I thought I’d take y’all who want to come on my early morning walk around the Peninsula, here in Auckland. First off, I head down my road toward the main road, intending to cross it and head to the harbour edge.

The worst part of the walk is crossing this busy road, full of early morning traffic desperate to get into the city. Fortunately for me, I don’t have to join them until Wednesday.

I swerve left as soon as I can, and am on this quiet, neatly cared for suburban street full of relatively new housing. The noise of the traffic dies down behind me. Bliss.

Past my favourite little burgundy Magnolia tree on the corner, in full bloom right now, and then on past the park and to the entrance to the wetlands walk.

This is a lovely moment, stepping out of the suburbs and seeing this huge clean vista before me – I never get tired of it, and it is always different. The reflections of the City were quite still and solid today.

The pukeko (native birds) were all picking away at the grass. This is where the first pond is, surrounded by cabbage trees and flax and is often a feature in my photos.

Just beyond that is what I think of as ‘The Cabbage Tree Grotto’ – great silhuettes against the sky.

Then I’m up on the upper pathway, leading past the oldest brick farmhouse on the Peninsula (late 1800’s) and towards my favourite little bridge spot for photos.

I see they’ve chopped a line of pine trees down obstructing the view of the harbour. I hope they’ve replanted with natives.

The pathway splits – one going on to the little park at the end of the walkway, and the other turning up toward the new housing overlooking the whole vista. I take this one.

The views from up here are pretty spectacular too.

The drive-by coffee hut is always doing a roaring trade. We kiwis LOVE our coffee. It would be terrible to not have one within reach.

And talking of coffee – that’s where I’m going. Past this new library and community centre, and straight across the road into my favourite cafe.

Finally, it’s a short five minutes after coffee to cut through the back of the shops and along this road that is so quintessentially 50’s New Zealand that it is often blocked off by film crews making advertising or using it for local tv drama series.

That’s it. Feel refreshed?