Hauraki Gulf, Auckland

Although Rangitoto Island is a dominant landmark of Auckland with its beautiful, near symmetrical volcanic cone I would not consider it as a must-do visit - if you are not particularly interested in geology. For such people it is great because on the island you can see all stages of landform.

I once spent the six hours on the island which was only formed 600 years ago, walking all the tracks. This is rather exhausting because you walk for hours on the rough black lava flows in full sunshine. (Carry lots of water!) Some lava caves are sign-posted and can be visited.

Maps ($1) on the ferry and at i-sites.

The walk to the top of the volcano is in the shade of trees, and from the summit (260m) you have great panoramic views over harbour and city. But to me the most delightful thing up there was the encounter with the silvereyes/waxeyes. Those little birds are very familiar with humans, and so they check the arrivals, and if you do not understand that they want you to feed them they sit on you, your sandwich or even inspect your backpack! They pick from everything they can find, apples, bread and cookies.

At certain times of the year tramping is more pleasant than at others, for example during the flowering season of the pohutukawas of which Rangitoto has the largest remaining forest in NZ.

A more relaxing way of exploring the island is booking the 2hr 4WD tour with Fullers. They even take you to the base of the summit, so you have to walk less than 1km on a boardwalk to enjoy the views. From your guide you can learn about flora and fauna which can be helpful for tourists who are not familiar with the huge range of endemic plants.

Fullers ferries depart three times daily from Auckland and Devonport. The journey takes 30mins.

AKL dep. 9.15am, 12.15pm and 3pm, Devonport 10 mins later. Ticket $20/children $11.
Guided tours ($50/26) only with 9.15am and 12.15pm sailings.
Dep. from Rangitoto 9.45am, 12.45pm and 3.30pm, Sat/Sun also 5pm.

The Rangitoto ticket is included in the Auckland Superpass!

If you get a chance, charter a yacht and go cruising around the Hauraki Gulf. we are blessed with so many islands you are guaranteed to find shelter close by in most winds. The choice is endless and there are heaps of opportunities to go fishing, diving, or like here, just enjoying the sunset.

If you get a chance you must go sailing on the Auckland Harbour.

The Pride of Auckland Company operates its fleet of large purpose-built sailboats on Auckland Harbour and its trade mark Blue and White sails are a frequent site.

A must do activity whilst in the City of Sails - for international, national, and locals visitors alike.

If you love the water and happen to be in Auckland over the summer, you should hire a kayak and go to Brown's Island. It not too far and has an easy walk up to the summit which will afford you wonderful views of Auckland City and the Hauraki Gulf

From the Sky Tower you can get this view of Auckland harbour which is part of the Hauraki Gulf. You can also see the Port of Auckland, NorthHead (on the Northshore) which stretches out in the middle and the formidable Rangitoto Island in the background.

At Hauraki bay you find houndred of Islands to Discover, there are feries to many of them and also organized tour on the wildest and more interesting ones. Getting to the Islands is easy as there are many ferriesa and you can do day trips to them. Waiheke s the one I visited.

A day trip to Rangitoto Island.
Rangitoto Island is an extinct volcano at the entrance to Auckland's harbour. The island is a reserve, and is covered in 'bush' (the Kiwi term for forest or woods). The island is only about 257 metres tall, so it is a pleasant walk to the summit where you can get a fantastic view of the beautiful Hauraki Gulf and its many islands, as well as of Auckland city. Try counting some of the sixty or so small volcanoes in the Auckland area that you can see from here.
If you aren't into walking, or you don't have the time, there is a nifty little 'train' (it is really some carriage type things pulled by a tractor), that will take you up. Many tourists purchase a ferry ticket from Auckland that includes this in the price.
Take your lunch as there are no shops and take plenty of drink. Also, please make sure you carry your rubbish off the island with you.
By the way, this was the last of Auckland's volcanoes to erupt - about 700 years ago. Rangitoto means 'bleeding skies' and it is the tallest and largest of Auckland's volcanoes.