On our second day in Auckland, we took a ferry to a nearby volcanic island that was formed just 600 years ago. It is named Rangitoto which means blood sky in Māori, as they were witnesses to the eruptions that made the island so many years ago. There are no cars, bikes or services on the island. It is meant for walking only and you need to bring your own water and food with you. New Zealand takes its bio security very seriously and you are asked to check your bags for pests and brush your shoes before boarding the ferry so no unwanted species is introduced on the island.
At the center of the island is the crater, which rises over 850 feet and takes about an hour to get to the top from the wharf. Sophie and I headed there first. On the way, we went through lava fields and Kauri forests rich with trees, ferns and fauna. It was interesting to see the rich plant life next to the black lava fields.
There were also several lava caves to explore on the way, which were formed as hot lava flowed under the initial crust that formed. We actually walked through a pretty long one that was really cool. Luckily, we had brought headlamps with us.
The summit was spectacular, with a very deep crater – much bigger than Mount Eden from the day before. We took a trail that went around the entire rim offering good views of the crater and the surrounding area.
Next we hiked down the opposite side of the summit following a beautiful boardwalk that gave us more great views. From there we hiked a long trail to McKenzie Bay, which is on the west end of the island. This bay featured a very nice beach, which offered a great place to cool off in the water. We had been hiking for nearly three hours in sunny, 80-degree weather, so we were ready for a dip.
We stayed there for about an hour before we had to leave to catch the last return ferry for the day. If you miss it, you are stuck on the island for the night. The hike back followed the coast, giving more great views of the harbor towards Auckland. A sailing regatta went by, making it even more picturesque. We passed a few small historic buildings (baches) along the way. Bach culture was very popular in the 1930s and the island counted more than a 100 of them when people from Auckland would come to party.
We had a great day on the island. We walked over 11 miles and deserved the delicious gelato we got when we docked. We then went back to our hotel and took showers and changed. There was a laundromat next to our hotel, so we decided to do a load so we could wash our swimsuits and towels. While we waited for the laundry, we had the best sashimi bowls at a little hole-in-the-wall Korean place next to the laundromat. We were blown away by the artful presentation and delicious mix of flavors and fish in our bowls. Yum! So far, Auckland seems to be hitting on all cylinders.
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