Writing Realm.com

Officially summer!

Twenty-two degrees Celsius - good!

Twenty-eight degrees Celsius with 100% humidity - BAD! 

There are 49 volcanoes in the Auckland Volcanic Field. Some have suffered from zealous and severe quarrying.  However, the map gives a fair idea of what still remains to be seen. The largest are Rangitoto, Mt Wellington, Mt Mangere, One Tree Hill, Mt Eden and Three Kings. Other volcanoes are in the form of calderas such as Lake Pupuke, the Orakei Basin and Panmure Basin.

This is North Head, one of a cluster of three scoria cones in Devonport, formed between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago. Scoria filled North Head's original explosion crater and overtopped the surrounding tuff ring. The eroding cliffs around the base are made of this tuff that was easily tunnelled into for defence purposes during the 19th century and both world wars. A remnant of the tuff ring still lies partially exposed off the end of North Head. Fort Takapuna, on this volcano, with its labyrinth of tunnels and fortifications, was built in the 1880s and 1890s during the 'Russian scare', when it was widely believed that the Russian Navy was about to invade New Zealand. Suggestions of an underground city beneath the volcano, and of fully assembled aircraft stored there, have never been proven. 

This (below) is Waipuna (Panmure) Basin, the (dormant) volcanic caldera very near where I live, now a haven for birdlife, walkers and joggers.  Mount Wellington  can be seen in the background. New research on the Basin has uncovered that there is, in fact, a scoria cone sitting inside the much older maar (explosive) volcano which forms the Basin, showing that a more recent volcano had erupted from inside the crater of the first. Currently scientists have not yet determined whether the new volcano is part of the Panmure event, which took place 28,000 years ago, or is in fact much younger, at about 10,000 years. A younger age would put it closer to the Mt Wellington eruption, and would change scientists' picture of the whole Auckland Volcanic Field. Only Rangitoto show a volcano occurring on the same spot much later.

Rangitoto is an extinct volcano situated out in the Hauraki Gulf, accessible via a short ferry trip.  The Maori would have witnessed its fiery birth some 600 years ago.  The summit is accessible via an hour-long hike on a well-maintained trail over naked scoria beds and lava sheets.  The island is somewhat deceptive in that it is covered with dwarf trees and regenerating forest, but is still basically a barren mass of rock (the trees have grown out of the moss that has invaded the lava sheets and, higher up, from a layer of leaf litter that has settled sufficiently to imitate soil).  I would recommend a visit, because it is like stepping back in time into a more elemental world (but wear stout walking shoes - the scoria is sharp and the incline gets steep at the top).

In the foreground is a lava flow.  These are many and huge on Rangitoto Island. There are also some lava caves in which to peak at the top of the island. Rangitoto features in my book The Overman's Folly.

Taken from the top of Mt Wellington, looking back to the Waitamata Harbour. The iconic shape of Rangitoto Island is clearly visible.

I have an article singing Auckland's praises, entitled Auckland Shines, on Go World Travel's website and (same article) on Family Travel Fun's website.