May 12, 2021
Today we circumnavigated Mt. Eden (Maungawhau), taking the streets surrounding the volcano. With their larger houses and established trees, the neighborhoods reminded us of some of the Washington DC neighborhoods that we have explored.
One of the largest of the houses is Tibbs House, a boarding establishment for boys attending neighboring Auckland Grammar. About 120 students currently live in the house and surrounding buildings.
We came across this amazing pohutukawa tree clinging to a retaining wall. It is incredible where pohutukawas can grow. It is not uncommon to see them clinging to the sides of steep oceanside cliffs where you wouldn’t believe any plant, let alone a large tree, could survive.
Because it is a volcanic region, most of the stone walls in Auckland, like the one the tree was clinging to, are built of scoria, a type of volcanic rock. Many of the volcanos have abandoned quarries dug into their side and Maungawhau is no exception. For example, the lower fields of Auckland Grammar, located next to the mountain, are in the site of a former quarry.
Now the fields are artificial but in Mal’s day they were still grass. Because they were laid on top of stone there was no drainage and on rainy days playing rugby on the fields was not too dissimilar to playing in a rice paddy.
Another abandoned quarry on the slopes of Maungawhau is now the site of beautiful Eden Garden. With over five acres of mature trees and flowering shrubs, the feel is of walking through a rainforest. It is an idyllic place to wander the shady paths or sit on one of the many benches.
Mal and Lauren 