Let’s just go for a little walk, we said. Let’s go up the hill a little bit, we said… If you know me it doesn’t take much to convince me to keep going a little further, which is just what we did today on the Fern Walk. The Fern Walk is about twenty five minutes from town up into the Pohongina Valley. Easy drive but you have to be careful not to miss the carpark on the right hand side of the road. It’s just past the Totara Reserve signage. The track is lovely and wide, lovely and flat. It’s pram appropriate till the first bridge, which is narrow to cross and has a couple of stairs at either end. Then, up until the start of the loop, it’s an easy amble with lots of spots to explore including weta hotels and various points of entry to the stream. The whole track is great for a baby carrier and for little adventurous legs. When the track turns into a loop we thought “we’ll go a little way up and then turn back…” but then it gets a little more difficult. If you don’t want to do the full 2.5 hour loop, stop here of just wander up the right hand loop at little way. Once we had started up the left hand loop, we realised it was easier and safer (not that it was dangerous per sae, just a little steep and stoney in spots) to carry on up and around - as per the sign’s suggestion. Toddler managed most of the uphill without falling off the edge... Well, of course he didn’t fall off the edge at all but half way up he began to get a bit too daring and oblivious to the edge so up into the backpack he hopped. He did really well at navigating the various sets of stairs and zig-zags. Near the top, there is a fallen tree that requires a few metres of crawling - or limbo if you’re game and bendy. Mr 2 and his mama managed to do it without taking the backpack off. He has just learned that treating his mum like a horsey is pretty fun so a horsey ride through the bushes was a great adventure (except for the bit where his head got a bonk on the way back to standing, whoops mama). Miss 11 was aggrieved at having to go all the way up. Her disgust was slightly moderated by Whittaker's 100 and 1000s chocolate (wow, amazingly amazing, imo!) but the harrumphing did continue until we reached the top. Then she bounded off and we didn’t see her until we got back to the start of the loop. At which time she let us know she’d been waiting basically for ever... love my tweenager. Once at the top, the track wanders along the ridge offering lovely glimpses of the valley’s beautiful podocarp forest - full of all the beauties: ponga, mamaku, kahikatea... the list is long - and a little side trip to a huge beautiful specimen of Northern Rata. This part of the amble was long but very easy. You could spend a lot of time up here but today we needed to be back in town for the afternoon.
The way down was similar to the Tawa Loop - pretty easy for little legs to navigate, wide formed track, a few sets of stairs and a little gravelly in spots but nothing terrible. In all the Fern Walk is a long one and next time I’d like to make sure we have all day free to take it easy and explore more slowly. Everyone had tired legs at the end and enjoyed a restful afternoon (and this Mama let the tech time happen guilt free!). I love being in the bush, it's real, free and a beautiful way to spend time.
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Today we took a circuitous adventure. It started as a backyard sit while I destoned apricots and my little one tasted them and went on mini adventures with his penguin and a car. Then little one asked for a walk. No reason not to. My big one was immediately displeased to be removed from the couch so every few steps we would implore me "let's stop and sit down or go home". "Just a little bit further" I coaxed. Bearing in mind, we were only five minutes and about 200 metres from home at this point! We ventured slowly down to the river pathway and eventually made it home 4 hours later with both children full of joy, enthusiasm and a little bit of remaining energy. Here in Palmy, our river, Te Awa o Manawatu, provides a varied adventure. Today we headed down to a river bank clearing between Ruahine and Rumahanga. While my big one stripped off and read her book, my little one threw stones into the gently moving water. A little further down the river we heard a splash. We looked over to see bubbles wandering over the surface of the water. Then a splish-splash again. We ventured down to have a look. We spotted four fish - fish colour with some white tinges! We waded into the water a little for a closer look. We watched for a bit (mostly me as my little couldn't see them and big one wandered back to her book). My little guy decided he wasn't quite sure about the water continually moving over his feet so he happily accepted a pick up. Soon he was ready for more rock plopping. We moved back upstream and left our fishy mates to it. Our little one threw more stones and encouraged us to join him. We looked flat stones and tried to skim. We will keep practicing before we can tick this one off the list...
Snacks snacked, drinks drunk and many stones sploshed, we headed back up to the pathway. We took a long route home along busy Napier Road and via Pita Pit for an unexpected lunch out and the supermarket for dinner supplies. The quietness of the river pathway is so pleasant and the busyness of the road so noticeable. Still, I was in pleasant company. We stopped by two playgrounds on the way home for a "wee" aka swing. We would have stayed much longer but our little guy needed more food and I was keen for some shade and more water! We headed out to the Green Corridors for an explore. A new track opened a while back but we hadn't done it yet. We didn't get as far as planned as it was a hot day. But we got our new pathway walked as well as another bit we hadn't done before. We ended with a splash in some wild water. We started out on Old West Road and little one was ready for snacks and a drink at the top of the first hill (literally 100m from where we parked). After fuelling, he popped on my back and we paced out. It quickly became a fast walk between bits of shade. Fortunately there isn't much roadway walk anymore with the grand new stairway and access sorted (Google isn't showing all the new additions yet). The big girls loved spotting the next orange markers in the next bit. A warning of the hairy one way bridge that comes next... we used the opportunity to do some teaching of important things - walking towards the traffic, walking on the outside of the corners, being quick (don't dwadle), be alert... things like that. We wandered up the next meandering meadow and stream pathway. Halfway along we stopped for lunch under a really big tree. A macrocarpa I think. It was great to see such an active trapping programme, I hope it's making a difference. At that point we decided to turn around, head back to the car and either drive further into the valley or splash on the stream. By the time we got back to the car, it was decided. Wild water adventure! Little one threw rocks (as per normal) and the big girls paddled, as did I. It was wonderfully restful and cooling. Picnic tea then happened at Caleano Park. We made our own burgers and brought them with us. We ate then all three of our lovelies explored the park. Our little one just wanted to swing. The big girls had a furtive play on the ship (they are old and cool, you see) and then challenged each other to swing highest, monkey bar the furtherest and use the other various bits of fitness equipment to show off their erm, buffness. We are not a family of athletes… there wasn't really a winner...
No matter their age, children find a way to play and have an adventure. You just need to give them time and the opportunity. |
AuthorI'm Kate. I have 3 children - 2 bios and a steppie, 1 under 5 and 2 tweenagers. I am determined to spend more time outside this year and share more of Palmy's wonderful places and free play activities. Categories
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