Auckland & Rangitoto

Auckland is a very nice city and the summer weather has been absolutely perfect since I arrived. The one noticeable difference is the intensity of the sun at this southern latitude. I’ve been told that the ozone is thinner in the part of the world so more care needs to be given to protect oneself.

Auckland is a hilly city set along a waterfront with a cluster of high rise buildings packed around the imposing Sky Tower. Just beyond the downtown there are some nice older neighborhoods with Victorian and Edwardian wood constructed homes. Parks find their way in hidden urban valleys or atop and around hills. Outside of city center plenty of green fills the in between with a nice variety of trees and gardens.

Yesterday, Sunday, I took a short ferry ride to the island of Rangitoto. It’s an old volcano that is now a nature reserve. It’s an easy hike of an hour or less to the summit for a nice 360 degree view. From the top there are a couple of options for making a loop. The largely forested island is interrupted with pockets and fields of lava flows. The island is home to the largest Pohutukawa forest. No one lives on the reserve but there are a few old holiday cabins dating back to the early 1900’s. In New Zealand they are called a “Bach” pronounced “Batch”.

Rangitoto is a very popular day trip from Auckland for hikers. I walked a loop up and over the top that led to shoreline and stopped for a break at a nice little beach. On the way along the shore I met a Korean woman who is living in Auckland for three months taking English courses. I wound up walking with her for awhile as we talked.

Auckland is a very international city. It’s a melting pot with lots of people from Asia and India. I remember it being this way when I first visited the country in 1989. Outside of Auckland I don’t recall New Zealand being very international aside of the travelers. However, maybe that's changed. I'll see. Speaking of travelers, I’d say most I’ve met so far are German. In the three days I’ve been at the place I’m staying it seems like most everyone has been from Germany while the others have been from France. Most are in their 20’s. There was a nice older French couple staying in the room across from me but their English wasn’t that great and my French is terrible. I’ve had to remind myself a couple of times that I'm in an English speaking country.

I’ll spend one more night in Auckland and will move on tomorrow. I plan to take a boat to the Coromandel Peninsula. I’m still a bit jet lagged and my sleep hasn’t been that great. I’ve also had some vertigo the last two nights that woke me from my sleep. I guess if I am going to have vertigo, the middle of the night while lying in bed is about as convenient as it can be. I've been able to go about the day normally. I’m still adjusting to the time change and all and expect things to even out over the next few days. In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy the perfect summer weather.