A Walk in the Park.

On the first day of my holidays I took a walk in my new neighbourhood. The view at the end of my street is rather marvelous ; blue sea and white cliffs. You can see we are quite high up here. 

The red-hot-pokers are giving us a second display by the entrance of our walkway. Just like a firework.

Some of the posher houses on the other side of the street; old historical, colonial buildings with their gorgeous balustrades around their balconies. Very lovely and very New Zealand.

 

I walk to the old cemetery started in the 1850's. That's when there were wars between the Colonials and the Maori, fought with muskets and clubs.  And outbreaks of disease.

The cemetery is somewhat looked after, but a lot of the graves are in disrepair, tree roots have lifted and cracked the stones. It makes for a wonderful eerie atmosphere though. I have a quick look around and then make sure I wash my hands at the gate: burial places are "tapu" and you don't want to take that with you. Or so it is said.

On to the park, the Napier Botanical Gardens, which are right next door to the cemetery. Some very tall palms catching the late afternoon winter sun.

Large blue-green yucca plants, Napier grows these very well. They get big and old and sometimes grow a huge flower stalk several meters tall.

The light of these photos is a bit on the blue side because of the low sun in the sky.
This park is nicely set out and quite old. The trees are mature and tall, most with a name plaque.
I love the gnarly root system on the ficus tree.

Walking back home I get another lovely view of Napier and Hawke's Bay.
 I think we could really start to like it here by the sea.