If you’re a pedestrian, sometimes it seems as though you’re the last to be considered. Other modes of transport get all the big bucks while we get to stumble along on our own, catching our heels on the cobblestones and dodging the seemingly interminable earthworks.

So it’s nice to see that there’s a dedicated Cycling and Walking journey planner from the Greater Wellington Regional Council. I particularly like how it tells you the elevation of your route so you can see whether an apparent shortcut is going to be like scaling Everest or not. There is also a calorie counter, which I guess helps justify your morning tea when you’ve got to work.

I experimented with the route from my house to work, and the default suggestion was definitely the most practical for the unathletic, though not the shortest — it knows about the tracks over Mt Vic, but you have to drag the route over the mountain yourself.

Definitely worth exploring, even if you’re a dedicated walker, if only so you can boast about the distance to your lazy mates.