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20th October 12
With it being Labour weekend and the weather warming up we both decided to venture to another Island. So we headed to Rangitoto. Stevie was a little hungover from her work drinks, so we decided to get a McDonald's to get her on track, it was busy. We only had 20mins to get to the Ferry which would have been loads of time, however we forgot that it was the world triathlon weekend and most of the city was fenced off for the track. So it was a mission finding our way to the harbour and grabbing a Maccas.
Luckily we made it with a couple of minutes to spare. So off we went to Rangitoto. Rangitoto Island which is Māori for 'Bloody Sky' is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, its about 5km wide and is an iconic with its distinctive symmetrical volcano cone that rises around 260 metres high.
Our walking boots havn't been used since South America, so we got them out of retirement and put them to work.
When we docked we headed to an old ruin of an stone arch. Thinking it was an old Mãori monument or ancient place of worship, no it was the entrance to the men's toilet built by convicts. Brilliant!
We decided to climb to the top of the volcano. Stevie lagging behind with her hangover.
On the way up the surroundings were very strange. The whole island was formed by this volcano so the ground is very hard and uneven. Mounds of black volcanic rock piled up either side of us. Trees spread across the island creating a blanket of green.
After about an hour we got to the top. It was beautiful. We looked into the extinct crater. Out at sea the Hauraki Gulf glowed turquoise. We could see most of the Islands, like pockets of green Utopias. In the distance on the horizon was the sky line of Auckland's CBD.
After reaching the top we decided to trek to neighbouring and much older Motutapu Island.
Which is linked to Rangitoto by
a causeway built during the World War.
After a long 1.30hr trek across the volcanic rock we reached Motutapu,
It's was a beautiful island. Green meadows, blissful coasts that complimented the sea, it was tranquil.
We leisurely strolled up the hill to head to a remote recommended beach. When out of nowhere a truck come flying around the corner. In panic and slow motion, we both freak out, freeze, hesitate, jump several ways before our brains realise we are no longer in danger when the driver slows down and drives by laughing. Maybe it's shock but we both crack up too at our stupid reaction. Maybe this was a sign we should head back. We decide to press on.
The footpaths become a bit of a labrynth. We think we have taken the correct route. We pass loads of old bomb shelters that are buried into the hills, it's like a military hobbit shire. Warning signs alert us that they are unstable and could collapse at any time. We navigate our way through. Almost at the beach. We climb over a fence and head across the field. Stevie spots a couple of cows and starts freaking out. I try and get her to relax but she won't. Especially when they stop and stare and two of them run over to another one. She wants to turn back. I convince her that we can walk around them. We head over the hill, Stevie clinging on to my arm. Over the hill we see that there are about 40 cows in front of us. I try and get Stevie to calm down so we can cross the field unnoticed. But all her hyper freakin out grabs their attention. They all stop and stare....
They group together and slowly walk towards us. I know if we run they will give chase so I try to remain calm. I hold out my hand in the stop motion. They freeze, then about 40 other cows come running across the field for the action. I manage to stop them with my other hand. So I'm am surrounded in a semi circle by about 80 cows. The only thing holding them back is both my hands up in the stop motion. I turn to see if Stevie is still with me, I see her disappearing over the distant hill. She must of ran before it got ugly. Meanwhile the cows are edging each other on to get closer and closer. I start claping and trying to make myself look big. It stops them for a while before they all edge forward again. I realise if I run, I will not be able to outrun them to the other side of the field. Especially when they are like two foot in front of me. I can picture it now. Me running across the field being chased like indian jones, but with cows instead of indians.
(Stevie later said when she turned around all she could see was me with my hand out and all these cows surrounding me and thought, what the f@&* is he doing)
I spot a fence and bushes, it's not ideal but at this stage I can't control them any more and more cows are coming. I slowly work my way to the fence and jump over it. They all come charging over! Im in brambles with no clear path out. Cows one side and a shear cliff drop the other. I try and play a bit of Justin Bieber on my phone thinking that may scare them off. No reaction. I realise the only way out is to venture deeper in the brambles and work my way out the field. It's so dense, I'm cutting my arms and making more noise then a choir boy alone with a priest. The cows end up following me all the way down. They start fighting and humping each other. I feel like I'm in a cow version of jersey shore. Stevie calling me on my mobile checking where I am and if i'm still alive... erm little tied up at the moment.
Finally they spot Stevie and charge off towards her. I make it back to the previous field. Safe at last I look around for Stevie, Where is she? Then I spot her as she appears from behind a bomb shelter. There's me on the front line and she thinks cow Armageddon was coming and hiding in a shelter..
After all this drama we decided it was time for lunch so we head to the safer Islington bay wharf back on Rangitoto.
We found a quiet spot on some rocks that looked out over the bay. We chilled in the sun and had lunch. We knew it was time to leave when we got surrounded by seagulls. They too made a circle around us. Fearing they were allies of the cows and wanted to pursue an air attack we quickly left.
On the way back to the boat we decided to take the 2hr coastal path.
This led us passed Yankee wharf which we think was named after the American army that was based there during the war. Fearing an attack from the Pacific.
This walk was a mission! It was the same forest scenery all the way and the ground was uneven and hard. Our feet really took a beating from the rocks and our heads from the sun. We realised later that we got sunburnt on this walk. As the night went on we went redder and redder and just to top off the humiliation I had a white strap mark across my neck where the camera sat.
Finally back at the Wharf we hopped on the boat and headed back.... A quick kip and Pizza we chilled with a film.
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21st October 12
The next day we headed to the Auckland Art gallery and watched a bit of the Auckland world triathlon in the city.
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