Rangitoto is an iconic landmark of Auckland as its distinctive symmetrical 260 metre high shield volcano cone is visible from much of the city. Much like the 'Sleeping Giant' in Thunder Bay, not much goes on there except as a destination for hikers seeking to escape the city.
The hike to the summit is not easy ... not because of the incline or the elevation, but more because of the heat and terrain. The island is made from volcanic rock whose dark shade of black serves to soak up the sun's rays and raise the temperature on the island by at least 5 degrees C. Hiking requires careful attention to the trail ahead as there is no chance of a cushioned landing if one should trip. More likely the feeling would be just one degree better than landing in molten lava.
We ended up having to rush back down the mountain to make sure we didn't miss the last ferry back ... for some reason images of me with Mr Frodo and Sam leaping from perch to perch while dodging hot lava as we descended down through the danger to land safely at the wharf with little time to spare. (Can you believe I once got kicked out of "Let's Pretend 101" at York U's faculty of Fine Arts!)
BOSgone
1 comment:
Let's pretend 101? What the heck are you talking about? Looks like that trek could only be outdone by Mom and Dad's into the deepest darkest jungles of Indonesia. I still shake my head at the thought that the tourist "suite" was the shack over the pig pen! By the looks of the apartment, you guys are really roughing it!
love from Sonya
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