So after realising a Sunday morning sleep-in was not on the agenda I headed to Cornwall Park which is about 10 minutes from home and where you can find One Tree Hill, which sadly is more like 'No' Tree Hill after an activists demonstration back in 2000.
I arrived just after the park opened, at about 7.15am and it's a lovely time to be out as it's not too hot and you're not fighting any crowds. Though there is a unusual amount of pressure being the first person to park in a large, unmarked car park as wherever you choose to stop sets the perimeters for everybody else for the rest of the day and frankly it was stress I didn't need..draw me some lines people!!
The path I took goes around the base of the hill, through some lovely patches of land and one of the prettiest places in Auckland (I think) which is Twin Oaks Drive.
There are cows out with their calves at the moment but not much else to see in terms of animal spotting. There are usually sheep but they seemed to be hiding today - as sneaky sheep tend to do.
Going to the top of One Tree Hill is one of our favourite little drives and a lovely place to stop for an icecream. You get a full 360 degrees view of Auckland and is a very popular landmark for visitors to the city. I do plan to try and walk to the top over the next couple of weeks but I didn't have it in me today.
Back down towards the carpark and you pass the restaurant and information centre. This place will be humming in a couple of hours and is one of the best places in Auckland to have high tea.
It was a very frustrating end to the walk when I found my little map app hadn't tracked properly. It's hard to get reliable free things these days *sheesh* So no stats but I'm sure it would have been slow and steady as is my pace of choice.
Maybe it was just too warm for the sheep--remember, they are wearing wool coats in the middle of summer. By the way, gorgeous views--a lot nicer than the ice and snow covered shrubbery where I live.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little jealous of your ice & snow though I'm sure that would be short lived if I was actually in it :)
DeleteSounds like a lovely Sunday morning walk. I'm impressed with the 7.15 start! I would be lucky to get there by 11 on a Sunday morning. I remember seeing signs for One Tree Hill but never got there. It rang a bell as there was a show on here at the time with the same name! Take care of that sunburn!
ReplyDeleteMy walks are sometimes like a soap opera - I easily fall in love with guys that run past when they're wearing yummy cologne/deodorant. By the time I get to the car we've dated, picked out curtains, married, had 5 kids and retired to a deck overlooking the family lake.
Delete7.15 was very rare ;)
Hey! It seems that not only your muscles are hard at work during the walks but your brain too! LOL :-p
ReplyDeleteMostly my imagination ;)
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