We started out exploring the local areas including the town of Devonport. You can see downtown Auckland in the background. There is a historical naval site with bunkers which Jonah enjoyed.
We took a ferry from Devonport over to Rangitoto and climbed the volcano, which is the island on the title page of our blog. This is us at the summit. Rangitoto means "fire in the sky" as this island erupted from the sea in a series of dramatic explosions around 600 years ago. Maori people who lived 'next door' on Motutapu Island would have watched it grow out of the ocean when it formed! Rangitoto is 'pest free' as many areas of New Zealand are. Being a secluded set of islands, the flora and fauna are very delicate to outside plants and animals. On many hikes you have to rinse off your shoes so that you don't transport seeds into an area where they don't belong.
The kids enjoyed the lava caves.
The kids enjoyed the lava caves.
Our next local trip was to the Waitakere Ranges which are on the Tasman Sea, 1 hour west of where we are living. Naysa chose our hike - can you tell? We looked but did not see any fairies.
The nearby beach at Piha is a surfer's paradise and is truly spectacular. The sand is black & metalic so it sticks to anything magnetic (like our camera case)! In the summer it is common for people to burn their feet because it gets so hot. Piha is home to a surf rescue reality show in NZ called Piha Rescue...Baywatch for Kiwi's.
The locals call this rock formation below Lion Rock. It splits Piha into the North and South beaches, and is a pretty iconic west coast image.
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