Category Archives: Uncategorized

April 3, 2023 We started the day with a walk up Windy Canyon, which lived up to its name and required hands on hats. Fortunately, we had been in training going up and down the steps to Annette and Neil’s bach, so were ready for the seemingly endless steps that had been built along theContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

April 2, 2023 On a misty day, we walked through some beautiful wetlands and up through the bush before coming to the Kaitoke hot springs. Thermal activity heats the water running down a small stream and creates small hot pools along its path. The pool we bathed in was almost too hot to get into.Continue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

April 1, 2023 We have heard it said that visiting Great Barrier is like going back In time. It certainly did remind us of New Zealand from forty years back when times were simpler. It is the kind of place where approaching drivers give a friendly wave as they pass you by. Although it isContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

March 31, 2023 Great Barrier Island lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, about 61 miles (100 kms) from Auckland. Neither of us had ever been there, so when our cousin, Annette, asked us to come stay at her bach, we leapt on the opportunity. The island is a long ferry ride or a short planeContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

March 30, 2023 There are fourteen ancestral mountains of Auckland (Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau). They are the volcanic cones that hold the greatest historical, spiritual, ancestral and cultural significance to the local Maori iwi (tribes). So far, we have climbed twelve of them, including Mt. Richmond, today’s summit. It is apparently named for aContinue reading “Mt. Richmond, Auckland, New Zealand”

March 23, 2023 On what felt like the first Autumn day of the year, with clear blue skies and a slight chill in the air, we went for a walk through the streets of Grey Lynn. We dropped in at our friend Kris’s store, Pearl. Lauren took a break from the walk to try onContinue reading “Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand”

March 20, 2023 We returned to the streets of Westmere and this time we had a guide, with our cousin and neighborhood resident, Annette, joining us. There is quite a diversity of housing in Westmere with many new residences springing up among the original homes. Here are some examples. One of the more original homesContinue reading “Westmere, Auckland, New Zealand”

March 18, 2023 The suburbs on the north side of Auckland, across the harbor bridge, are collectively called The North Shore or just The Shore. On a warm sunny day we decided to go for a drive over the bridge and go for a walk along Narrow Neck, one of the beautiful beaches that lineContinue reading “Narrow Neck Beach, Auckland, New Zealand”

March 16, 2023 Next on our list of volcanic peaks to climb was Big King. The neighborhood surrounding Big King is called Three Kings, as the volcano originally had three peaks. The other two have been quarried for scoria so now only Big King, originally the second highest peak, remains. The name Three Kings comesContinue reading “Big King, Auckland, New Zealand”

March 14, 2023 Continuing our climbs of Auckland’s volcanic peaks, we caught the ferry over to Devonport where we summited Mt. Victoria, named for the British Queen. Its Maori name is Takarunga, meaning “The Hill Standing Above”. An important pa (fortified village) once occupied its slopes. In 1841, a signal station was constructed on itsContinue reading “Mt. Victoria, Auckland, New Zealand”