We went off in search of Cross Creek. The spot of the old town at the foot of the Rimutaka incline where the fell engines used to cross the ranges before the tunnel was built in the 1950s. There wasn't much left of it. An overgrown tennis court - broken asphalt and encroaching bush. Twined amongst the native bush there were small signs - a growth of ivy, blackberry brambles, a single old fashioned rose bush, heavy with scarlet rosehips. Pieces of old clay brick lined some of the walk ways and across the path of the former railway tracks were the occasional chips of coal - dropped from the steam engines over 50 years ago.
None of the houses remained along the site of the old main street. They had all been transported to Featherston long ago. We found the end of the train line where a giant turntable used to turn the train engines around to go back up the incline and several large trenches that were used to replace the brake blocks after every trip.
On the long walkway from the carpark to cross creek we saw a giant dragonfly, a kingfisher and a herd of four llamas.
6 comments:
Hi, Kitsune,
I'm diggin' your evocative regional descriptions. Have finally set aside work-work and moonlighting-work and chores and keeping up with U.S. national politics to take a boo at your blogs. Am picturing a thundering herd of four llamas...
Those US politics are looking kind of exciting. Hows your girl doing?
The llamas weren't so much thundering as they were munching grass.
My girl did really well last Tuesday after losing 11 in a row. I made some calls to Texas to get out the vote with the little old ladies. It's still looking like an uphill battle at this point, but Penn. should go our way and that's a big one.
Don't get me started, obviously :)
my ignorance, but what is a Kingfisher?
Its a bird that hangs out near water and has kind of blue feathers and kind of a squat body. I'm guessing it eats fish.
When I grow up I want to be a kingfisher and a dragonfly.
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