Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Rangitoto Island

Rangitoto Island is an icon of Auckland City.  It's a perfect, cylindrical cone out in the gulf, just a 30-minute ferry ride away from the city.   It's a dormant volcano, and about four years ago we hiked to the top of it and peered into the crater.


It's one of the youngest land masses in New Zealand.   Rangitoto's birth was high drama.  700 years ago, Auckland was already a decently large city.  People also lived on the big island at the mouth of the harbour, Motu Tapu.  One day, smoke began to billow out of the ocean, and continued for years.  The eruptions piled up and piled up, until it created an island so big that it crawled up Motu Tapu's shore.  Imagine the shock the inhabitants must have felt!



BTW, the boys are feeling much better.


  

1 comment:

Gypsy Girl said...

No pics? Glad to hear boys are all better now.