Well, we have walked all over this city. In our first days, we explored Ponsonby, Parnell, Newmarket and the city centre on foot; we took a harbour ferry tour, and even climbed to the summit of Rangitoto, the youngest island volcano in the world. Yesterday we hiked the 16 km "Coast to Coast" trail through Auckland City, from the downtown harbour, to the Domain, Mount Eden, and One Tree Hill. We have seen a lot of Auckland in a week, but our adventures are only just beginning.
Today we are packing up and getting ready to travel north, to Whangarei, Paihia, and Kaitaia, where we will try to orient ourselves towards Cape Reinga. This is the very northern tip of New Zealand, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific. No buses travel that far north, but we hope to arrange a shuttle to Waitiki Landing, where there is one last Backpacker's Hostel. From there, we can hire a ride to Te Paki, and arrange a pick-up four days later, in Kapowairau. In the meantime, we plan to hike the 40-km stretch of trail from Ninety Mile Beach, to the Cape, and around the ridge to Te Horo Beach. (That practice run on the Juan de Fuca trail would have really come in handy.) Our supplies are packed, with dried food, water, tent, stove, and a good map. The weather forecast is 17C and sunny for the next two weeks.
Adventure... here we come.
Well this is a short post..I can see the comment box without having to scroll back and forth while I try to note the interesting things I'm finding in your musings. Oh well...nonetheless, it's amazing thinking about all the sights you're seeing and feeling like you've walked right around the country before the end of the month! It's impressive to say the least.
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