Rangitoto Island

We bid farewell to Kathy and Paul this morning as they flew to Sydney today in preparation for their flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and then Minneapolis tomorrow morning. After they left, we walked down to the harbour to see all the sailboats. Auckland is known as the "City of Sails" due to its abundance of sailing vessels. It has hosted the America's Cup a couple of times, in fact.

A little after noon we took a ferry to Rangitoto Island. The island was formed by a volcanic eruption around 600 years ago, and now rises 850 feet over the Hauraki Gulf. It is a public reserve managed by the Department of Conservation. There are no permanent residents on Rangitoto, but in the early 20th century a small community lived in baches (simple holiday houses). A few remain today.

We hiked up the path to the summit lookout, which was about an hour's walk uphill. It was challenging due to the incline and the loose rocks. The lady at the ferry terminal told me my walking shoes would be okay, but she lied. I should have gone back to the apartment for my hiking boots which have more support as well as better insulation from the rocks.

The views from the top were great, and we enjoyed the many birds we found on the island. The fact that so much plant material sprouted out of lava is amazing to me. A few things were still blooming despite the fact that it is fall here.

Once back in Auckland we went back to the harbour as there is an industrial area that has been redeveloped into walking paths, shops, restaurants and playgrounds. It was very interesting to check out. By then our feet were killing us, so we came back to the apartment to eat dinner and do laundry. We head for home tomorrow!

Coromandel Peninsula

We rented a car today and drove south and then east to the Coromandel Peninsula. The drive through the Coromandel Forest Park was filled with steep, windy roads. The scenery was quite different than what we had seen in Auckland. We saw Hot Water Beach, where the water was cold. But supposedly if you dig a whole in the sand where the hot springs are located within two hours of low tide, the water that fills the whole can heat to 140-147 degrees! We also visited Hahei Beach and Cooks Beach before beginning the long drive back to Auckland.

Before returning the rental car, we stopped for our last dinner together at Di Mare Cafe & Restaurant where we had an excellent meal. Corbins leave in the morning to fly to Sydney, where they will catch their flight home to Minneapolis on Wednesday. We will have one last day in Auckland before leaving for home from here, also on Wednesday.

Sunday in Auckland

We had a quick breakfast in our apartment before making our way over to the Sky Tower this morning. Located in the central business district of Auckland, it stands at 222 meters tall (728 feet). We took an elevator to the viewing room on the 51st floor. It offers 360 degree panoramic views of the city. If you so desire, you can bungee jump off a higher floor. We opted not to do that activity. It was great that we arrived fairly early in the morning as it was not too crowded.

From there we walked down to the wharf and caught a ferry to Devenport, a peninsula located about a 10 minute boat trip from downtown. There is an old Victorian town there, as well as many places to eat and shop. But the best part was walking up a very steep hill to the Bunker, which was used during WWII. The bunker itself was pretty interesting, but the views from the top were of the hill were spectacular. Later the guys wanted to stop for a beer before taking the ferry back, and we shared a table with a young couple from southern France who are working in the Auckland area for a year. It was fun to talk to them and hear about their adventures. Tomorrow we are renting a car to explore more of the North Island outside of the Auckland area.