Don't Fall Into the Crater... or Out of the Tower: Day 3 in Auckland

Day 3 in Auckland was nothing like the others, except that we took the bus... and climbed a volcano.


The crater of Mount Eden with the Auckland Skyline beyond
Photo by Erin Grigson

10. Mount Eden

 

Me trying not to fall in the crater.
The sign reads:
Do not enter crater. This fragile and sacred area is easily damaged.
Photo by Josh

So many people recommended it that Mount Eden was one of the top things I wanted to do in Auckland. And it did not disappoint.

We hiked through the Tahaki Reserve and Eden Garden to get to the summit.

The difference between Mount Eden and the other volcanic peaks we climbed is that Eden has a crater. A very large crater. A very large, deep crater.

And once again, there were amazing views. The perk of this peak was that, like at One Tree Hill, you had 360 degree views of the Auckland Skyline, the sea and Hauraki Gulf Islands beyond.

We walked around the rim of the volcano before we headed back down to our last stop on the list (at least for this trip).

The horizon from the rim of Mount Eden
Photo by Erin Grigson



Sky Tower in Auckland
Photo by Erin Grigson

11. Sky Tower

We took the bus to downtown so we could go to the top of one of the tallest towers in the world.

The Sky Tower in Auckland is the 25th tallest tower in the world at 328 metres and THE tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. Finishede in 1997, it weighs 21 million kilograms, or roughly the equivalent of 6,000 elephants. The elevator (or lift) travels 18 kilometres per hour, which means that when we went from the basement to the 51st floor, it tookabout 40 seconds.

The 51st floor is the main observation level at 186 metres from the ground. The Sky Deck is on the 60th floor, which is 220 metres (or 722 feet) off the ground.

On the 52nd floor, there is a restaurant called Orbit 360 Dining, which rotates once every hour. Princess Anne, Prince William, and President Clinton have all dined there.

The tower lights up most of the year and each color means something different:

• Yellow & Orange - celebrating Matariki
• Pink - Mother's Day & New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation
• Rainbow - Pride Festival & New Zealand's Rainbow Community
• Red - ANZAC Day & Poppy Appeal and Valentine's Day
• Blue - SKYCITY Breakers
• Red & Green - Christmas
• Green - St. Patrick's Day
• Red & Gold - Chinese New Year
• Dark/No Lights - Earth Hour

 

This is a little piece I like to call "51 Floors in 22 Seconds."

Talk about a view. If you've ever thought you've been "in the view," you're not until you're up that high and looking out across the city, the water, and beyond.

Harbour Bridge from Sky Tower
Photo by Erin Grigson

Rangitoto Island, Devonport and Auckland from the Sky Tower
Photo by Erin Grigson

Mount Eden and One Tree Hill in the distance from Sky Tower
Photo by Erin Grigson

SkyJump: top left, from the 51st floor; top right, the bullseye that jumpers land on;
bottom left and right, from the ground, jumpers coming at the bullseye
Photos by Erin Grigson 

The things I just couldn't bring myself to do, but looked really cool on camera, were the SkyJump and SkyWalk.

Both are things I definitely wish I could do, but am just not brave enough to. The SkyWalk offers a 360 walk on the OUTSIDE of the Tower, literally walking (while wearing a safety wire) the circumference of the tower on the 53rd floor, 194 metres off the ground. The SkyJump is like a mix between bungee jumping and ziplining. Jumpers free fall 192 metres straight down and land on a bullseye on the ground.

We got to see them jumping from the observation level and from the ground. They all looked elated, flying through the air.

After Sky Tower, we grabbed lunch and then walked back down to Viaduct Harbour to finish our trip.

After that, we headed back to the house to see Matt's family before our flight home.

Total steps today: 16,043.

We ticked off 11 big things and then some off my list. We definitely made a dent, but there's still lots to do in Auckland. I guess we need to start planning our next trip!

Walking on Beaches & Hiking Up Volcanoes is a Great Workout: Day 2 in Auckland

Day 2 in Auckland was very different than the first. The biggest difference? We had a car. No buses today.

 

Lava rock beaches in Devonport
Photo by Erin Grigson

4. Devonport

A small sandy beach with some lava rocks in Devonport
Photo by Erin Grigson

Next stop on our list was Devonport. I would describe it as a suburb of Auckland. We drove over the Harbour Bridge to get there, but you can also take the ferry. The day before, when we were going to Waiheke, the ferry made a stop in Devonport. If you're carless in Auckland, there are still plenty of options to get around. (You can take the bus, too.) Devonport is a 12-minute ferry ride or 15-20 minute car ride from downtown Auckland.

We parked and walked along the water. It reminded me a lot of walking in Charleston by the Battery. The biggest difference, though, was on the water's edge. While there is a stretch of sandy beach, after that, there's lava rocks on the shore. Josh and I walked down on those rocks and it was pretty cool, thinking that it was once molten lava.


Auckland Skyline past the lava beaches of Devonport
Photo by Erin Grigson

From Devonport, you have a gorgeous view of my new love, the Auckland Skyline.

Rangitoto Island from the top of Mount Victoria
Photo by Erin Grigson

5. Mount Victoria

After we finished walking around Devonport, we drove to the bottom edge of Mount Victoria.

The hike up to the top was only about 500 metres, but was at at least a 45 degree angle, if not steeper.

Takarunga (the Maori name for Mount Victoria) is one of the many dormant volcanoes all over Auckland. Its lava flow is what we had walked on in Devonport. Takarunga means "the hill standing above," which is perfect considering the breathtaking 360 degree views we had of Devonport, Auckland, Rangitoto Island and the other islands in the Hauraki Gulf.

Along with the incredible views, Mount Victoria also houses on army bunker and a signal station.

We stayed up there for a bit, just trying to soak up and capture the incredible view. Unfortunately, no photo will do that justice.



Auckland Skyline from the top of Mount Victoria
Photo by Erin Grigson

Rangitoto Island from Takapuna Beach
(I always felt like we had a view of Rangitoto and
I definitely wasn't complaining.)
Photo by Erin Grigson

6. Takapuna Beach

Matt and his family were at a playground in Takapuna, so we headed that direction to grab lunch.

Compared to Onetangi Beach the day before, this beach was packed. But it was still an early Spring day, so most people were walking along the sand, not laying out.

It seemed like almost everyone but us had their dog with them, but they were so cute. After lunch, Josh and I walked up the beach to this really great rock wall. The whole beach had a view of Rangitoto Island, which is a scenic reserve, so you're basically staring at paradise.

(Rangitoto Island was on my list, we just didn't have time to go. I guess we'll have to go back to Auckland!)

Sails galore from Takapuna Beach
Photo by Erin Grigson

Cool rock wall at the end of Takapuna Beach made for some fun framing opportunities around the distant Rangitoto
Photo by Erin Grigson

How did I end up with a guy who looks like a model, but won't let me take photos of him??
That just means I have to sneak and do it.
Photo by Erin Grigson

7. Mission Bay

Beach view of Mission Bay, once again looking out on Rangitoto
Photo by Erin Grigson

Since we had the car, we were trying to cover all the farther away places outside of town. We headed to Mission Bay, which meant a drive back across the Harbour Bridge, past downtown and around the bay.



The "City of Sails" was never a more perfect name than the
Saturday we were there.
Photo by Erin Grigson

Here it was apparent why Auckland is called the "City of Sails." It was a busy Saturday out on the water. I saw so many sails in all sorts of colors: red, yellow, pink, purple, blue, you name it.

On Mission Bay's beach, you once again had a beautiful view of Rangitoto along with the rainbow of sails going by. This beach was not quite as crowded as Takapuna, but still busy. Some people were actually swimming, which is crazy in this still chilly weather.

According to Josh, in summer, Mission Bay is where you go for the beach and then to grab some fish'n'chips.

There was a large grassy park separating the beach from the commercial street full of shops. That reminded me of Waterfront Park in Beaufort.

I loved all the different colors of the sails.
Photo by Erin Grigson

That red sail was making me a bit nervous for the sunny yellow-sailed boat... Just saying just because you don't hear about pirates in Auckland doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Photo by Erin Grigson

There was lots within walking distance. I can definitely see Mission Bay as a good place to take a large group of people because there's bound to be something for everyone.

8. Cornwall Park

Caption this in the comments!
Photo by Erin Grigson

Cornwall Park is this huge park close to downtown Auckland (and really close to Matt's house). It's also where you can find One Tree Hill, but we'll get to that in a minute.

All throughout the park, which is about 670 acres, you can see sheep, some roaming free.

We walked through a large amount of the park, which is so full of life with the sheep, large sections of green farmland, and huge, old trees.

I definitely got up close, but not too personal with some sheep since they're very shy, scared animals. But those lambs are so darn cute!

Sheep are everywhere in New Zealand, but they were REALLY everywhere at Cornwall Park:
in fences, roaming free, climbing the volcano cliffs, etc.
Photos by Erin Grigson

9. One Tree Hill

One Tree Hill (now technically 9-tree hill)
Photo by Erin Grigson

One Tree Hill on a gloomy day
Photo by Erin Grigson

Maungakiekie, better known as One Tree Hill, is one of the most well-known landmarks in Auckland. As I've said a few times, the city is made up of multiple dormant volcanoes and One Tree Hill is the peak of one of them. Also, it's more than 28,500 years old.

Both ironically and unfortunately, the "One Tree" is no longer there. It was removed after multiple attacks were made against it in protest. However, in 2016, 9 young, native trees were planted in its place. (They are currently guarded by a metal fence to give them a chance to grow.)

At the top of the summit, which seemed to take forever to reach (probably because the climb wasn't as steep as some of the others we've done), stands a really large monument. The obelisk was erected at the behest of Sir John Logan Campbell Kt who, according to the monument "VISUALISED AND DESIRED THAT A TOWERING OBELISK SHOULD BE ERECTED ON THIS SITE, THE SUMMIT OF MAUNGAKIEKIE, AS A PERMANENT RECORD OF HIS ADMIRATION FOR THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHARACTER OF THE GREAT MAORI PEOPLE."

Sir John is buried at the foot of the monument.

The other side of the monument reads: "THE FIRST MAORI PEOPLE TO VISIT THESE SHORES WAS KUPE, A POLYNESIAN NAVIGATOR, IN THE YEAR 925. THE FIRST SETTLEMENT UNDER TOI TOOK PLACE IN 1150. THE FIRST ORGANIZED EMIGRATION FROM HAWAIKI TOOK PLACE IN 1350 WHEN THE ANCESTORS OF THE PRESENT MAORI RACE ARRIVED AT VARIOUS POINTS ON THESE COASTS IN THE NOW HISTORIC CANOES TAINUI, ARAWA, MATA-ATUA, AOTEA, TAKITUMU, HOROUTA, TOKOMARU, AND OTHERS. IN 1840, THE TREATY OF WAITANGI WAS SIGNED WHEREBY THE MAORIS ACCEPTED THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE BRITISH CROWN AND WERE THEREBY SECURED IN ALL THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AS BRITISH SUBJECTS."

The other two sides are the above two messages translated into Maori.

Like most of the hikes we took on this trip, it was absolutely worth the trek. There were gorgeous views of Auckland in every direction.

After that "walk," we were done with sightseeing for the day. We headed back to Matt's house for the night.

Some people apparently use One Tree Hill as a creative place to propose.
This photo was taken in one of the craters next to the monument. There were 2 proposals written there when we visited.
(The two people down there were just making their own mark.)
Photos by Erin Grigson

Total steps after today: 19,502.

Stay tuned for Day 3, our final adventures in Auckland this trip.

An Island of Wine and Sailboats Galore: Day 1 in Auckland

Josh and I flew from Christchurch to Auckland on Thursday night. The flight is about an hour and a half, give or take a few minutes. Josh's brother Matt lives there with his family, so we were able to stay with them for our 3 nights in town.

As you might have read in my post How Many Sheep Does it Take to Raise a Kiwi?, Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, with more than 1.5 million people.



The Auckland Skyline from the ferry
Photo by Erin Grigson

 The city is also unique in that Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on 2 different major bodies of water. The Manukau Harbour connects to the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour opens up to the Pacific Ocean. That being said, it makes for a special walk "across the country." Adventurers can make the trek from Viaduct Harbour on the east coast to Manukau Harbour on the west side of Auckland in roughly 5 hours. (We did not do the cross-country hike, but we saw lots of the sights that people enjoy on that walk in our travels.)

The city is also surrounded by multiple dormant volcanoes, but we'll get to more about that later.

My favorite thing Auckland is known for? Sailboats. Auckland is known as the "City of Sails," which I will also get into a bit more later.

Our sightseeing started on Friday morning.

Rangitoto Island, a scenic reserve in the Hauraki Gulf, from the ferry
Photo by Erin Grigson

1. Waiheke Island

We caught the bus to downtown. (Transportation in and around Auckland is really amazing and not very expensive!) We took the ferry over to Waiheke Island. The ferry runs about every hour on the hour and costs $19 there and then $19 back. (You can use the bus card to pay for this as well as your transportation on buses in Auckland and on Waiheke, so it's a really great option.)

Waiheke Island is the most populated and second largest island in the Hauraki Gulf in the Auckland Region. Around 10,000 people live on the island and another roughly 3,500 have batches (holiday homes) there.

More importantly, Waiheke is known as the "Island of Wine." I forgot to count the exact number of vineyards, but there were at least 10 (maybe 15) vineyards on the island. Waiheke vineyards regularly win awards, but the wines are pretty expensive because of the small size of the vineyards. There were multiple varieties of wines made there, from Bordeaux, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and, of course, Sauvignon Blanc.



Our view for lunch of Oneroa Beach (or pretty close to it)
Photo by Erin Grigson

1. A: Oneroa

Me and my delicious Mandarin Thai Basil
gelato from Island Gelato Company.
So. Good.

Our first stop was Oneroa Beach for some lunch. I recommend the Oneroa Beach Club. They had lots of good lunch options and a great selection of local wine.

They also had a pretty nice view of Oneroa Beach.

1. B: Island Gelato Company

I had the Island Gelato Company on my list of places to go, but I was surprised to find it was open on the island. In my research, I had read that it was only open on the island seasonally and since it's only just Spring, I figured we'd have to go to the location in the ferry building back in Auckland.

Luckily, the location in Oneroa Village was open and I got to taste some deliciously unique gelato.

They had some wild flavors, including Salted Passionfruit Coconut, Burnt Caramel Coconut, and Mandarin Chocolate Coconut among others. I tried two flavors, Blueberry, Sake & Lime and Mandarin Thai Basil. I went with the Mandarin Thai Basil. It was unique with the fresh taste of the basil mixed with the sweet/citrusy mandarin. So good.

Onetangi Beach on Waiheke Island
Photo by Erin Grigson

1. C: Onetangi Beach

Onetangi Beach
Photo by Erin Grigson

I took my gelato on the bus with us (which I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do until we were on the bus, but the driver didn't say anything) when we headed to Onetangi Beach.

Onetangi is basically on the opposite said of Waiheke from the ferry building. The bus ride took about 45 minutes, but was definitely worth it.

In my research, I'd seen photos of this beach with beautiful flowers and it did not disappoint. The beach was basically deserted on the Friday afternoon.

From there, I had really wanted to go to Man O'War Vineyards. I felt like, as a Kentuckian, I really needed to go. However, it would have taken us at least 2 hours just to walk there, let alone the 2 hours back, so we opted out of that one. However, our next stop easily made up for that.



Photo by Erin Grigson

1. D: Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant

Sipping a 2018 Mudbrick Pinot Gris from Waiheke while looking at the Auckland Skyline
Photo by Erin Grigson



Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant
Photos by Erin Grigson

When we came back from Onetangi, we got off the bus at Oneroa again and took off on our hike to Mudbrick.

While Josh had decided weeks ago that we were going to go to Waiheke, he hadn't said anything about what we were doing once we got there. So, like in Nelson, I prepared a list of places I wanted to go. On that list was Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant.

What I didn't know when I had decided that was that Matt, Josh's brother, had gotten married at Mudbrick almost 5 years ago.

The hike was roughly 2 kilometres UPHILL THE WHOLE WAY, but the view from there was absolutely breathtaking.

We went into the bistro there and each grabbed a glass of wine. I chose for us both a 2018 Pinot Gris grown on Waiheke. For $17 NZD a glass, it was pretty delicious (it wasn't a moscato, but still good).

While enjoying our wine and the amazing view, we realized that there was a wedding about to happen up on the hill (the same place Matt had gotten married). We didn't see the wedding, but it was a perfect day for it and I can't imagine many places in the world that could be any more beautiful to get married.

Luckily since the hike on the way there was uphill the whole way, we had a 4 kilometre hike downhill (we decided to head straight the ferry instead of waiting for the bus, which added 2 ks). We caught the 5 o'clock ferry back to Auckland.

The "City of Sails"
Photo by Erin Grigson

I loved the ferry. It made for some incredible opportunities to shoot the islands we rode by and of course the Auckland Skyline, which I fell in love with. Out of the 600 or so photos I took, I'm betting at least 300 of them are of the skyline. Breathtaking.

2-3. Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter

Harbour Bridge surrounded by sail boats in the "City of Sails"
Photo by Erin Grigson

Blue lights of Viaduct Harbour, Sky Tower lit up in pink
(More to come on the Sky Tower in Day 3 post)
Photo by Erin Grigson

In my research, I saw multiple people say how much they loved Viaduct Harbour, so that was our next stop.

As I said, Auckland is known as the "City of Sails." Our pilot on the way to Auckland even introduced it as such as we were landing: Welcome to the City of Sails.

When walking along the Viaduct to Wynyard Quarter, it's obvious how it got that name.

There are so. many. sailboats.

And while they aren't quite an impressive with their sails down, they still make the atmosphere really amazing. Sails are so ingrained in the area that they are incorporated in the designs of non-vessels. For instance, there's a draw bridge that cyclists and pedestrians can use to get across the Viaduct to Wynyard Quarter and it's shaped like a sailboat. In fact, I thought it was a sailboat until we were on top of it.

We walked from the ferry building all the way to the end of Silo Park in the Wynyard Quarter to have a beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge before we turned around and went all the way back.

We finished our night with a walk up Queen Street to grab some dinner. (Pita Pit is quickly becoming my favorite fast food restaurant in NZ.) After that, we grabbed the bus (the wrong one, but it's all good) and finally got back to the house.

Viaduct Harbour against Auckland Skyline
Photo by Erin Grigson

Total steps in Day 1: 24,408. Not bad at all.

Stay tuned for our Day 2 adventures in Auckland!