We could see the nearby big city of Auckland as we approached the anchorage at Rangitoto Island
There are daily ferries to Rangitoto from Auckland, which drop passengers at the trailhead on the south side of the island. For boaties, the most convenient way to get to the top would be to walk Summit Road, which goes right by the small anchorage at McKenzie Bay. Since the weekend was fast approaching, and since we could see through our binoculars that there was no one yet anchored there, we decided to head over right away to claim our spot.
There were two other smaller boats there by the time we pulled into McKenzie Bay, as well as a few kayaks on the beach, but there was still just enough room for us. Maryanne and I stayed aboard the rest of the day, just to see how everyone was swinging. We needn't have worried, A couple hours before sunset, they all upped anchor and headed home, leaving just us.
We were up relatively early the next morning, with a mind to getting to the summit before the wave of passengers off the day's first ferry.
Volcanic landscapes and (surprisingly) easy trails
We sort of made it. We were enjoying the views when we started having a lively conversation with the other two people there – a pair of accountants from the city who come here all the time. By the time we said our goodbyes and peeled ourselves away, our time advantage had been lost. As Maryanne and I were headed to our next goal, a set of lava caves, we were descending through the first throngs reaching the top.
We found the caves. Since we were part of the small subset of people who brought lights for the occasion, we were two of only a few who actually entered. The second cave had entry and exit points that were tight enough to discourage casual entry, but Maryanne and I had the gear; we were going!
It was fun to explore the Lava caves
Back outside, since we didn't have a ferry schedule to worry about, we decided to take the long way back to Begonia via a second circuit of the central cone, the trail to the ferry stop, a trip to the small museum, and then the coast road back to McKenzie Bay.
That last one was a bit funny. As the afternoon wore on, we encountered lots of people going the opposite direction, each with an increasing pace. I wouldn't be surprised if the last of them, upon seeing the casualness of our outbound amble, were sure that there was NO WAY we were going to make it back to the boat on time.
We did, and she was right where we left her. By the time we had stowed the dinghy and gone for a refreshing dip, the runabouts, jet-skis, and kayaks were all gone and it was just us again for the night. We even had a view of the Auckland skyline. Sometimes, it really is good to have your own boat.
Anchorage location >> On google maps
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