22.Mai 2008 Blackett Cres, Meadowbank, Aucks

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Here we go. Today a blog in english - a good practise for me and maybe a little challenge for some of you. Never mind, I think you’ll all get it what I’m going to write about.
Now its some time ago that you heard from our weekends out of Aucks. Again there has happened a lot while you haven’t had new stuff to read. So I’d like to tell you something about time gone by since May, 9th.
But, keep aware that there’s another new blog written by the kiwiracket Peter below this one.

Without havin my daily one hour lunch break I decided to finish work earlier. At this bloody rainy Friday I left the lovely office at 3.15ish pm. My backpack was already packed so that I had not to think about anything else until my weekend should have started. At work I had a look on the internet for a suitable accommodation near my target Warkworth but couldn’t find anyone. There was no backpacker around. And I’m not really able to spend more than 20 or 25 bucks per night for an accommodation. It was still raining when I walked through the city nevertheless I didn’t want to give up my plans. For Friday and Saturday my main target was to get to Tawharanui Regional Park (near Warkworth) by hitchhiking, to discover this as beautiful described peninsula and to be back at Saturday night.
I felt a bit sad, when I realized that it might not be the best way to hitchhike somewhere where I couldn’t get a bed for the night. And there was no way to sleep outside without havin a tent with me. So the - like usual - damn late bus brought me back to Meadowbank where Peter sat in front of a nice fire. I was in a bad temper because I hadn’t reached what I actually wanted this day.
New plan: To get up early in the morning and make a daytrip to the park.
With my backpack I drove after a little breakfast into the city which was on its way getting awake. Important to notice was that there was no rain everywhere around Aucks. Against all weather forecasts it became a beautiful sunny day so that I was able to really enjoy it.
Somewhere next to Victoria Park I dropt off the bus, walked a few minutes until I stood near a ramp and put up my thump. While several cars were passing I was laughin about what some people at work said to me on the day before. “You can’t go hitchhiking, it’s so dangerous everywhere”. Yes…sure *g* But: Nothing what a real Friese can’t do in his life! After all I travelled a few thousand k’s in this way during the last two and a half years.
After ten minutes the first car stopped and a guy picked me up. All in all I hitchhiked with five different people up to the north until I was directly in front of the gate of Tawharanui Regional Park. But damn: I looked at the entrance where my hike should have started and it was closed. The surfer who brought me there and I myself read the big red sign which was attached to the gate. “Pest control” Park will open again at May, 26th. No way to do the tramp there. The Department of Conservation wants to kill all the bloody rats, possums and weasels which are hijacking and eating a great number of bird eggs. That’s totally okay and I didn’t want to disturb their work.
So I hitchhiked a bit south to another park. Good for me that I was well informed about several parks located at this coastline. I reached the Wenderholm Regional Park and 12ish am. A beautiful track, that took me through green forest, along the cliffs and partly along the coastline on the beach. After approximately 5 hours I finished tramping and walked out of the park forward to the next little town. With only two different people I hitchhiked back to Aucks, where the second guy dropped me off next to Grafton Bridge where we usually get on the bus after each workin day. I looked at the timetable and saw… believe it or not… I had to wait 13 minutes for the next bus to come. Hehe, that was the longest period of time I had to wait for at this day. I couldn’t imagine, because I was hitchhiking all day long. Nowhere had I had to wait so long for the next person who picked me up. Great!
So I came home satisfied after this nice tramp and prepared my backpack for the next day. We had a great plan!
Probably you will have never heard about Rangitoto. We neither, before we came to paradise. Or should I say New Zealand? Whatsoever, it doesn’t matter because it is the same *smile*
We got up early in the morning again and drove after a too short Sunday morning breakfast with the 8-o’clock-bus to Britomart. After a short walk to the harbour we stood in front of a little ticket store where we bought for 20 Kiwi$ each two tickets to Rangitoto Island.
We had plenty of time, so that we decided to have a second part of a real Sunday morning breakfast: Some tasty coffee drinks. Kiwipeter decided to have a Latte while I preferred to have a cold iced coffee. So we sat in front of a little café next to the harbour. The crossing should have started at 9.15h. After a short stop at Devonport we reached the volcano island Rangitoto approximately 30 Minutes later. We were very happy because the sky which was a bit cloudy in the morning was nearly totally blue. Best conditions for a next great tramp.
Without knowing anything about the island we decided to go clockwise around. We were the only two people, who went this way which was very good so we were not surrounded by noisy tourists.
At exactly 11:11am we made a break for havin a brunch on a little cliff. An amazing view from the seaside to Auckland was reason enough to take some more photos. We enjoyed the food and juice which we both had to bring with us because there is nothing, really nothing on the island. You cannot even buy drinking water.
Our way took us up to the top of the volcano from where we had another time a fabulous 360-degree-view. That was unique! We were able to see some other lonely islands in the bay and even the tip of Coromandel Peninsula, which is not very near by.
We made a second break on top of the volcano. Peter read a bit while I was climbing up on the roof of a hut to have a better view. Again we took some good pictures and enjoyed the sun before we went on to get back to the wharf, from where the little ferry should leave at 4pm.
Back at home we let our souls swing on the couch and told Rose and Kathryn about a next wonderful day we had in kiwi country.

Hoping you’re all doin well, too! Let us know, what’s goin on at home. We are interested!!

Yours Kiwipeter & Kiwiwilko from far, far away!