Manawatu

I was up early and off for a walk this morning. No run, I don't run 2 days in a row these days. It's flat, very flat and there are a lot of cows. I like cows but not as many as are stocked on land these days.

I walked past many roadside drains, some looked innocuous and others had suspicious froth. They're all polluted and carry it to the Manawatu River, once a mighty river with a renown trout fishery. These days you can't swim in it. I'm not sure if it adheres to the governments pathetic standard of safe to wade.

But all that aside it is beautiful. The sea is less than 30 minutes away, the Ruahines and Tararua Ranges are close by, and the active volcanoes Ruapehu, Ngaruahoe and Tongariro are visible on a clear day.

My walk and my morning were over quickly and before I knew it was winging my way home to Christchurch. My cousins shared another meal together giving the pizza oven a lunchtime work out.

Sadly I think I'll probably have to give the next get together a miss at Labour Weekend. I think I'll be sorting and packing in preparation to shift out for my second lot of house repairs.

I've had a wonderful weekend with my extended family and I feel very blessed.