This viaduct has had my feet on it
Remember the Newmarket Viaduct that has our names in it (and Vila's for that matter)? They've completed the new southbound lanes so they opened them up yesterday (Sunday) for the public to walk over. Greg's been looking forward to it for weeks, and I was keen too, depending on the weather. I said if it was raining I'd stay home. It wasn't when we left, but if course it poured down while we were walking up the on-ramp and along to the Big Blue Thing (the self-launching crane also affectionately called Big Blue). I thought it was a complete wash-out since all I could see was the inside of my large green umbrella and the wet concrete under my feet. I hate winter. I really hate winter. But then the sun came out and yay, I could see! And even take photos!
When we went back down (it was a walk of about 1.5kms) we went over to 277, stopping on the way to let a sudden downpour pass, and ate at my favourite place in the food hall there, the Thai-Vietnamese-Malay fusion place. We had kung-po chicken, tamarind fish, and beef rendang, and very yummy it was too.
Photos
Quite a lot of people turned up. They estimate 15,000 walked on the viaduct, paying a "gold coin" ($1 or $2) to charity. After the walkers were allowed on (9am to 2pm) cyclists could bike over. :-)
It started raining just after this so I didn't take any more photos till we had walked pretty much as far as we could up there.
Approaching the Big Blue Thing. The concrete we're walking on will be covered with a special high-grip low-noise asphalt this week. The new lanes open on 6 September.
The only time I'll see it from this angle. Well, unless we get a walk on the other side when they complete that.
View of the Big Blue Thing round the curve, and crowds on the viaduct.
I took the next four photos from the same spot, turning to get different views from left to right.
Looking towards the CBD (central business district) with the Sky Tower, yay. The dome on the right is over the food court at 277 where we ate lunch afterwards.
The harbour. You can see yachts and a marina to the right. The dark strip is probably rain out there. The dark island you can see part of is Rangitoto, a volcanic cone. The green one in the sun behind it is probably Waiheke Island.
Especially for the English people: St George's church flying its flag.
More skyline, lots of greenery.
I think that brick building is the Anglican Cathedral in Parnell, the next suburb.
Walking back towards the on-ramp. Yeah, we're not likely to do 70kmh. ;-) That's Mt Hobson, an extinct volcano. Yes, they're just little hills, but I think they get the "Mt" title for being volcanoes. We have some huge bloody great real mountains further south though, I assure you.
People coming back down the on-ramp.
A worker with his dogs. We chatted to him for a while; he brings his dogs to work with him every day and they "keep any mischief away from my truck". :-)
View from 277 food court, two storeys up. Those little dots you can just see on the viaduct are people.
Finally, a weird plant!
I wasn't trying to frame Big Blue here; that was coincidence. :-) I just took this in a hurry as it was raining again. I want to know if anyone can identify this thing. This is only the second one I've seen. The first one was outside a Remuera retirement village and it grew up and over like this one in a big arch, but they removed it before I could get a photo. Anyone know what it is?
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