.”  said Bec. They jumped on bikes and were off down the hill really quickly and I was a bit slower getting on the bike and taking off. Then I hear someone yelling out “Hey, that is my bike.” Bec is calling out “Granny, ride fast.” So off I went pedalling rapidly until I eventually caught up with Bec and Frazer. They were not very impressed with my bike stealing skills. I had thought the bikes were available the taking, like shared bikes.  Apparently they belong to a hire shop and the riders are given locks but don’t bother using them. Hence, these bikes become easy targets. We had a bike lock so managed to keep our bikes for the day.

So it becomes a bit of a bike go round. Your bikes gets stolen so you steal someone’s else’s. Periodically the  bike shop staff goes around and picks any stray bikes, return them to the shop  then hire them out to the next lot of unsuspecting  visitors.

I can add bike thief to my resume now.

I rode around the beautiful bays, being carefully to watch “my” bike  if I dismounted.

The island had been a penal colony at some stage so there was quite a lot of history there.   I met the kids at the pub for lunch and got up close to the native Quokka. The Aussies love these creatures, but I think it looks like a cross between a kangaroo and a rat.  I think  that is dubious mating and shouldn’t be allowed. The Aussies disagree but the word  Rottnest comes from Rats Nest so I rest my case.

I also caught up with friends who had abandoned New Zealand for the big money and sunshine of Western Australia. I can see the advantages and disadvantages.

I caught a bad cold a couple of days before my flight home to New Zealand. I coughed and coughed all night long, wishing myself a quick and early death. When they doctor asked about the reason for my visit I replied, “If I was a sheep they would have shot me by now.” She immediately recognised me as a New Zealander saying we all use that phrase. She gave me a course of antibiotics for my infected chest and some good drugs that allowed me to make the 7 hour flight home without coughing over everyone. I did wear a mask so as not to pass it on to anyone else. Since Covid anyone who coughs is looked at with repugnance. However I did hear a number of other people coughing away and was so glad it wasn’t me.

The day after I arrived home I dragged myself to my Doctor for another course of antibiotics. I had decided it wasn’t time to end my life by letting nature take its course. I still had a few dollars in the bank so could afford to carry on a bit longer. My car had been written off as it was completely flooded during Cyclone Gabrielle last February so I needed to buy a new car today.

I had a miserable walk to the Toyota car yard, gasping at every step and thinking the bullet may have been a wiser option. The “Son-in-Law Who Knows About Cars” advised me to buy a Toyota Corolla as they go forever and would definitely outlast my driving days, if not the rest of my life. I am sure he will be right as I probably have a maximum of 20 years of driving ahead of me and possibly not much more life left in me. My research indicates that with good care and maintenance I could get 400,000km out of her which is about 30 years driving for me.

I am sure I was the easiest sale they had ever had. When asked what I was looking for I told him I just needed to buy a Toyota Corolla now because I was too sick to walk home. They asked a few questions about my driving habits and recommended a petrol so that decision was made. I had been hemming and hawing over the hybrid/petrol/electric for months so was pleased they made the call. I was too sick to deliberate any more. I wanted a coloured car so I could easily locate it in car parks. But there was really only a choice of white one there that day. Seeing my disappointment they found me one with some extra red stripes so decision made all in less than 30 minutes. I just wanted to sign the papers, make a bank transfer and get home to bed with my car. (Obviously the car would be in the garage, not in my bed). The nice man said it couldn’t be ready until later the next day and when I told him that there was no way I could walk home he gave me a lend car. Job done.