Opinion: Memorial Park walkway would be a sight to see

Memorial park is a gorgeous place to watch the sun rise. Photo/Sonya Bateson

A few months ago, I moved from Welcome Bay to the city centre.

I now live in that amorphous part of town called Tauranga South by some and the Avenues by more aspirational others.

When I last wrote about my move, it was to declare my excitement at being able to skip the tragic traffic queues from Welcome Bay and walk to my workplace near the city centre.

Since my move, I have made the most of my proximity to my workplace, walking at least three times a week depending on the weather. And it has been fabulous.

I've discovered a route that takes me along some of the quieter streets where I can admire the well-kept gardens of my neighbours, then I often walk down to Memorial Park to watch the sun rise above the harbour.

It's an idyllic start to any morning.

But once I've left that serene part of my walk, it's back to Devonport Rd, where I have to turn my music up to full volume for it to be heard above the noise of passing cars.

It's the least enjoyable part of my walk, particularly when I have to cross a busy street - I've got this deep-seated fear of tripping over in front of a moving car.

That will sound silly to most people, but those who know me well will understand my propensity to trip over the slightest bump in the ground and will realise my fear isn't completely unfounded.

These are some of the main reasons I'm such a big fan of walkways.

It's a luxury to be able to escape from the noise and humdrum of day-to-day life and take a walk along a safe, semi-secluded path with gorgeous scenery.

I'd be so keen to see a walkway built from Memorial Park to The Strand. Being part of that community now, it's a facility I personally would make a lot of use of.

I can already picture the beautiful sunrises I could witness from the boardwalk on my way to work in the morning.