Rangitoto Conquerors
Trip Start
Sep 07, 2003
1
6
28
Trip End
Sep 07, 2004
Auckland, New Zealand
Monday, December 1, 2003
A perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone, Rangitoto sits at the entrance to Auckland Harbour, its once fiery crater now dormant and covered in trees. A very different story to the 200 years of violent eruptions which formed it only 600 years ago - apparently to the horror of local Maoris living on the neighbouring island of Motutapu!
After a 20 minute ferry ride, we landed on Rangitoto and immediately set off up the slope to the summit, following the path cut through huge swathes of volcanic rock. This side of the island is a mass of black pumice-like boulders of all shapes and sizes, creating a weird landscape and a feeling of walking on the moon (not that I'm qualified to make this comparison, but never mind!) The lack of birdsong added to the eerie atmosphere (apparently too little food and water for them).
An hour later and we were at the top, where the 360-degree view of Auckland, the Harbour and its islands was stunning. We watched rain clouds dump on the city centre across the bay, skirt round us and then shroud neighbouring Motutapu Island in a grey blanket. In typical Auckland style, the weather was everywhere but here!
The rest of the day we spent on a beautiful walk following the coastline around one side of the island. We walked along the shore opposite Motutapu Island, sitting pretty across a gorgeously calm stretch of water, sheltered by the 2 islands. Yachts to die for bobbed about on the turquoise sea and the increased vegetation and sheltered shoreline meant birds were now around. In fact, Marcus nearly stood on an incubating egg as he crept close to check out a couple of screeching black seabirds, with long red cylindrical bills. Not being twitchers, we'd no idea what they were, but they really need to learn to build their nests in a safer place!
The last part of our walk was a killer. Over an hour of stumbling along a rocky uneven "path" - really just a trail of hard lumpy volcanic rock. Despite the beautiful scenery, I was glad when we finally arrived back at the ferry pier. One and a half hours early for the return sea-kat, we promptly fell asleep in the sun on a couple of wooden benches!
You really can't come to Auckland and not go to Rangitoto. Besides the fact that it has a unique and beautiful landscape, it's just so there from everywhere you look in the city, that it begs to be climbed. For lazy tourists, there's even a little train that takes you to within 800 metres of the summit, but that's cheating!
