A Volcanic Start

We arrived in Auckland after about 27 hours and three flights on Qantas - NY to LA, LA to Sydney and Sydney to Auckland. The butter on Qantas was particularly good.

But our luggage did not arrive with us, leaving us with a horrendous feeling I pray you never go through.

But the feeling did not last long. The luggage dep't at the airport told us it was coming on the next flight and it did. All this was due to the late departure of the flight from LA to Sydney and the short time (30 minutes) we had to catch the Auckland flight.

Anyway, we entered Auckland at about 6 PM, well-hydrated and had a reasonably good night's sleep - which was crucial because Emma's plan for our first day there was a physical test to see if I would survive the trip.

The test was a five-hour round trip hike to the top of an extinct volcano on the island of Rangiroto, reached by a half-hour ferry ride from the Auckland Ferry Terminal. At the top you get a 365 degree view, with Auckland in the distance  and the pyramids of Egypt on the other side. 

The island has no amenities except one installation of urinals. 

The last toilets were eliminated in the 1930s, an event indirectly commemorated with a plaque.

Needless to say, the island has no restaurants, snack or souvenir stands. And no garbage pails. Visitors have to take their garbage back with them 

Luckily, it was a cloudy day with mild temperatures. I could never have done it on a sunny, hot day. More than 2 hours uphill on a packed earth  or stone path liberally sprinkled with small stones and crude stairs.

Fortunately, Emma decided to skip the Lava Caves near the top, hollow tube/tunnels formed from ancient lava flows which you slide through after your near-naked body is greased with a concoction of sheep fat. But we did see plenty of the island's unique form of lava which I call "lava kaka" because of its resemblance to chunks of moist cow or horse manure.

 Here we see an adventurer making her way through one of the many fields of lava kaka.

Internet difficulties and exhaustion force me to end this entry here.
I hope I have strength for tomorrow's 12-hour train ride to Wellington on which Emma has reserved seats on top of the observation car which require you to duck every time the train goes through a tunnel.