Kids on Segway -

It was a fine day and off to the local school grounds we ventured.



Clarinda showing off her Segway skills!



And here's Isabella going for a cruise along the sports field.

Setton-Nossiter Park - Videos

Here are a couple of experimental videos done by strapping a video camera to the fender of the Segway.

Map of the surrounding area, Woodridge, Paparanigi and Newlands


View Seton-Nossiter Park in a larger map

And of course, the Little Black Dog (LBD)  aka Betty, features during random scenes within the videos!
Most of the track could be done with the i2 tires, but, it's more fun with the 'fatties' on!

This is a definitely a fun track to do again! Hopefully next time we'll get our hands on a helmet-cam of some sort, bearing in mind that in several places the branches hang kinda low. Come to think of it, it would be interesting to find out what wireless coverage there is down there.


Part I -



Part II - Yes, this is a narrow track! In a couple of places there is only a few inches to spare. Of course having LBD leading the way helped to keep us on track! :-)



Well, that's that for now!

Breaker Bay - Wellington, New Zealand

Type: Sandy beach; Walking track

Wheels: x2

Grade: Medium

Breaker Bay is another one of those hidden secrets around Wellingtons eastern bays. It features a sheltered beach at one end for swimmers and sunbathers (and the occasional nudists!), at other end is a popular dive entry point.  The car park near the Southern entrance to the bay is a great spot  from which one can 'chill out'  and watch the ferries and leisure boats go in and out of Wellington harbor.


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Much of the beach is made up of fine, wheel eating sand and can be quite taxing on the batteries, not to mention, interesting to glide through! Patience and good balance are important as a momentary lapse of attention can be painful.

This was shot from the car park and gives and 'over view' of the beach and the path leading up to the lookout.

One the interesting features here is the 'hole' in the rock which can be seen in the following clip.

Getting around on the sand was a real struggle for the Segway, chewing through a 'bar' per kilometer, but no problem for the Betty, the Little Black Dog, seen recharging at the top of the lookout.

Also a the top we found these guys watching over the entrance to Wellington harbor.

And here's a view from top........

And....Segway at rest!

Looking across to the houses around Breaker Bay and Eves Bay

Wakely Road, Newlands

Type: Walking Track

Wheels: i2 or x2

Grade: Easy

One of the greatest joys of having a Segway is being able to explore alternative ways and routes to get around. Wakely Road offers a scenic short cut down to the Ngauranga Gorge interchange, (1.5 km vs 2.4km going along the bicycle path next to the motorway).


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A view of Wellington a third of the way from the top of the track: 

The steep descent ahead and gravel all the way.

Looking back to where we came from...somehow it looks steeper from this angle!

At the exit at the Gorge.

Red Rocks - Part I

Wellington's South Coast is an outdoors persons playground and home to the South Coast Marine Reserve and Red Rocks Scientific Reserve. The Marine Conservation Centre gives access to both Red Rocks and the Te Kopahau Reserve, and offers the first views of the city from air or sea. It is full of wild life and costal birds as well as little blue penguins and fur seals, the fur seals congregate around Red Rocks (where the rocks are really red!) Activities out there range from walking and diving to four-wheel driving, and now .... Segway off-roading ;-)

One of the challenges of the South Coast is the ever changing landscape and weather, the track is never the same and seems to change every time you look away! This makes it a place where off-roaders, be they mountain bikes or 4x4s go for to play. And the perils are many, there is soft sand that eats wheels and sharp shards of hard rock that cut into your hands and tires, not to mention the wind! The wind that can sneak up on you starting as a gentle breeze into one that will literally blow you away.

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Map

Terrain

Satellite

Of course this makes it the ideal place to test some of the capabilities of the Segway and the x2 tires.

Known as Pariwhero (Red Rocks) to the local iwi, this was popular place for fishing, paua collection and harvesting Bull Kelp. There is a legend about how Maui stained the surrounding rocks with his blood as bait for his hook prior to catching Te Ika a Maui - the North Island. Another legend tells us that the red of the rock comes from the blood of Kupe who had wounded himself on the surrounding paua.

Looking across the entrance to Wellington to Pencarrow Head.

A view of the snowy mountains over in the South Island and Devil's Gate.

Betty re-charging.....

Bluebridge ferry passing by on its way to Picton, South Island.

Another shot of Devils Gate in the distance