Hi... Have you missed me? Well here I am again.
I have been really busy moving my Dad from his villa
in a retirement village into the rest home part of the complex.
It's been an emotional time for both of us... Dad, giving
up some of his independence to be looked after more
and I have been emotional about dismantling the last of
the old family home. But I have had a few days off and have
been out and about to take my bus for a run.
I took a friend for a ride in my home on wheels. We went
to Spencer Park. I used to go there as a child for family
picnics. In my memories it was a huge park but now it
seems small. I think part of it has been sectioned off to create a
camping ground which has 242 sites. Spencer Park is on
the east side of Christchurch... An area that was badly damaged
in the earthquakes. The land has sunk considerably and large areas
red stickered... Means people can no longer live there and homes
will be demolished. Huge amounts of water lying everywhere...
The land is reverting back to it's original marshlands. Ironically the
suburbs out there are called Marshlands and Brooklands... Which is
a bit of a clue to what it was like before it was 'developed' into housing.
Since I was last there 50 years ago a road has been built around
the park and parking and picnic areas defined.
It's well established with trees... Needed to break the
strong easterly winds that prevail.
We walked to the beach... Through the trees... Over
the sand hills...
A great place to go and collect firewood when I run short.
There are well formed and sign posted
walking and biking tracks...
Here you can see some of the swamp and marshes...
Lots of flaxes...
And the beach... Long and covered in drift wood...
Stretching south...
And north... An uninterrupted sandy bottomed beach.
I have to to tell you this as I have a fishing friend who
tells me there is nowhere to kite or long line fish in the
south island... But I think this would fit the criteria...
Except for the temperature... A cool 5 degrees!
There were lots of information boards. Here you can
see the park and the camping ground at the bottom.
I discovered some interesting things... This Brooklands Lagoon
which is a large area stretching from Spencer Park to the
mouth of the Waimakariri... Good fishing there...
Walkways all around it.
And on the south side of the park... Bottle Lake... A large
pine plantation with, as it says below...
Great recreation facilities.
It's a place I will go back to... In the summer when it's
warmer and much dryer underfoot.
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