Ōtautahi / Christchurch Daily Photo

To mark the 6th anniversary of our first date, my partner Bruce and I walked up the Bridle Path track in Heathcote. It was six years ago today that we had our first date – and at my suggestion it was the walk up the track. It was stinking hot that day and I really struggled with the heat (29 degrees and very muggy). Today was much less warm (about 20 degrees), but the walk was still challenging as I’ve not been doing my hill walk much of late (thanks to a large workload). So today was a reminder how important it is to keep that fitness up if you want to clamber around our hills. Just like six years ago, we climbed up the Heathcote side, then down into Lyttelton, had a coffee and a bite to eat, a wander around Lyttelton and then a long walk back up the other side and then back down into Heathcote. It’s about 17,000 of my steps (according to my pedometer).

The view looking down into Lyttelton.

I wasn’t sure if this photo would convey the steepness of this road – the track leads off to this road and it’s fine walking down it, but coming back up is challenging. At one part of the road there is a hand rail and it was most welcome.

A mural in Lyttelton depicting the early settlers of Canterbury who walked over the Bridle path carrying all of their worldly goods (the path was the only way over the hills to Christchurch from the Port).