Rangitoto Island

Hi everyone!

Today I visited Rangitoto Island, which is just east of Auckland! Diana, myself, and three other friends met in Auckland and then took a ferry. I felt nauseous for some reason, but mostly tired. I was determined to get a good hike in though! This island is full of volcanic rocks, trees, plants of many sorts, and wasps… -_- I had kind of a mini panic attack from all the wasps around me. I’ve never been stung by any wasp or bee or hornet, etc. and I kind of want to keep it that way. Luckily I left the same way I came. 🙂 Diana’s friends were really nice and easy to talk to, which makes a trip more fun! We spent about 3 hours tramping / hiking but wow, was that a workout…! I was sweating so much and my heart rate was pretty up there most of the time. Great workout indeed! We finally got to the summit and saw some amazing views overlooking Auckland:

Of course pictures don’t do any justice, but it was kind of amazing to see a lot of places I’ve been to already and where they are in relevance to each other. I saw Takapuna, Auckland, Mt. Eden, One Tree Hill, and even some other islands nearby. It was definitely worth the inclined hike! Here’s a picture of me at the top of the summit (the only picture I got of myself because I was just dripping sweat …and nobody wants to see that. Ew.).

So why do panoramic photos make this bend? Last time I looked, that railing was totally straight. Does anyone know???

I thought this looked pretty interesting. The moss on the rocks made it look alive. I also found it interesting how the trees around here were pretty skinny. Also, the rocks you see are volcanic rocks, which there will be another photo below.

Don’t know these people and I wasn’t going to wait for them to carry on, but this was an entrance to some very small narrow tunnel or cave. I’m not sure, but it was cool!

Our group minus me.

Lava Cave entrance!

After our view of the summit, we made a pit stop at a lava cave, which was really cool! We had our ‘torches’ ready and did a short exploration (in the U.S. we say flashlights and in NZ they say torches. When I first heard people say torches, I literally pictured a torch. Like a cone-like handle with fire on top. Nope! I was totally wrong.) The hike back was a little challenging in its own way. It wasn’t elevated like the way up, but because the rocks are pretty loose, it was easy to slip. I caught myself a few times but made it out without tripping, slipping, or falling! Boss status.

Volcanic rocks.

We accomplished our hike and waited for our ferry. The only struggle Diana and I had (which happens to us all the time) was the lack of trash cans. I don’t know if we’re just blind or what, but we can never find a trash can! Not even in the bathrooms. Not sure if that’s a New Zealand thing, but it’s totally been a struggle for us princesses. Sigh. I just want to keep our earth clean! Anyway, while waiting for the ferry, I snagged a few photos:

Some water-splashing-action-shot-while-waiting-for-the-ferry picture.

I would definitely recommend coming to Rangitoto Island for a nice hike. The sights are gorgeous, the hike gives somewhat of a challenge, and it’s pretty quiet and desolate here (no shops around). There are also some other hikes that are either more challenging or take more time. We didn’t get to do all of the hikes, so there is definitely some variety in hikes depending on your preference. Day well-spent!

Until next time,

Jess