Auckland Area



Me at One Tree Hill



We passed through the Auckland area on our way to the north part of the north island and spent the better part of a day outside the city (and we were able to get our passport photos, no problem).  We decided not to go into the city since we had already been there with the cruise ship.  Our destination was One Tree Hill, as well as Mt Eden; both are volcanic cones with nice views of the city area.  U2 has a song called One Tree Hill (on their Joshua Tree album), that was dedicated to a former roadie of theirs who was killed in a road accident - the hill was a favorite place of his.  Incidentally, One Tree Hill no longer has a tree on it!  Long, long ago there was a totara tree at the top – the Maori considered it sacred. The British settlers chopped it down in 1852 and planted a Monterey pine tree in its place.  Maori activists attacked the non-native pine in 1994 and finished the job in 2000. The result is One Tree Hill has no tree and probably won’t until local land claims (between the Maori and the government) have been resolved.

Daron has been itching to snorkel, having brought his snorkel and mask along on the trip and not been able to use it much.  New Zealand is famous for its diving spots, but not so much for snorkeling places.  We found one area north of Auckland that was rated as a great place to snorkel called Goat Island Marine Park (they used to call all islands…).  The marine park was a small inlet behind an island, with an even smaller beach.  Yet again, we and 1,000 of our closest friends were there. 

Daron and his wounds

Snorkeling in New Zealand is not for amateurs, that’s for sure!  For one, the water is cold – a lot of people wear wet suits, others (like my warm-blooded hubby), do not.  The current can be quite strong and can be dangerous if you’re not a confident swimmer.  Daron was snorkeling in one area and looked up to find the current had taken him way down the beach!  Besides the current, there are sharp volcanic rocks along the shore to watch out for too.  Daron took two turns of snorkeling (had to get warm in between sets) during our time at the marine park.  The second time he went out a little farther to a small cove on the island across the way.  While in shallow water, a wave picked him up and pushed him against the volcanic shelf, turning him upside down and scraping up his forearms and shins.  He was able to right himself before the next wave came along and tossed him up on the shelf.  Bleeding from his arms and legs (and Daron is a bleeder – sometimes I think he’s part hemophiliac!), he swam back to shore to recuperate.   His wounds are healing fine now, but it’s a good reminder of the power of the sea, even in the most serene looking bay!