Rangitoto

 

My first full day (Wednesday) I headed out to the first location on my Auckland checklist – Rangitoto. The small uninhabited island was a perfect place to spend a nice day walking around. There are a few different ways to get to the top, and I chose the Coastal Road which takes you past a Black Back Gull colony (there are few other birds on the island) and out to McKenzie Bay & Beacon Lighthouse. The small beach at McKenzie bay was a nice place for a snack break, and there were a couple people swimming. (A part of me wished I had brought my swim wear but a few hours later I was glad not to be carrying around wet swimwear haha)

Glad for new shoes!

From the bay it is about an hour walk to the summit. At the base it seemed much farther, but with the well groomed paths it was an easy walk. The view (and breeze!) at the top made the effort well worth it though the lava caves off the summit track were a little less than spectacular, being a bit too small to comfortably explore. Breaks included it took a little less 4 hours to walk the long way around.

If you are in Auckland and want an easy accessible adventure outside of the city, this is a great choice. Just don’t forget your sunscreen and water!

View of the city from the summit

Looking up at the summit from base of the trail