Looking for No.1

[…or should the title of this blog be “Looking for Zero?”]

It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon in Wellington and I fancy a visit to Te Papa for the DreamWorks Animation exhibition that has just opened. I decide to walk into town rather than catch the bus. I am often on the lookout for great photo opportunities for #PicOfTheDay that I set myself at the start of this year and this gives me some choices to fulfil the 365 day challenge. Who knows, the next inspired shot can be found by looking up in the sky or by shoe gazing.

If your walking into town from Hataitai and you know Evans Bay Parade, you will go past the NIWA building. Just there on the pavement is a circular iron plate with a ‘5’ written on it. I’m thinking this is perfect for the collection.

I have done this walk two or three times before, always from Evans Bay into town. What is this plate for? Why have I only just noticed it? It doesn’t matter. It is potentially my choice for the day. I continue on my way into town. I happy carry on walking and looking for potential shots when I see another plate with a ‘4’ on it.

It’s in a similar style, so the numbers *may* mean something or be related… Or it may be some kind of concept art? So now this walk is a mini mission?

Indeed, I see that there are several more plates at what now seems to be regular intervals. And there is a ‘3.5’!

I’m liking that they are all tarnished in different ways. Perhaps that is part of the artistic concept? When I get to ‘1.5’, I’m nearly at Te Papa. Do I carry on to find No.1 or do I continue my search another day? I decide to abandon the numerals and head on in to the museum as planned. Oh no, perhaps I should have done my research… DreamWorks Animation is a paid for exhibit! I was expecting to whiz through quickly. No drama. I will have an opportunity to visit in January when I will be host to my London guest who will be here for Christmas and New Year.

So, which iron plate do I use as my #PicOfTheDay? Hmmm… a tough choice! They are all of equal value, and there can only be one choice. So I choose this that I found at the City Gallery:

#201215 ‘Works End’ #NoFilter

I now have another mission to find the elusive No.1. I’m happy to have company if you’re up for it?

UPDATE – 21/12/2015

Thank you to the lovely Catherine Griffiths on Twitter for enlightening me on the mystery numbered plates. They are Distance Markers. Oh, and they actually start from zero!

@studiocatherine: Love the comet, No.4* @mfcuk2. Mission accomplished after you find all 13, from 0 (and No.1!) through to 6.5!

@mfcuk2:  I will save that challenge for another day!

@studiocatherine: haha! clue: http://www.catherinegriffiths.co.nz/01-distance-markers.html… that you encountered the series seeing one, spotting another, then wondering… @mfcuk2 perfect response

These distance markers are based on an idea developed by Victor Marks of the Wellington Heart Support Group and supported by Wakefield Hospital and Wellington City Council. The idea is to encourage people to walk in order to maintain their fitness. What an awesome idea!

I did a quick Google search for more information but all I could come up with was this publication from Wellington Council:

Explore Wellington Walk 1: Waterfront – From Post Office Square to Te Papa

http://wellington.govt.nz/~/media/recreation/walks-and-walkways/files/heritage-trails/waterfront.pdf

Some further searching has given me the Map My Run route from Queen’s Wharf to the 4k marker on Evans Bay Parade.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/nz/wellington-wellington/8k-waterfront-quot-follow-the-distance-m-route-4990740

Thanks to Google… that’s one end sorted. I just need to work out the route to the 6.5k marker now…

Update – 17/01/2016

I have extended my search of the Distance Markers and have located most of the remaining discs.

Let’s start at Queens Wharf. Yesterday I found the first marker outside Ferg’s Kayaks:

The next marker has alluded me. I used the ‘Map My Walk’ app to measure the 500m to the next point. I can only find what I think is the spot…

It looks like if this is the spot, then it has been removed for some reason. Again I use the app to track my distance to the 1k mark. I spot this in the vicinity:

I’m more convinced that this is the right spot as there is a distinct rust mark on the pavement, similar to that created at the 4k marker.

The markers from 1.5 to 5 were part of my first find. (Somehow, I have missed the 4.5 marker… I’ll get that one another day!)

At the other end of the route, it barely takes me 2 minutes to get to Evans Bay Parade from home and I spot the 6k disc from across the road.

 

I set the Map My Walk app to measure my distance for the remaining two markers which direction to go first? let’s go to 6.5 first.

I like it that someone has marked the pavement with a white line for this one. Perhaps it is used as a race starter…

I double back to find the 5.5k.

I suspect not many people would see this one as it is on part of the pavement that is seldom used. I would normally cut across a field by the tennis courts just past the beach to walk towards town so I would have never seen it.

4.5 is the only one I have missed now. It will have to wait for another day!