Back in Auckland: Rangitoto

So far into our trip, everyone we had met had only bad things to say about Auckland, so it was with some trepidation that we decided to spend our remaining three days there: we had otherwise run out of things to do in the North Island! We spent a night in a really bad campsite: the Kiwi Family Holiday Park in Northshore City (I would never think of taking my family there, plus the 50 NZD fee didn't even include showers!)...

Anyway, the next morning we headed to the port in the heart of Auckland bound for the volcanic island of Rangitoto. After a slight mishap in a car park (glad we took that fully comprehensive insurance policy now!), we got on a catamaran ferry and headed out to the youngest volcano in the Auckland region, some 30 minutes distant. The island used to inhabited but has now been given over as a nature reserve so there are no tarmacked roads and no "proper" houses, just a few baches [sic: read batches - summer homes]. We had great fun wandering around and seeing the fantastic views. Well recommended!

For Bikett: a "crusty bun"

Tout le monde nous a dit du mal d'Auckland, il nous restait 3 jours, donc on se voyait pas passer 3 jours là. On a donc décide de prendre le ferry et d'aller visiter l'île de Rangitoto qui est le plus jeune volcan de la baie d'Auckland. Ce fut un peu galère d'arriver jusqu'au ferry vu la circulation à Auckland, mais on y est arrivé et après une traversée de 30 min nous voilà sur une île où il n'y a pas de voiture du tout, pas de magasins!!! On a passé une très bonne journée à se balader, à voir Auckland (je l'ai trouvé très belle de loin ;)), les autres îles aux alentours, les anciennes coulées de lave. Ça valait le coup.