Escape through the Lava Fields

Today I took a ferry to another beautiful site near Auckland: the Rangitoto Island. This volcano ascended out of the sea just 600 years ago. The Maori observed its creation of the island and thus call it the “Bloody Sky”. When the first European settlers arrived in the area, there was still barely any vegetation. It is still obvious how slowly new life is conquering the solidified lava. Here is also one of the few places in New Zealand that is free of mammal pests (remember there were originally no predators here). So there is a lot of bird live here.

I always wanted to climb an actual Volcano, so this was my chance. Since it was a bit late last night, I just got the last ferry to Rangitoto giving me 3h to explore the island. The hike to the top just takes about an hour. However, I really took my time and had a long break at the crater rim. To go back I wanted to take an alternative route through rainforest and lava fields. There were no signs marking the entry to that path but I had deep trust in my navigational skills. However, one hour before the last ferry would leave the island I got a bit nervous. There is absolutely nothing here, just some World War II structures I could use for shelter. I was already too far away from the crater rim to go back. Finally deep in the nowhere I found a sign depicting the path (I had been right all the time). Unfortunately, it indicated that walking back to the ferry would take 1:30 hours. So I started running through the lava fields and jumping through the uneven rainforest gorges. It was actually a lot of fun and far more beautiful than my way up. I really consider doing that again. Finally, I had no problems reaching the ferry terminal in time.

 

Instead of heading back to Auckland directly, I left the ferry in Devonport on the northern shores of the city. It is supposed to be a rather wealthy and touristy part of the town. However, when I was there it just god damn boring and deserted. I was probably too late. The sun was setting and it became pretty chilly. Anyways, it was a really nice trip. Auckland is not so bad after all, IF you manage to get a ferry out of it :D

 

 

05^th June 2016

Waihekes Vineyards

This weekend New Zealand celebrates the Queen’s Birthday. Interestingly it’s another weekend in every country (not that the queen would ever attend). I took the bus up to Auckland and visited one of the islands in front of the harbor. I probably wrote about it already. Auckland is not that much of a beauty, basically a smaller and poorer version of Sydney (Australia). There is quite some begging and drunks in the streets at night. It is quite unlike the rest of New Zealand (which is why most Kiwis hate Auckland if they are not from there). My hostel had no heating and windows that only kept the cold in during the day but were useless at night. So yeah, it´s not my town.

However, if you take a ferry to one the islands in front of the harbor the scene changes dramatically. Aucklanders leave the city if they want to relax. The island of Waikehe is the most popular destination. The island has almost Mediterranean climate all year and is famous for its exclusive vineyards and olive oils along with beautiful beaches. I spend a whole day there, tramping the whole island and indulging some exclusive Chardonnays in the setting sun :D.

A day worth living!

 

4^th May 2016