What super power do you wish for?

That question can come up from time to time, usually as a 'getting to know you' type session, or a drunken conversation or maybe just for fun. I use it to also get a point across. It's litter. There is no need and my super power would be in the form of a litter monitor. Maybe I would drop in as the litter drops and vanquish the foolish people with some stunning ray of light….or maybe, as I do now, just pick the litter up and put it in a bin. 
I thought I was the only soul with this passion but it appears not. There are folks who got out more armed and prepared than me. Real super heroes. Take a peak at Instagram and the #DoNotLitter, look here in particular and join in, 

This litter was all piked up on a little stroll around Cornwall Park on a stunning Saturday morning,not too much, but still, no need. 

Walk 20 - Cornwall Park

On a real mission here and have pulled out the joker. I was hoping to leave this till much later in the challenge but here we are. 27 days left to pull out another 21 walks, it's gonna be close. This walk is a favourite and much repeated (so if I get really desperate expert to see repeats). I have written about One Tree Hill many a time, I still don't know enough about it's history and when I have taken visitors there I am totally embarrassed as to what to say other than hello another volcano with a great city view. I do know it's a soul restoring place in the middle of the city, farm animals, walkers, cyclists, runners, strollers, in fact all sorts of people all the time. A place that sells great ice cream, or a coffee, or if you really fancy sit a while at the restaurant in the park. (There may be a theme developing here). At this time of year there are lambs jumping about and you find yourself contemplating vegetarian recipes for a while. This was a walk to the summit, an easy walk using the road. When I say easy, I'm still puffing and panting. This is one of those places I can track my fitness by how well I manage the walk up and is also the place I'd love to be able to run all the way around (waiting on my neck to resolve a bit before I contemplate that malarkey - in fact should a 70 year old neck be running at all, maybe not).  So the summit walk this time, very popular Sunday morning spot with swarms of folks everywhere, the place was alive (maybe not the best description for a volcano). One Tree Hill is a room full of outside in the middle of a city and I love it.

Traditional lamb/sheep shot

Funnily enough Adam ahead

Trying to capture the 'crowds'
This is New Zealand remember

The feet that walked
The steps at the summit

Trying my best with an old iPhone
Is it time to upgrade I wonder

Still interested, One Tree Hill was one of the first places I wrote about on this blog, it's a great place to see the changing seasons, look here and here. It made an appearance as a top tip for places to visit  and has its own set on Flickr. 

Spring

 by KTandCoffee.

So spring is coming, the weather has been warm and sunny lately, though the rain has returned with a vegance the last few days. A wonderful place to see in the change in seasons (why I picked NZ rather than Oz to live in) is One Tree Hill or Cornwall Park. A great rural park very close to where we live. At this time of year the daffs are in full bloom and there are lambs, calves - oh and ice cream!

Maungakiekie

Maungakiekie, Cornwall Park or One Tree Hill. Either way it is only a ten minute walk to one of the entrances from my flat, so I frequently pop for a walk. I also walk home through the park after a night shift - I catch the free shuttle bus to the 'other' hospital which sits on the side of the park.

Cornwall Park was presented to the people of Auckland in 1901 by the city's 'founding father', Sir John Logan Campbell. Sheep and cattle graze, there are several broad avenues of various trees, the volcanic slopes rise to the summit of One Tree Hill, the site of Logan Campbell's grave and one of Auckland's most prominent natural landmarks.




The park has great walkways, marvelous kite flying spots, picnic areas and a lovely little visitors centre - Huia Lodge - that often has local artists work on display and for sale. There is also Acacia Cottage, a small building that has been moved to Cornwall Park and was a cottage that John Campbell lived in.



Most importantly there is an wide selection of ice cream at the coffee place (actually quite posh and very lovely looking - must go in sometime) by the visitors centre, so after my walk to the summit to sustain me round the park, I am - in the name of research only - trying all the flavours. Always with a waffle cone - I know how to live!!


Maungakiekie means 'Mountain of the Kieke Tree'. It is now topped by a single obelisk. There was a sacred totara tree that stood until 1976, this was replaced by a pine tree. The pine tree was attacked as a protest over felling the original tree. Despite trying to protect the tree with steel cables, the tree was removed in 2000 (after a chainsaw attack in 1999).




The park also contains the Stardome Observatory which I'm still to visit, but they do various 'shows' each night.