Trip to Johnsonville

It’s been a long time since we have last been to Johnsonville, near Wellington – we were going there to meet up with our SLG friends for lunch.  The weather wasn't at all nice, we could hardly see the hills through the rain.  Just as well we packed our raincoats in the car, just in case we needed them at our destination. 

Not a nice morning at all

But the weather cleared as we drove down the Kapiti Coast.  By the time we reached Paramata, for a short stop, it had turned into a lovely day.  The boat sheds on the edge of Pauatahanui Esplanade made rather a pretty picture.

We made it to Johnsonville with time to spare.  These days you never know if the never ending road works will delay the journey.  Johnsonville is  seven kilometres north of the Wellington city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua.  Johnsonville was originally the site of a Maori track from Wellington to Porirua and the area was covered in dense native forest.  In 1841 settler Frank Johnson had purchased a certificate of selection for 100 acres and called his land  'Johnson's clearing', He built a house by the Johnsonville stream and a timber mill, quickly denuded the entire Johnsonville area of virgin native forest, with timber sold to help build the nearby town of Wellington. In the 1960s, the first shopping mall in the Wellington region was built in Johnsonville.  These days Johnsonville is a busy residential and shopping town, close to the CBD.

The café was full to bursting so it was just as well Trish had booked a table for us.  I have never seen so many young Mums and babies all in one place, guess it was their regular coffee morning to come out for a mother and baby outing.  The food was delicious, but there was too much chatting going on for me to remember to take a photo or two.  Never mind, it was great to catch up with everyone again, and enjoy out leisurely lunch together.

After saying our goodbyes it was time to head home, and we decided to drive along the “old” main road rather than go on the motorway.  Narrow and windy, it was a pretty drive along the bush clad hills.  Eventually we reached Tawa, another suburban town not too far from the big city of Wellington.

Taking the slow road

Then it was back on the motorway heading north, and up the Kapiti Coast.  Oh look, there’s Kapiti Island, nice and clear, free of the rain and mist which kept it from view on our trip down in the morning.

Kapiti Island