On Wednesday, February 25 I took the ferry over to Rangitoto Island while Jody worked. Upon landing, I then hiked up to the summit. The guidebook said it would take one hour. After docking, I asked one of the tour guides which way to go and that I understood that the summit hike would take one hour. He looked at me and said, "No, for you - 45 minutes." I'm so glad I lost 80 lbs. I would have been dead after 30 minutes on this moderately strenuous hike. The island is incredible in that it came out of the sea only 600 years ago as an erupting volcano. Lava fields are everywhere. There is a crater at the summit that is spectacular and covered in vegetation. You can see vast expanses of Auckland Central and the surrounding islands and land masses.
Leaving on the ferry from Auckland's dock, complete with one of the local cruise ships.
Views from the summit looking directly down into the crater.
Top of the world (actually, closer to the bottom).
My fellow hikers.
Our ferry dock from the summit.
Vast fields of lava rock undisturbed for 600 years.
The summit from the dock. Hard to believe I was just at the top.
Leaving the island for the trip home.
On our way to and from the ferry stopped at Devonport, the island with two volcanoes that Jody and I visited when we first arrived.
Just to illustrate how fast the weather changes, compare this afternoon return weather to this morning's weather.
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