Auckland is a major city in the north of New Zealand's North Island.
Auckland has a subtropical climate and is considered the warmest city in New Zealand. Auckland's average daily summer temperatures range from 15C to 24C and its' average daily winter temperatures range from 8C to 15C.
We arrived in Auckland on September 16th, at the beginning of spring and the weather was pleasantly warm at 22C and we spent the day in bright sunshine with some onshore cool breezes in the late afternoon.
Auckland has a remarkable number of volcanic cones and craters in its urban area. There are 50 cones and craters within a 6km radius of Auckland and the city's oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano. Most of the volcanic materials of these cones and craters areas were quarried by early European settlers and who used it used for building houses and public buildings. The abundance of volcanic materials also provided an excellent road base for many of the roads across the city and it was also used to create parklands and sporting grounds around the city.
We had visited NZ by ship last year on the 2018 World Cruise where we'd hiked in a National Park, walked along the famous Black Beach and visited the "Hobbiton" Movie Set-(a wonderful experience!)
This year we decided to do some more hiking on Rangitoto Island which can be seen from many vantage points along Auckland's harbour shores because it lies only 8km northeast of Auckland Harbour where we'd berthed.
We left the ship at 9am, bought sandwiches and fruit at the wharf and stowed them in our backpacks together with some water and energy giving snacks. After purchasing ferry tickets for Rangitoto Island we joined some other adventurous travellers for a 10 minute safety and information session.
Rangitoto is renowned for being a serene "pest-free" wildlife sanctuary. It is administered by The Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust – a charity based organisation which relies upon volunteers to care for the island and donations from bushwalkers, conservationists and big businesses interested in supporting the preservation of Rangitoto as a serene "pest-free" wildlife sanctuary.
As part of the conditions of entry onto the island all visitors must agree to 3 things:
1. A bag search: for seeds, rats, mice, lizards or ants which could inadvertently be introduced onto the island and potentially destroy the eco-system. No open bags are allowed on the island. All bags must have zippered closures so that no loose items can escape.
2. The cleaning and inspection of their shoes. The soles and sides of shoes had to be brushed on specially-designed raised mats to remove any foreign items or particles or seeds so that nothing that threatens the environment can be transported onto the island by foot.
3. Agree to store all food scraps/ rubbish in sealable plastic bags (provided with ticket) and to return these to the mainland. It was so encouraging to learn how careful the trustees of the island are in looking after this pristine island.
We were thoroughly checked before we were allowed onto the ferry.
Once on board we began the 35 minute trip to the island. Coffee, tea and snacks can be purchased on board but all must be consumed before arriving at the island.
Arriving at the wharf on Rangitoto a huge sign reminded all visitors that the last ferry leaves for Auckland at 3.30pm on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends.
Looking back we could easily make out the skyline of the city we'd left behind.
We headed along the boardwalk track leading to one of the many trails around the island. On either side of this track were piles of what looked like piles of lava crumbs, all hickerly-pickerly strewn across the surface of the island.
In reality the whole island consists of basaltic lava (ejected as fragments from a volcano) with a frothy texture. What a weird vista!
Rangitoto is Auckland's most recent and largest volcanic cone. This iconic island was formed only 600 years ago when an undersea eruption produced what is now a small island consisting entirely of cooled lava.
No one is sure how long it took for the island to form up and out but archaeologists point to some clues. You can read about the findings that scientists like geologists, historians, botanists and archaeologists have uncovered in the large signage that I photographed. It's worth reading.
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