One must-do activity in Auckland is to visit one of the many islands around by ferry, we chose Rangitoto Island!
This is an uninhabited volcanic island where visitors can walk over lava fields and through lava caves (tubes left behind by the passage of liquid lava). Vegetation varies from ‘raw’ lava fields to scrub and sparse forests including the largest pohutukawa forest in NZ. The lava fields have a distinctive black colour which was very intriguing to see!
The island can be seen from Auckland due to its distinctive symmetrical volcano rising 260 m above sea level,
On the island we started to see the NZ icons: silver fern and pohutukawa! These two plants are a symbol of NZ and can be seen anywhere throughout the country!
According to a NZ friend (Hi Rachel!), January is the time the Pohutukawa start blooming so we were lucky to be here at the right time, they are known as the NZ Christmas tree (due to its red flower).
This is an uninhabited volcanic island where visitors can walk over lava fields and through lava caves (tubes left behind by the passage of liquid lava). Vegetation varies from ‘raw’ lava fields to scrub and sparse forests including the largest pohutukawa forest in NZ. The lava fields have a distinctive black colour which was very intriguing to see!
The island can be seen from Auckland due to its distinctive symmetrical volcano rising 260 m above sea level,
On the island we started to see the NZ icons: silver fern and pohutukawa! These two plants are a symbol of NZ and can be seen anywhere throughout the country!
According to a NZ friend (Hi Rachel!), January is the time the Pohutukawa start blooming so we were lucky to be here at the right time, they are known as the NZ Christmas tree (due to its red flower).