RANGITOTO AND AUCKLAND

Rebecca, a girl from Switzerland who was sharing my room at the YHA and I went on a boat trip from Auckland harbour to Rangitoto Island.
It is a volcanic island that is now a public reserve.It erupted from the sea in a series of dramatic explosions around six hundred years ago.
Thank goodness it is dormant now!! so we climbed to the top and walked around the crator. It was worth all the exercise because we were treated to some breathtaking views of the harbour.
I also loved the silence standing at the top. It was the peace and quiet I had been looking for for so long on this trip. I knew instantly that I was going to like this country very much. We had to take our own food and drink onto the island and I have to say that Rebecca persuaded me to have a Subway sandwich.(yes Sammie I know I said I would never eat one!! )You can see that I was not convinced I would like it, but to my surprise it was very tastly and healthy.


OK Sammie you were right!! hee hee.
Later in the day I went up the Sky tower, which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. There was a glass floor so that one could see all the way to the ground!!
And of course there are those idiots who pay to be lowered down off the side of the building!! I just sat and watched them in amazement as they were stopped for a photo to be taken, before being lowered the rest of the way down.

The following day Rachel (who I originally met in the Australian outback)and I went to the markets in Auckland and explored the town. Then we went to meet up with Kate and Lyn, who had invited me to stay with them at their house in the Bay of Plenty , on the east coast of The north island. Kate and my friend Katy in Hull went to university together.So Kate kindly agreed that I could stop with them. They had driven to Auckland to attend the exhibition of a Maori woman called Tangata Whenua who was exhibiting some of the crafts she makes.
It was an honour to be there at the opening. The Maori community did a special performance of a song and blessed the exhibits before we were all offered food and drinks. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as they sang and recited their prayer. We left arranging to meet up with them again tomorrow to travel to their house in Opodiki.
In the evening Rachel and I met up with Rebecca and we went to the comedy club.
In the lonely planet it said that it was the best comedy club in Auckland and we have to agree as we saw some very good acts.
On the Sunday Kate and Lyn came to collect me from the hostel.