The Second Ridgeline!

Today I went out for a long walk on the ridge line to the West of Chartwell. This is the second ridgeline West of Wellington. It is significantly higher altitude than the first (Tinakori Hill) and has much less population.

I drove to the Wilton Power station parking lot got out of the car and started walking up the hill. It was not a very long walk, about 45 minutes when all was said and done. And actually the walk itself was not very interesting. A few gullies, but by the time you've seen as many as I have it was not awe inspiring. Towards the end there was a very steep incline and then I was at the top of the ridge with great views of the Harbor, South Pacific, Tasman Sea, and the South Island!

I sat down for a while and admired the views. After I caught my breath I walked over to the fence line a bit south and downhill from me. And much to my surprise, and a very pleasant surprise it was, there was a stile. I stepped over the stile and was in some farmer's field which went on forever!

So I walked the ridge line for a while. There was no one up there, I mean not a soul. I heard sheep bleating and felt the wind blowing there on top of the world. The views only got better as I walked around. Not because of a significant change in my vantage point but because the clouds rolling through gave the light different hues. The South Island looked like a dream with the light beams hitting the Marlborough Sounds. As there was little wind the water was calm and reflecting the changing light beautifully.

I have marked our Google Map with the hike I took. As you can see it is not very long just steep. I am sure that I can walk across the Mountain ranges to the Tasman Sea. Just need a long weekend and a good pair of hiking boots!