Our best flight up to date has been with the Air New Zealand: A spotless new Boeing 777, delicious meals and good on-board movies. We arrive at midnight in Auckland. Hired car at the airport. A bit of getting lost in the middle of the night without Sat-Nav, they call it GPS here.
This could be our motto for the future 🙂
Many passersby at the petrol station try to help us. At the end a giant road tanker guides us to our hotel. On the way there we lose the tanker but the driver returns with his massive vehicle and picks us up again!
Letter boxes, Devonport, Auckland
Next day we drive into the CBD of Auckland. Just 15 min. away. Not too impressive. Like any inner city of the world: busy and overcrowded. From there we drive further to Devonport, a picturesque and relaxing harbourside suburb in the North of Auckland. Many cafés and boutiques along the waterside promenade. Nice and cute residences in the side roads.
Devonport, a harbourside suburb of Auckland.
Hot and humid weather around 29°C during the day. At night the temperature stays above 20°C.
The following day we plan a trip to Rangitoto by ferry. We leave the car at the hotel and take a short ride by train to Britomart, the central bus & train station adjacent to the Auckland ferry terminal built in 1912.
Rangitoto, a volcanic island in the gulf of Hauraki, last eruption 600 years ago.
Auckland is a field of around 50 former volcanoes. Rangitoto is the most recent and largest one. There is no shop or facilities on the island. You have to bring your own water and food along as well as your waste back. There is also no stream on the island. The vegetation relies solely on the rainfall.
View from Rangitoto top.
From the ferry port there is a hiking trail leading to the top of the former volcano and around the island. It takes 1,5 hour through the raw lava field to walk straight to the top. Near the top you can also walk through the dark and narrow caves or lava tubes, left behind by the passage of liquid lava. On top there is the crater of 300m diameter and 75m depth, now covered by trees and one can circle it along the brim.
Outlook onto Auckland.
Back to Auckland ferry terminal in the early afternoon there is plenty of time to stroll through Parnell, a train station further from the port and Auckland´s oldest suburb, now lined by stylish bars, cafés, restaurants and shops. We complete our beautiful day with a nice late evening meal in a fish restaurant near our accomodation.
Waitemata Harbour, Auckland.
Then a walk through Viaduct Harbour to end the day.
Viaduct Harbour Promenade. A place for night life.
We spend our last day in Auckland by driving the car: Auckland Museum, One Tree Hill, and further afield to Waiuku. A small town south of Auckland. Then Karioitahi Beach and and Manukau (South) Head.
One Tree Hill.
The Kentish Hotel, built in 1851 in Waiuku, with the longest continuous licence in New Zealand.
Karioitahi Beach with black sand.
A Teletubbie-landscape.
A pleasant stay in Auckland. Lots of things to do and see. Particularly for nature lovers. As usual: You Need More Time!