Delhi, darling?

In the days before we were heading to Delhi, the pollution/air quality was so problematic the schools were closed. This is a pretty rare happening in this city where poor air quality is a daily fact of life. I know our tour organiser Sarah, from All India Permit Tours was constantly reviewing our programme to counter this.  We had become used to a smog haze while we were in Mumbai, but when we finally landed in Delhi it was obvious this city was experiencing something much more extreme. As it turned out, while the air quality was bad and I remember it all too well, it didn’t really affect our visit – some people wore masks, but I didn’t ever feel the need to.

Sunset at Huymayun’s Tomb

What follows are my top five takeaways from my visit to Delhi.

Delhi is a city of two halves

On our short drive to our hotel, I was struck by a resemblance to Canberra the capital city of Australia to Delhi the capital city of India. This part of Delhi (technically New Delhi) is planned with wide tree-lined streets, and view shafts around the Gateway to India and war memorials. This is the area where the foreign embassies and the swanky hotels are located, and apparently had been spruced up ahead of the 2023 G20 Summit which was held here. 

New Delhi from the Imperial Hotel

However, when we headed in to “old” Delhi the next day any thoughts of a resemblance completely disappeared. This part of the city was more like the traditional parts of Mumbai, but because of its narrow lanes it was much more intense, and the traffic dodging skills that I had begun to develop in Mumbai were required three-fold here.

“Old” Delhi street scene

There are many amazing historical/cultural sites

Our first foray into the older part of the city, was to Jama Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa one of the largest mosques in India, which was built between 1644 and 1656. We were told to dress modestly, but despite doing this everyone (apart from the one man in our party) was still issued with Harry Potteresque cloaks for our visit. This magnificent mosque is obviously a popular place to visit for domestic tourists, and our group was a bit of a novelty. We watched people at worship, however there weren’t anywhere near the 25,000 people that this mosque can accommodate.

Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa

Huymayun’s Tomb and Museum is another must see, when visiting Delhi. It is essentially the precursor to the Taj Mahal (so predates it), with all its architectural features, but instead of being built in marble it is built in red sandstone. We had the added bonus of visiting it as the sun was setting, which added another dimension to what already is a pretty special place.

We also got to visit the Baha’i Lotus Temple, another superb architectural structure, albeit much more modern, having only been completed in 1986. Like Huymayun’s Tomb, it was surrounded by beautifully laid out gardens.

Lotus Temple

Unfortunately, our delayed flight to Delhi, meant there were other sites I would have liked to visit but couldn’t. I especially would have loved to have seen the Red Fort, but also knew I would be getting to see the Red Fort at Agra, so this would have to suffice. Other places to visit include India Gate, Gandhi Smriti (although I did get a Ghandi fix in Mumbai), Lodhi Gardens, and Akshadarm the Hindu Temple.

The shopping opportunities in Delhi are unique

We started our foray into shopping exploring the back streets and market laneways of Old Delhi. This was a sensory explosion for me, with the colour from the shops flowing into the streets. Weddings are obviously big business in India, and the laneways we explored were selling anything and everything that might be required for a wedding. I had to keep my wits about me as we were sharing the narrow laneways with motorbikes and rickshaws, as well as shoppers on foot, and people delivering goods both to and from the shops with piles of goods piled on their heads. There were a couple of opportunities to step out of the melee and take a breath and admire the architecture and see that people also live in the lanes beyond the markets.

We then found ourselves on a busy, but wider street and climbing into a bicycle rickshaw and heading into the noisy busy traffic chaos and on our way to the spice market. That sensory explosion continued as we made our way along the busy, narrow streets of the spice market. The spices were beautifully displayed, and the sheer quantity was eye-opening with spices like turmeric and cardamom displayed by the sack load. We were able to buy saffron for less than half the price we would pay in New Zealand.

Khan Market provided a real contrast to the markets we had been exploring the day before. The retail shops here were a joy to explore, and there was decent coffee!  

I spent money at our visit to fashion designer Pranay Baidya. Pranya was educated in New Zealand obtaining a degree in Fashion Design from the Design & Arts College of New Zealand. He now has his own label “Atelier Pranay Baidya”, which focuses on fusing old with new and supporting ethical fashion and embodying the cultural values of India.

I also bought books from Faqir – Chand & Sons Book Store. This bookshop is like nothing I have seen before. There were piles of books everywhere, and once again I was confronted with the organised chaos that pervades Indian life. To me the piles made no sense – I could see books I had read and was familiar with, but I found it difficult to browse through them. Fortunately, I engaged with the young man at the counter, and we discussed the Indian books I had read, and I bought two books at his suggestion as well as ‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey, which had recently won the Booker literature prize. Books in India are incredibly cheap, and these three books only set me back around $10 NZ!

It is home to the magnificent ‘Indian Accent’ restaurant

Like happened when we were in Mumbai and got to eat at Ekaa, we were in for another culinary treat when we got to try Indian Accent, which is within the Lodhi Hotel. Indian Accent has been on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 9 years, so we knew we were in for something special. We had the Chef’s tasting menu, and we were not disappointed. Everything was beautifully plated and tasted delicious too. As at Ekaa I had the vegetarian menu and wasn’t disappointed having options like kasmari morel musallum, with walnut dust and green chilli cream and cauliflower kofta, asparagus and smoked chilli curry. The coconut and jaggery brulé with ruby grapefruit pops was particularly special.

You can live like you’re living in the days of the Raj at the Imperial Hotel

While in Delhi we were lucky enough to stay at the Imperial Hotel. Staying in this hotel was like going back to the days of the Raj. We were initially greeted by uniformed Indian gentlemen, who were there to greet us every time we departed or returned to the Imperial. Inside the hotel this welcoming continued, with uniformed staff greeting you wherever you happened to go. The hotel, which was opened in 1936, is worth a tour in itself as it is set in an 8 acre beautifully maintained estate, is art deco in style with many chandeliers, polished marble floors, polished Burmese teak and over 5000 original art works. Even the gym was a thing of beauty!

Mumbai Madness

By the time our plane landed in Mumbai it was dark, and we were greeted by our tour guide, Sarah from All Permit India Tours and her local helpers. We immediately found ourselves presented with deliciously perfumed marigold garlands. This was not so good for my brand-new white t shirt, but as I was to find out Mumbai is not the worst place to cope with a stain!

Our arrival in Mumbai

I really didn’t get much sense of Mumbai on the drive in, as it was dark. However, Sarah gave us a lot of useful background against which we could absorb all that we would see, smell and hear over the time we were in Mumbai. She said she likes to start her tours there because while it has one foot firmly in the past, Mumbai is a city that is also firmly focused on the future and is the driver of India’s huge economic growth. While there we would bear witness to all of this, with much development of infrastructure going on, as well as observing communities who were living in poverty but with everyone wanting to get ahead.

Day One

Our first visit was to Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry, which was constructed in 1890. Stepping out from our bus for the first time, we were fully hit by the full impact of this bustling vibrant, noisy city. Dhobi Ghat is simply amazing, from the people wanting to sell us trinkets, to the huge line up of jeans hung out to dry and the sheer size of it. We watched as the dhobis went about their work, washing, hanging and bringing in their laundry. As I watched spotless white clothing being hung to dry I  knew there would be no problem returning my t shirt to its original pristine state, and so it proved to be when I put it out to be laundered.

From Dhobi Ghat we climbed back on our bus and headed to Malabar Hill and Ghandi’s House (Mani Bhavan). Once we were inside our guide gave us an overview of Ghandi’s life and impact on India and we were able to roam through the rooms and explore the items on display. One of the items that I particularly remember was a copy of the letter Ghandi wrote to Hitler, trying to prevent war. He was after all a man of peace.

While we were wandering the museum Sarah was in contact with a friend of hers, who lived in an apartment next door to Ghandi’s House, and as luck would have it, she was home and invited us to visit her for chai. This was a very special experience, and my first experience of chai – it was delicious, and I would have many more cups of this energy pick me up drink as I travelled through India. As our tour went on, we became familiar with and appreciated the very many contacts Sarah had – and which she was so willing to share.

Ghandi’s house was pretty close to the Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple which we visited next. Not only was this to be our first experience of an Indian wedding, it was also an opportunity to experience the temple’s beauty and gain an understanding of the importance religion plays in Indian daily life. As we toured through its beautifully decorated spaces, a wedding was beginning to play out, and people were praying at the shrines to the God they followed.

By now it was lunchtime and were in for a very special treat. Several of us opted to go with Sarah who had made reservations for us to go to Ekaa (which means “the one” and “unique”) for Sunday lunch. The restaurant’s Chef is Niyati Rao, who returned to India during lock down after a stint at Michelan 3 star restaurant Noma In Copenhagen. Niyati was named on Forbes 30 under 30 Food and Hospitality list in 2023, so you can imagine what we got to eat here was pretty special.  The food was sublime and as I had decided to go vegetarian while I was in India it was a great opportunity to see just how good a vegetarian diet could be. What I discovered was that I would not miss eating meat at all. The Sunday lunch menu aka the ‘Ekaa picnic menu’ meant we were able to try a number of the dishes on Ekaa’s menu and we were not disappointed.

That evening we headed to the cocktail bar at the Intercontinental Hotel just along from our hotel, the Trident at Naiman Point. We were there to see the sunset, but didn’t really see this because of the smog enveloping Mumbai. What we did get to experience was joining the throngs of people walking the promenade – it was very obvious we were far from New Zealand!

Day Two

This was to be our busiest day in Mumbai, and once again it did not disappoint. We had a very early, pre-dawn start and were taken to the Sasson Docks to witness the operation of the daily fish market. Security is pretty tight here as this where in 2011 the Mumbai terrorist bombers got access to the city through high jacking a fishing boat operating in international waters. We walked into the wharf in the dark, having to move quickly to avoid the many delivery vehicles that needed to get to the wharf, while avoiding the potholes and unseen fishmarket by products. On the way we saw many people selling fish (retail), and our guide identified the various species of fish on offer. On the wharf itself (where we were not allowed to take photos) to our eyes and ears it was total mayhem but once the guide explained what was going on I realised it could be more accurately described as organised chaos, as people bid for fish being thrown from the boats onto the wharf.

By now it was getting lighter and we boarded our bus to head back towards the centre of the city and Churchgate railway station, where we got to see how the tradition of daily newspaper delivery remains in Mumbai. We were able to observe up close the men sorting newspapers (5 different newspapers per household is not unusual here) that they would then deliver by bicycle.

Mumbai’s delivery chain was the theme of the day, and thus our next port of call was to the fruit and vegetable market. This was far from the Wellington Sunday market both in noise and scale! Again, it was organised chaos with the sheer size of the market and the diversity of the produce needing to be seen to be believed! I was interested to observe the high rise buildings that had been built around the market, and I suspect like many of the world’s traditional markets, this one will be shifted before too long for further development and gentrification of the area.  As we left I think all of us were affected by the big tuck of live chickens we passed but in particular the chickens that were hanging by their feet – still alive.  

The visit to the flower market that followed was quite beautiful, but still the same organised chaos! By now I was getting used to being stared at, and more nimble at avoiding both the people going about their ordinary business, and at dodging the traffic when that inevitable horn toot came.

Later that day we returned to Churchgate Station to watch the traditional Dabbawalas organise the delivery of some of the 200,000 lunches delivered daily throughout Mumbai. I was amazed this tradition, which relies on the wife making a full multi course lunch meal to be delivered to their husband’s work is still so common in India. I asked our guide what happened in her household? She then told the story of how she used to make her husband’s lunch in this manner, but then he told his mother that the meals she (his wife) was preparing weren’t as good as his colleagues, and how her mother-in-law approached her about the situation. She was livid that her husband didn’t approach her directly, so took the solution into her own hands and employed a cook to prepare his lunches. As a result she is no longer under any obligation to prepare meals, but I was surprised that as a woman with a full time job there was still this expectation to prepare any kind of lunch, yet alone a fully cooked meal with all the trimmings.

I had been following @insidemumbitours on Instagram since I first thought about going to India in 2018, so I was thrilled that our Dharavi Slum tour was to be with  Mohammed   of InsideMumbai Tours. We met up with Mohammed downtown at the railway station, and he whisked us expertly through the station to the platform and onto the train. We were lucky that it was not rush hour but it was hot, and the open doors meant we benefited from a pleasant cooling breeze. This was the same train ride that I had watched on Slumdog Millionaire, and indeed the Dharavi slum was where the movie was filmed. Mohammed’s view was the film gave a very one-dimensional view of life in the slum, and his aim was to give us a much more balanced view of Dharavi where he grew up and still lives. When we reached the station the noise, heat and sheer number of people was intense, but as Mohammed expertly guided us into the slum it became quieter and he was able to explain the economic activity that was going on and why he was so proud of what was going on there. We saw so much recycling and repurposing going on, and people working so hard in very cramped and with my western health and safety hat on, what would be considered unsafe working conditions. Despite the conditions there was a pervading sense of pride and purpose. I was particularly struck by the friendliness of the children as they happily played in conditions that would never be considered as acceptable by middle class parents of the west. These children looked happy and well, and there was no obesity in sight ( I did find myself wondering about what educational opportunities these children had) Our visit ended at the leather tannery, where leather products made in the slum were being sold. This was where I made my first purchase in Inda – a leather backpack that proudly displays its  Dharavi label. If you ever find yourself in Mumbai, I think a Dharavi slum tour with InsideMumbai Tours is a must. It is an experience you will never forget.

This full day was not over yet, as we still had our Mumbai Street Tour ahead of us! For this tour we had the same guide that took us on our Mumbai at Dawn tour, and we knew how good she was, so we looked forward to what she described as a tour of the different cultures/features of street food in Mumbai. Our first visit was to Pancham Puriwala where we got to try deep fried pastries (puri) which we then dipped in a range of sauces. Our next visit was to an outlet just opposite the main railway station, which was by now beautifully lit up. So we got to eat a delicious curry/paneer type mix in a sweetish bread bun (because I was captivated by the photo opportunities of the station I am ashamed to say I didn’t retain the name of the food stand). From here I began to lose the plot somewhat, partially because I was tired, but also because I was eating a lot – I am always someone who likes trying new foods, and am not so good at pacing myself food wise –especially when the food I was tasting was so delicious!  I know we ate cake at a traditional parsi/Persian café, before heading to another establishment opposite the Opera House with the most amazing looking sweet treats, but  also a resident guru who sat there reading scriptures out loud – confirming my understanding of how important religious devotion is in India. It was here that we got to taste my favourite food of the evening – pani puri, which you get to break into and fill with delicious sauces. Pani puri is quite simply a taste explosion. Finally we ended our tour with Indian kulti the traditional Indian ice-cream.

I loved my fleeting, action packed visit to Mumbai – we saw and did so much in such a short time. While our visit was short it mimicked the action packed nature of the city itself with its unique supply chains, the organised chaos of the city balancing its traditional ways of doing life, with its eyes firmly fixed on the future, and the economic opportunities available in a city with a population of nearly 22 million people.

#MarathonWoman

While I can claim to be a marathon woman having run the New York, Motatapu, Queenstown and Auckland marathons, the title really belongs to Kathrine Switzer who famously ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 1967.

She tirelessly worked towards women being able to run marathons and then to getting the women’s marathon into the Olympics, which finally happened in Los Angelos in 1984.

I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of Kathrine’s book ‘Marathon Woman’ by one of my workmates on my retirement, and I was thrilled when I opened it to find it autographed as follows:

Karin!

I hope retirement gives you lots more time for running! Be free…+ be fearless!

K Switzer 261 July 2024

(as she notes in her book “Authors were like gods to me, and to have a signed book was a treasure”)

How apt was it that I was reading this book during the Paris Olympics, and when I sat down to watch the Women’s Marathon which was being showcased as the last event of the Olympics, to see Kathrine Switzer start it and to see such a magnificent win with a sprint finish by Sifan Hassan – truly the epitome of a 261 Fearless woman.

Me fangirling Kathrine in April 2023

Targeting The Tongariro Crossing

I have been targeting the Tongariro Crossing for around 20 years. I remember discussing the possibility with a friend when I was in my early forties, and saying to her that I didn’t think my knees would take it. It’s therefore somewhat ironic that I finally got my opportunity to do this iconic walk twenty years later, aged 62. In 2016 I had an attempt at doing it when I travelled to National Park with a friend, but the cloud came down and the opportunity was lost. I was really disappointed.

Mt Ngauruhoe from the beginning of the walk

This time I decided to take a more relaxed attitude, saying to myself that if I got the opportunity I would take it, but if that didn’t happen I wouldn’t sweat things. After all in 2020/21 you know things you plan are quite likely not to happen and you just have to accept it. #planninginpencil has become my mantra.

While the weather forecast looked good, and I booked a shuttle for 7 a.m. I didn’t sleep well because I was feeling a little anxious that I didn’t have the right gear, particularly if it got really cold up there. I berated myself because I hadn’t brought my tramping boots nor my hiking poles. Was the jacket I had waterproof or warm enough? Thoughts of mountain rescues and people being caught up there with hypothermia all came to mind. Was I silly going on my own?

The view from my window that I woke up to

When I pulled back the curtains to a clear blue sky and not the early morning low cloud that was predicted, I knew things would probably be OK. Once I got into the shuttle, I straight away met a younger Scottish woman, Nicola, who was also doing the trip on her own, and we ended up walking together for most of the day.

It was cold at the start and I did need all of the layers I had brought with me – a merino beanie, a lined jacket, a merino hoodie, leggings under my tramping trousers and woollen socks – I didn’t use the woollen gloves I was also carrying. The trail starts on the shaded side of the mountain, but as soon as we got into the sun we warmed up and before long needed to strip off some of the layers. At this stage the walking is pretty easy with the path mostly being wide and firm. It did really feel like we (the 5 of us from the shuttle) we were Hobbits on an adventure to Mt Doom.

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After about an hour’s walk the steep bit begins. You are warned of this by life size ranger cutouts, making sure you know the gravity of what lies ahead. At this stage it can pretty much described as steps and more steps (its not known as the Devil’s Staircase for nothing) albeit with magnificent views back to where we had come from and to the plains beyond. Looking ahead you could see the path climbing ever upwards which you know you have to negotiate, but also incredible rock formations silhouetted against what was for me the bluest of skies.

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The path then levels out as you cross the South Crater and are rewarded with close up views of Mt Ngarahoe with its unworldly Mars like colours, and then once you have crossed the crater you are greeted with magnificent views across the Central Plateau.

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The hardest climb was yet to come, as you head up from the Mangatepopo saddle (where I mistakenly thought meant we had crossed the highest point). There aren’t the series of staircases here, the ground is unsteady and wind exposed too, so sometimes you are climbing straight up the slope and at others picking your way through rocky outcrops where the path was not clear. This meant you had to watch out for the way marker poles to ensure you weren’t going off course. I think this section of the track was where all my trail running on the hills was of benefit. I found that stopping meant that I felt the sharpness of the wind, but it also affected my balance and together with the narrowness of the path and the weight of my backpack, I was better to keep ploughing on. My fellow walkers, however, mostly found this section required resting stops.

Once we got to the top you could see the famous brilliantly aqua sulphuric lakes, which we then had to negotiate our way down to via a slippery scree covered slope. I find downhill surfaces like this really difficult, and I knew my hiking poles would have made this section of the track a lot less difficult. However I also knew I was making good time and so as everyone else went at a much faster pace, easily passing me, I just told myself to take things easy, and to lean back into the hill, and when I felt myself slipping to just go with it. I also reminded myself that I was unlikely to come back this way and that I needed to fully take in the surreal beauty of the surreal landscape on this part of the trail.

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From here you then cross the wide open surface of the central crater, and soon the half way point was behind us, and Te Wai Whakaata o te Rangihiroa or the Blue Lake was ahead of us, before we wound our way past the North Crater. It’s very easy to think at this stage that you are nearly done, as you feel the trail move to a definite descent with views towards Lake Taupo, but my watch told me we had a while to go.

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The path starts off relatively narrow with uneven footing, but obviously there has been a lot of work undertaken on the track, because before long we were on a wide metalled path that snaked and zigzagged its way down the hill. It seemed that at every turn of the zigzag there would be a set of steps to negotiate, and towards the end of this part of the track my knees were feeling that they had done their bit. There’s plenty to see on this section of the track with amazing views, but also plenty of volcanic activity to keep us entertained, with views to the Ketetahi Springs and to the Upper Te Mahi Crater where there had been a volcanic explosion as recently as 2012.

Then all of a sudden you notice that the alpine environment of tussock and other mountain plants had changed, and you head down through stands of manuka. Again it is easy to think you are all but done here, but don’t be fooled, as once the path levels out and you hit the bush and are following a stream, the walk still has 30-45 minutes to go. There were still many downwards stairs to negotiate, and my right knee was really beginning to protest. Finally you are out of the bush and at the trail head – we had 15 minutes to spare before the shuttle was due to arrive at 2:30. It wouldn’t have mattered if we hadn’t made this time as the shuttle was due to return at 4pm and then again at 5:30.

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I feel that I did this walk at exactly the right time for me – I was fit, and had the advantage of walking it at a time when it wasn’t overrun with people, and I was able to really appreciate the surreal magical landscape of this walk in perfect conditions. If you haven’t done this walk it is so worth it. I would suggest using a shuttle as I did – the $45 I paid to be picked up and dropped off from Whakapapa Village (they also do pick ups from National Park and Ohakune) was money well spent.

Rewarding myself with a wine with the view after my walk

Running – A wet Saturday in lock down

A gloomy Wellington morning with Mt Kaukau not visible

I woke up to a very grotty morning – it was raining and I couldn’t see Mt Kaukau from my window, which is a marker to me of what the weather is like out there. Not being able to see it was not a good portent for the 18 km run I was down for.

My questioner tendency was operating at a high level as I tried to work out the best option. All things being equal I was intending to head out the door at 9.30, but at 9 a.m things were not looking good. It was miserable outside, and I knew because we are in lockdown I had nowhere to be at any particular time today so I knew I didn’t have to go then. The weather forecast showed that it might be better at around 10 a.m. and then clear by afternoon but conversely the wind was getting up.

I then overlaid this thinking that the plan to run 18 km was based on the fact that I’m aiming to run a half marathon on 11 September. My thinking is that its very unlikely that we will be at Alert Level 1 by then, and that’s where the country will need to be if the event is to go ahead. So I asked myself whether there was any point in running 18 km in the pouring rain if this was the case? While I don’t actually mind running in the rain, I do like to have a warm up period without it. This then got me thinking about the route I should take – and I thought maybe I could run as far as Lambton Quay using the shop awnings for shelter.

I managed to reframe my thinking and to think about how I would feel when I got back, and I knew that I would feel good. I needed this thinking to counter the feeling that I didn’t need to go at all and to just give myself a chill day of Netflix and reading.

So what did I end up doing?

I headed out the door just before 10 (giving myself permission to only run 10kms if it was really bad) when it looked like there was a break in the weather. It was raining but it was more like a soft mist than a torrential downpour. And, when I got back I felt a real sense of achievement that has stayed with me all day. This is the longest distance I have run since running the Auckland marathon last year, and my tendonopathy injury seems to have coped with it, so things are looking up. If the race goes ahead I’m on track, and if it doesn’t I’ll just have to re-evaluate and find another one at a later date, knowing I’ll be ready for it.

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Scenes from this morning’s run

The Outstanding Otago Rail Trail

The Otago Rail Trail has long been on my bucket list, and it took the global pandemic for me to actually finally get to do something about it. Actually that’s not entirely true, it was more of a case of the stars aligning and the opportunity to do it with a group of long term friends – a lot of the time I travel on my own, but this opportunity meant that I could also spend sustained quality time with friends which was an added bonus.

We were lucky to have a tour organiser extraordinaire in the form of Nicki who worked closely with HeBikesSheBikes to put everything together – not an easy task when you are trying to deal with 10 people, although eventually our group ended up being 8 in number due to injury.

We started off in Wellington, with all of us on the same flight to Queenstown where we were met by 2 vans and driven to Clyde, to be assigned our bikes and equipment – including helmets and pannier bags.

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We stayed our first night in Clyde – with four of us staying at the Lord Clyde, while the rest of us were accommodated at Olivers. I was lucky enough to stay in a room that had previously been a stable and looked out on the gorgeous garden. We ate at Olivers Restaurant that night, and both the food and wine (featuring Central Otago wines) was sublime. Breakfast the next morning was pretty special too, providing us with the sustenance needed for our first day’s cycling.

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The delightful Olivers in Clyde

At the start of the Rail Trail there is a decision to be made – to take the original route that is fairly straight and follows the original train tracks, or to take the trail that follows the river. I took the original route along with Rob, while the others took the river route, with the plan being for the two groups to meet at Industry Lane Eatery in Alexandra for coffee. We set off from the railway station along the streets of the town for, what I didn’t realise at the time, the actual start of the rail trail. We did the traditional pose in front of the sign at the start and then we were off.

The 8 km ride from Clyde to Alexandra was as described straight and flat, and proved a good way for Rob to get familiar with her e-bike. The scenery was interesting but nowhere as dramatic as we would experience during the rest of the trip. Rob and I got to Industry Lane Eatery well before the others and were pleased to find there was quality coffee to be had.

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Industry Lane is right on the trail at Alexandra

Once we headed out of Alexandra we headed via Galloway to Chatto Creek and the scenery was more the rugged rocky terrain I expected, but we also experienced flat farmland and we could have swum in the river we crossed over at Manuherika. Our aim, however, was to get through the 17 km to Chatto Creek for lunch, as we felt we had dawdled a little too long enjoying our coffee at Alexandra, which meant we didn’t take up this opportunity.

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Alexandra to Chatto Creek

What I loved about the Otago Rail Trail was the way you would seemingly be in the middle of nowhere- and yet come across a pub or cafe that served amazing food just when you needed it. Such was the case with the Chatto Creek pub, which was our first lunch stop on the ride, where we sat in the sun enjoying the beautiful garden as well as the great food. New Zealand had gone into level 2 lockdown on the night before we left – which meant that you had to have table service, and practice social distancing – something we hadn’t had to do for several months. The places we stopped at were taking this very seriously even though we were a long way from the community outbreak in Auckland (Auckland was in level 3 lockdown which meant people were mostly confined to home, so we felt lucky to be on this trip).

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Chatto Creek pub for lunch

The next stretch saw us heading 12 km to Omakau, which encompasses the steepest part of the trail, and something that had been worrying me, as I thought I might not have done enough hill riding when I was training for the trail, worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with those on e-bikes. I need not have worried – while it was a hill it was easily managed and it was a case of we were over it before I realised. The views were, as for the rest of the trail, amazing.

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From Omakau we took a couple of kilometre detour off the trail to Ophir where we were staying at Pitches Store Lodge. I was really glad to be staying here – its a really pretty old mining town with many of its old buildings intact. It is well worth taking the longer route back to Omakau so you can ride across the Daniel O’Connell bridge.

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Ophir

The next morning dawned with the bluest of skies, but with an early morning autumnal chill that meant the merino layers I had bought with me were definitely required. However by the time we got to Omakau, it warmed up and the layers could be removed. This section of the trail was flat and you looked across lush fields of green to the hills beyond. Seven kilometres later we found ourselves at Lauder where at the Lauder Station Side cafe, we sat in the sun and once again enjoyed quality coffee.

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The next section of the trail from Lauder to Oturehua was for me some of the best riding and the worst, but not for the reasons you would expect. From Lauder the trail winds gradually up, crossing the Manuherika Bridge built in 1902, which is both the second longest, as well as being one of two curved bridges on the trail. From there the trail heads into the Poolburn gorge where we encountered our first tunnels, and then the magnificent Poolburn viaduct. This was the good, awe-inspiring part.

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The next part of the trail should have been easy for me, it was a fast downhill section and I found myself going a lot faster than I had previously ridden without much effort. While I was going faster, the cyclists among us took off, enjoying the speed they were able to go at. After a few kilometres of this, the road surface got a lot rougher with larger stones rather than finer gravel. Going at the speed I was going, on the rougher surface it gradually got to me, and in particular my backside! Then the road flattened out requiring more pedalling to keep the speed up. I also don’t think I had eaten enough that morning, and I was also becoming hangry too. I was having to dig deep. Eventually I realised I was carrying sustenance for this very reason, so pulled over to refuel, which meant I was better placed to get myself through to Oturehua where we had lunch at the Oturehua Tavern, and an ice cream from the very cute Gilchrist’s General Store.

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After lunch I found my cycling mojo had returned, which was lucky because this section was a gradual climb up to the highest point of the trail. From the top it was a really easy downhill ride with views across the Maniototo plain. This was also our first encounter with the scale model of the solar system. Essentially the solar system has been shrunk a million to one and laid out on the Manitoto plain with Ranfurly as the sun at the centre. Heading down the hill to Wedderburn you come across a scale ‘model’ of Saturn, and we would come across more of these ‘planets’ as we crossed the plain the next day. Today, however, we were being picked up at Wedderburn and taken off the trail to overnight in Naseby and the opportunity to try curling.

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Naseby turned out to be such a cute little town, and like Ophir, it was great to get to spend some time exploring. We were lucky enough to sit in the sun, and enjoy a drink or 2 at the Royal Hotel, and then to enjoy a delicious meal afterwards. I was really impressed with the food everywhere on the trail, and the food at the Royal Hotel was right up with the best NZ has to offer. The next morning we walked down to the Curling rink for a lesson, and a chance to try this intriguing game, which we all really enjoyed. We were then driven back to Wedderburn to be united with our bikes, and a steady downhill ride (although this is mostly down hill, it wasn’t without a manageable climb or two) to Ranfurly for our first coffee for the day.

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Introducing the quaintness that is Naseby

Whereas Naseby is Victorian in character, Ranfurly definitely has an Art Deco vibe to it. We could have eaten at the E-Central Cafe where we had our coffee, as it had lots of delicious looking cabinet treats, but we had our hearts set on the Waipiata pies we had heard so much about, and so we set off on a 7.5km cycle to Waipiata.

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Ranfurly revealing its Art Deco vibe

By now we were in the middle of the Manitoto plain, with its surrounding hills looking magnificent in the distance – it was an easy ride to Waipiata, although by now it was getting quite hot, so a beer at the Waipiata tavern with one of those pies seemed like a good idea. And those pies? They were every bit as good as the hype suggested they would be.

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From Waipiata we had 10.5 kilometres until we reached Kokonga where we were due to stay the night. It was hot, however, and the guide book did say you could swim in the river just beyond Waipiata, so some of our party beat paths through the undergrowth and managed to find a decent enough space to swim in. Not me though – the thought of having to get back into hot sweaty cycling gear afterwards when a shower wasn’t too far away, was too much. The trail from here to Kokonga was delightful, as the plains unfolded ahead of us and those ever present hills in the distance provided a great backdrop.

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We stayed our last night at Kokonga Lodge which was a real treat. When we arrived we were served drinks on a deck overlooking an ever changing view of the valley below us. It was quite simply mesmerising, and this was followed by yet another delicious meal, washed down once again by some glorious Central Otago wine. Then to top off what was already a pretty special last evening there was the most sublime sunset to behold. This was truly one very special place.

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The glorious sunset at Kokonga Lodge

And so we found ourselves on the last day of our trip, with a goal of reaching Middlemarch 42 km away by 3 pm where we were to be picked up by van and transported to Dunedin airport. The section of the trail between Kokonga and Hyde involved a steady climb, an interesting bridge, a tunnel and a viaduct – in short it had pretty much everything. The reward of making it to Hyde was a pretty good coffee cart, for our morning coffee and then the Hyde railway station which has a museum, which is worth taking the time to look around.

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From Hyde the trail stretched out following the range above the edge of the plain, heading steadily and relentlessly towards Middlemarch and the end of our trip. We actually reached Middlemarch in plenty of time so were able to have a bit of an explore, and one more delicious lunch this time at the Kissing Gate cafe, before heading back to the railway station where our van awaited.

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Middlemarch – that’s 150 kms in the bag

Sometimes when you tick off a bucket list item, it can be underwhelming and not live up to its hype. That was never going to be the case for me with the Otago Rail Trail, because I was blown away by the whole thing, from when I first got on my bike at Clyde until I handed it back at Middlemarch. I was constantly looking around and thinking how lucky I was to be doing this magnificent trip.

There are many reasons why you should do the Otago Rail Trail, beyond the magnificent scenery, which is probably the number one reason why you should do it. The trail suits people of all abilities and with the option of e-bikes being available, it is accessible to the not so fit as well. The whole experience is so well set up -with various levels of accommodation to suit any budget, but what makes it extra special is the friendliness of the people who never failed to make us welcome and took pride in providing the best service they could.

Wellington weekend break – Castlepoint

Now that New Zealand is at a pandemic alert level where we can travel again, but cannot travel outside the country, its time to explore the country, and if you’ve never been there then now is the time to visit Castlepoint, which is around a 2 and a half hour drive from Wellington.

If you have, like me, visited Castlepoint before it warrants another visit, especially in these trying times – it will soothe your soul.

I have been visiting Castlepoint since I was a young child, and I have distinct memories of travelling over farmland in the back of a Landrover to the Castlepoint races. These are held in March every year, tides and beach conditions permitting. It’s the only time of the year when Castlepoint is heaving, with the roads being closed to accommodate the crowds and the horses. It’s a great day out and there is something about the sounds of the horses hooves pounding on the sand, and the sight of the field heading towards, past and then away from the crowd, and the bright silks of the jockeys against the background of the surf and the lighthouse. If you are interested in timing your visit with the races, I suggest you check the Castlepoint Racing Club facebook page, to find out the date for next year, and if you are planning to stay over, organise your accommodation early.

The Castlepoint district begins as you drive over the forested hills from Tinui, about 45 minutes from Masterton. The windy road straightens out and flattens and you head towards the sea ahead of you. Once over the bridge, you will first see the Castlepoint golf course, and the tennis courts on your left. It’s a 9 hole course and is open to the public. Non members can pay $15 via and Honesty Box at the Whakataki pub (this is how I have always known it, but it now styles itself as the Castlepoint Hotel). You can stay here – they have various accommodation options including rooms from $65-$125 per night, or there are caravan/camper van sites. The hotel also does meals, and runs a courtesy van to Castlepoint – so if you decide to stay at Castlepoint, which is a 5 minute drive beyond the pub, there is no need to drink and drive. You can walk to Whakataki  beach from here – but this is not Castlepoint, which is a 5 km walk down the beach when the tide is right.

Just past the pub, as the road hits the coast, you can head right to Castlepoint or you can take a left turn and head down the much narrower and windy road to Mataikona, where the road turns to metal and the coast is wild and remote. There are some pretty cool geographic features once you climb and he descend the first hill. From here the road clings to the coast until you hit the Mataikona river. If you are after a more remote, rocky coast with good fishing and diving this is the place for you. The road winds its way along the river and through to the back blocks of Tinui. You can bike from Tinui via the Rahui Coastal Loop through Mataikona to Castlepoint. Me? I ran it of course.

When you hit the coast to get to Castlepoint taking the right hand turn will see you heading south, with one more hill to climb before you finally get to Castlepoint (Rangiwhakaoma).

You know you’re there because of the sign, but also the pesky road humps which slow you down to 20 km, and also reflect the slower pace of life you’ll adopt when you visit this sleepy little spot.

Before long you reach Castlepoint beach and views of the lighthouse that dominates this seaside settlement, but also provides a landmark that draws you to it.  The first thing I always do when I arrive is walk across the lagoon at the end of the beach and up the path to the lighthouse. The path leads up beyond the lighthouse via wooden steps, and gives a magnificent view not only of the settlement with its iconic New Zealand baches clinging to the shore, but also to Whakataki and Mataikona, and on a good day as far as Cape Turnagain in the distance. The path then goes down beyond the lighthouse where you can appreciate the power of the ocean as it thumps far below you.

Castlepoint is a place where there is a lot of weather – its not unusual for it to feature on the TV weather as the windiest place in the country. The thing about Castlepoint is that it has three distinct geological aspects, and depending on the prevailing wind, at least one of them will be protected from the gales (wind is too soft a word to describe it on many occasions).

If the southerly is prevailing then Castlepoint beach is your go to. This is the perfect walking beach, especially at low tide when you can walk around 5 kms to the Whakataki river mouth (you can go even further if you time it right, and the river flow lets you cross it). At the north end of the beach there are steep sandhills that are perfect for climbing up and sliding down. It’s also a perfect beach for running with hard packed very runnable sand.

If its a northerly or a norwester, then head to the lagoon, and beyond that ‘The Gap’ where the surfers hang in a southerly, as the waves pound through the gap. Depending on the ferocity of the wind, you can take the Castlerock track. You can make a circuit by either walking up from the end of the carpark beyond the church and follow the track as it winds its way up through the trees, and follows the ridge to the base of Castlerock.

From here you get magnificent views back across the lagoon, to the lighthouse, and south along the coast towards Riversdale. If you don’t have vertigo it is worth climbing up to the top of Castlerock. It is steep and rocky getting up there, but once you have made the climb it is relatively spacious, and almost flat. It would not be a good idea to venture up there when it is blowing a gale, and many of my friends won’t even attempt the climb because of the vertigo factor. You can head back the way you ventured up, or follow the steepish more direct path down to The Gap, and walk back along the lagoon. You can of course do the whole thing in reverse.

I’ve probably described Castlepoint, and what to do in inclement weather and in winter, so people think of it as a place to visit at these times. which in some ways is being totally unfair to Castlepoint, because in summer it is pretty amazing too. There’s great swimming (with plenty of choice in terms of surf or the stillness of the lagoon, where young children can happily play in its shallow warm waters) and surfing, as well as opportunities for fishing and diving.

There are a number of accommodation options and these can be found on Bookabach or AirB&B, but there is also the motel and camping ground, and camper vans park at the far end of the beach where there are views out over the lagoon. That said Castlepoint can be done as a day trip from Wellington, or any of the Wairarapa towns.

Wandering Waikaremoana

Waikaremoana from Panekire Bluff

This was one very strange New Zealand summer with drought in the North Island and floods in the Deep South. These strange weather conditions saw the cancellation of my planned tramp of the Hollyford Track, which was closed because of the damage cause by severe flooding, and a switch to walking the Waikaremoana Great Walk, perhaps the least known of New Zealand’s Great Walks. As often happens with last minute decisions, it feels like the Universe has your back, leaving you with a sneaking suspicion that this was meant to be. Here are 7 reasons why I would recommend walking Waikaremoana.

1. Precisely the fact that it is not as famous as its more illustrious Great Walk cousins. You will not find yourself in a long queue of fellow walkers, nor will you be constantly bumping into people. On our first afternoon’s tramping we only came across 2 walkers during 3-4 hours walking.
2. It is in a mysterious myth clothed area of the country that not many people get to visit. It is remote with a capital R, being a three hour drive from Rotorua and a one hour/58 km one from Wairoa. I was picked up from Rotorua, and was driven first on one of the straightest roads in the country through the Kaiangaroa Forest to Murupara and then via an increasingly windy, hilly and narrower road through Ruatahuna, into the heart of Te Urewera.
3. This is the ultimate walk by water. The track essentially follows the shores of Lake Waikaremoana. There are no showers in the DOC huts, so the best way of keeping clean is to bathe in its waters, and given the weather it was a delightful and refreshing way to start the day. The views of the lake are truly amazing, both from its shores, and from the Panekiri Ridge which towers above it. There are several waterfalls too, with the most well known being the Korokoro falls, a short but worthwhile diversion off the main track.
   

   

   
4. This place just oozes its history, from the myths and legends of how the Lake was formed and named, to the events that took place here. Te Kooti hid out here during the New Zealand Wars, and it is embedded with the history of the Tuhoe people, as well as the more recent police raids at Ruatahuna. The settling of the Tuhoe Tribunal claim has seen a renaissance for this town with the newly built tribal headquarters, a cafe a petrol station and a laundrette and a planned medical centre – who would have thought that you could get a very good trim flat white here?
   

   

   

   
5. The flora and fauna – both are pretty amazing. At one stage you walk around the outskirts of a Kiwi sanctuary on a peninsular and while we didn’t actually see Kiwi you could hear them from the Waiharuru hut we stayed at that night, along with ruru (morepork). We also heard or spotted kereru, bellbirds and piwakawaka (fantails) to name but a few. The cloud forest as we walked up to Panekiri bluff was mind blowing – I saw ferns and other plants that I have never seen before, and the trees up there were absolutely ancient, and human like – you could imagine them marching. On this day I was so mesmerised by the awesomeness of these mighty trees that I took up tree hugging.
   

   

   
6. The accommodation adds to the sense of adventure. For Waikaremoana you basically have two options – the DOC huts scattered at walkable distances along the track, or camping alongside them in the camp grounds provided. The standard of these vary but none have electricity, there are no flush toilets (they are long drops but they were more or less clean and all had proper toilet seats and lids) and no hot water or showers. so this is not the place to visit if you are the luxury lodge type of person. That said the huts are clean and spacious, and the beds relatively comfortable (some, like at the Waiharuru hut are in a separate building and are individual beds) others are marae style (large communal beds that can fit 3-4 people in sleeping bags).
   

   

   

   
7. The walk is easy but not without some challenges, and I would recommend using hiking poles, as I did. The track varies from being flat and wide to narrow and criss-crossed with tree roots that at time you have to scramble over. The most challenging aspects are the short (30 mins walk) detour up to the Korokoro falls. This involves a river crossing that sees you using a cable to assist you to scramble over rocks.
   

   

   
   When we crossed it the river level was low so our main challenge was the slipperiness of the rocks, but I can imagine that after rain the challenge would be the height and flow of the water. The falls made this challenge well worth it to me. The other challenge is the climb up to Panekiri Bluff with its 478 steps. These steps are not all standard steps, and there was a lot of using tree roots as steps, as well as rocks and stones. Funnily enough this was my favourite day as the path initially wound its way gently up, with a wide but twisting path, with trees that were, as I noted previously, simply magnificent and I often found myself stopping to admire them. Gradually the bush gradually changed to forest, and then once the climb was conquered we were able to stop and enjoy our lunch in a sunny spot amongst the dappled shade provided by these ancient trees.

   

   

   

There are two ways you can do this walk – either by making all the arrangements yourself, driving yourself there – probably from Wairoa, although Rotorua is an alternative, booking huts through the Department of Conservation, estimating how far you would walk in a day, as well as booking water taxis to either the start or finish, and carrying all your own gear and food. The alternative is to book a guided tour through Walking Legends who make all the arrangements for you. Their tour departs from Rotorua early on the first morning and they drive you to Waikaremoana. For the first two days walking (10.5 kms on day one and 18.3 kms on day two) we carried day packs, with the rest of our gear being transported by boat. On the third day, which while the shortest at 7.6 kms was also the steepest with a 600 metre climb up onto the Panekire bluffs, we also had to carry our sleeping bags and clothes for our overnight stay. The views from the top were nothing short of amazing and were the highlight of the trip for me, as was the swim in the lake at the end of the trail. Food was provided and it was a real treat at the end of the day to sit and relax while your delicious meal was cooked for you. 

I really loved this walk, and enjoyed the fact that I was completely off-grid (no wifi, internet or cell phone coverage). I didn’t mind the fact that alcohol is banned once you enter the park, and I also supported the ban on single use plastic – both requirements set by  Tuhoe for visitors to come into this sacred place.

A Weekend in Shrewsbury

 

I wanted a weekend away from London, somewhere with a bit of historic charm,  a bit like Bath,  Cambridge and York which I had visited in the summer of 2017. I’m not sure why Shrewsbury caught my eye – a TimeOut article about great British restaurants out of London featuring The Drapers Hall certainly helped, but it was also the shrewsbury biscuits, which were a staple of my childhood as well as my children’s and countless other kiwi kids of our respective generations. The irony here is that while there is something called a shrewsbury biscuit, it is not very well known outside of Shrewsbury and is nothing like the Kiwi version.

In any case when I suggested the idea of Shrewsbury as a destination for a weekend getaway my friend Liz was happy to sign up. This is how we found ourselves fighting with the throngs of commuters in the M & S at Euston station, grabbing G & Ts and snacks to accompany these, for the two and a half hour train journey north to Shrewsbury. It was the middle of the heat wave and as we were ready quite early and couldn’t find a seat, decided we might as well take advantage of the air conditioned Italian bar/restaurant Gino D’Campo upstairs in the station, where we sat smugly sipping Aperol Spritzes until it was time to board the train.

Little did we know that was the last air conditioning we would experience for quite some time! On boarding the train and finding our seats, we noticed that it was a bit hot, but thought that like in a car, once the train got going the air conditioning would take effect. Alas this was not the case, and conditions just got worse, until we found ourselves going from ladylike glows to outright sweaty messes! It wasn’t until the train stopped at Birmingham and I knew I could stand it no more that we decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air. What we discovered was other people sitting in the corridor to avoid the conditions. They told us they had tweeted about the conditions and had been told to talk to the train manager who was nowhere to be found. They also said things were much better in the next carriage and so we decamped there to find it was beautifully cool and thus we enjoyed the rest of our journey.

The Shrewsbury railway station makes access to Shrewsbury easy, its just a short interesting walk into town. Usually when booking accommodation I use AirB & B, but because I couldn’t get a sense of the size of Shrewsbury and where the AirB&Bs I found were located, I decided on the Lion Hotel. This hotel was in the perfect location, close to everything, and it was delightfully old worldly, as it is a Grade 1 Listed 16th century coaching inn. This meant twisting corridors, uneven floor levels, and wood panels – very atmospheric, but not so good when this spilt over into our hotel room. It’s fair to say the mattresses were pretty uncomfortable, and my friend had bedsprings that she could feel through the mattress, and despite seeking a remedy for this from the staff, there was no relief provided.

My friend is not a runner, but I had a training programme to follow, so the next morning I got up early and snuck out for my run. I love being up early in a new place and seeing the place I’m visiting roll into the day, and being one of the few people to experience it. After the hectic pace of London it was sheer joy to me to have cobbled streets, and the rivers and parks to myself. Running is also a good way to get your bearings in a new place and to suss out what you might go back to later in the day to explore more fully.  Shrewsbury sits inside a loop of the river Severn, and I found an 8 km route that took me through the Quarry Park to the Welsh Bridge, which I ran over and followed the river path on the outside of the loop before coming to a dead end, and then returning to the Welsh bridge crossing it once more. From here I followed the river path on the inside of the loop, and was able to follow this through the Park, and the town until I was running in a more rural area. It was a beautiful morning and I loved following the river.

On this run I also discovered that there were good shops and good coffee close to our hotel – which I thought would be a pretty good way to start our day! It was fair to say that Liz, my friend, didn’t take much persuading, and after breakfast at the hotel we headed out to explore the shopping near the hotel. We didnt get very far before we discovered an independent shoe shop with a sale, and we did not leave empty handed.

We wandered towards the town square, and really enjoyed the fact that there weren’t so many of the High St brands that are everywhere in London (they were there, but they were indispersed with smaller shops with different brands, and unique pieces). We both found ourselves loaded down with shopping bags which we dropped off at the hotel before venturing to the stunning gardens that make up the Quarry, and where they were setting up for the upcoming Shrewsbury garden festival.

By now we were feeling a little parched, and I had spied what looked like a very cool riverside bar on my run, so that is where we headed. Turned out this was The Boathouse, and I can thoroughly recommend it as a place to sit in the sun in a garden overlooking the river with a cold drink. From the other side you realise that it is a half timbered building dating from the 15th century – and from the look of it you can have a prettty decent meal there as well.

We just had a drink, because we were booked for dinner at Drapers Hall, so headed back along the river to our hotel. I had booked Drapers Hall because of that Time Out article, and it did not disappoint. The Drapers Hall is a well preserved Elizabethan building that has been in continuous use for over 500 years. Currently it houses a small boutique hotel and a fine dining establishment, serving modern British dishes/produce. The building itself gives the restaurant a very special ambience, and the food and service offered up are befitting of it. We started off with gins, and I’m really enjoying the trend of gins in large wine glasses – it makes the drink extra special. The food was sublime and was the equal of anything I had eaten in London. It was worth every penny, and afterwards we were able to contentedly walk back to our hotel (no grappling with public transport or driving through busy city streets required).

Sunday morning dawned crisp and sunny and after our leisurely hotel breakfast we decided to head off to explore the abbey on the other side of the English bridge. We then wandered along the river where I had run the first morning and visited Shrewsbury castle. We then headed to the Welsh bridge, where the riverboat Sabrina departs from. We had booked a 45 minute river cruise (costing £8 each) and we were glad that we had, as many people who had just showed up missed out. The trip follows the river through to the English bridge and was a relaxing way to get a different perspective of the township and was a great way to end our visit to Shrewsbury.

If you are looking for a quintessential English town to visit, with a sense of history, beautiful buildings and surroundings, good shopping and good restaurants and bars, I can thoroughly recommend Shrewsbury. It might not be as well known as the likes of Bath and Cambridge, but that is part of its charm – it caters well for tourists but is not overrun with them. Most of the visitors we met were from the north because they know Shrewsbury makes a great weekend getaway, and they are right!

 

Roaming Rochester

Before I returned to NZ I wanted to have a weekend away from London with the kids. I had dreams of a pretty stone cottage in the Cotswolds, not far from a picturesque village with a pub you could walk to that served gastro pub quality food. We found a weekend in July that worked for all of us and I started my AirB&B search. I was limited by the fact that I wanted wherever we stayed to be accessible by public transport, to have a bedding configuration for 4 adults who didn’t want to bed share, and to have sufficient living space for us to just hang. I quickly learned I wasn’t going to find accommodation that met these parameters, and was within my price range. I hadn’t figured out early enough that July was the time when most Brits take their annual holidays, nor the popularity of the Cotswolds with tourists.

I widened my search, and eventually settled on an apartment in Rochester in Kent, many miles from the Cotswolds. Why Rochester? Well, it had a castle, a cathedral, was on the Medway river, and had an apartment with two bedrooms and a sofa bed in what looked to be a large living area, looking over a park on one side and over the Medway river on the other.

Rochester turned out to be a really good choice, and here are seven reasons why I think Rochester is worth a visit.

1. It has a castle…

Rochester castle sits strategically overlooking the town and the Medway river. I first ran around it on my run, but we went back later and spent an interesting hour walking the grounds and climbing the tower. It is a Norman castle with the tower-keep being built around 1127. While these days it is more a ruin than a fully preserved castle, the tower still stands at 113 feet tall, and you can climb up it for some pretty good views over Rochester and the cathedral

2. It has a cathedral…

And quite a significant one too – it claims to be England’s second oldest cathedral, and as the building dates back to 1080, there is no reason to doubt this claim. It has Gothic as well as Norman influences, and in years gone by it was visited by medieval pilgrims. You can climb these same pilgrim steps – we didn’t get to do this as there was a service on when we visited (something to watch out for).

3. It’s good for running/walking along the river…

I was down to run around 55 minutes on our first morning in Rochester, and got up early while the kids were still sleeping and ran along the hill ridge before dropping down into Chatham where I was able to follow the river until I reached the High St, which I ran down reconnecting with the river just before the castle, and following its course until I had made the time goal I had been set. I could have gone much further.

4. The cobbled High St is really cute…

It also has some pretty good shopping too, a mixture of independent boutiques and vintage/charity and other Knick Knack stores which would mean you would get a lot for your spend. It’s not quite pedestrian free, but there isn’t much traffic and crossing the road for most people is a leisurely affair.

5. It has a good range of restaurants/cafes…

We had a lovely dinner on the first night upstairs at The Atrium, which was in an old building with slightly sloping floors and walls, the food was billed as modern English however I think traditional English might be more apt. We had a really enjoyable evening and then were able to wander along the High St and up the hill to our Air B&B. On the second night we ate at Don Vincenzo a traditional Italian restaurant/trattoria with good food and a buzzy atmosphere – it seemed half the town was eating there that night, but this didnt effect the efficient and friendly service we received. The Main Street is also home to a number of other eateries/cafes and bakeries and we got to enjoy a Sunday lunch at Smoke and Liquor just off the High St, very close to the Cathedral where we sat out in the sun and enjoyed looking out at the historic buildings surrounding us.

6. It was where Charles Dickens spent his formative years…

There are many landmarks pointing out places that appeared in his book, and there are Dickens themed walks you can do. The house that inspired Great Expectations is easy to find and quite evocative of the novel.

7. There are some cute little villages you can walk to…

We found a walk on the internet, that included the High St and went past the cathedral and castle before crossing the river and heading off to two of the cutest little villages – Lower Upnor and Upnor. I wouldn’t say the walk was the most scenic I have been on but the villages at the end provide a pretty good reward for your efforts, and we were able to while away a couple of very pleasant hours enjoying the delights of the beer garden at a local pub. By this stage we were pretty over walking and we hailed an Uber to take us back to Rochester.

 

In addition Rochester is easy to get to from London – we were all able to do a full day’s work and get to Rochester in time for drinks and dinner, and you could do it as a day trip. It’s accessibility from London  could probably could count as another reason to visit – but think of this as a bonus.

I loved spending this weekend in Rochester with the kids. So many of our London catch ups are of necessity a bit shorter, as we rush to fit work and other commitments in, and it was lovely to just relax and chill.