John says: The Coast to Coast walk could also be called the Auckland Volcanic Activity walk as there are 50+ volcanoes in the area and the walk goes to the top of several with views to others.
Wikipedia says: The Auckland volcanic field is an area of monogenetic volcanoes covered by much of the metropolitan area of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, located in the North Island. The approximately 53 volcanoes in the field have produced a diverse array of maars (explosion craters), tuff rings, scoria cones, and lava flows. With the exception of Rangitoto, no volcano has erupted more than once
Auckland is said to have the most boats per capita of any city in the world. Checkout this view from the bus window as we roll into town.
The view of the 1076 foot tall Sky Tower from our hotel room.
We walked the 16 km Coast to Coast path across Auckland, from Manukau on the Tasman Sea in the south to Waitematā Harbour in the city center. From our hotel in the CBD we rode the suburban train from Waitemata (Britomart) Train Station (below) to NewMarket to Onehunga.
At the start of the walk we looked across the water to Māngere Mountain Volcano. Sporting two craters, it's 106 meters high and was the site of a Maori fortified settlement.
However we were not headed south to Mangere, but north towards the craters and one monument at One Tree Hill Volcanic Peak (182-meters), passing through some older neighborhoods. On the top of One Tree Hill, in addition to the monument to the Maori people, there are 360 panoramic views including a view to Rangitoto Island Volcano (3rd below) which last erupted 600 years ago.
From here, we walked through the One Tree Hill neighborhood, with a spiffy modernist Greenlane Clinical Centre (1st below), towards Mount Eden, the most famous volcano in Auckland. On the way, the walking route took us through the very green Melville Park, built on top of a lava field as a public works project during the Great Depression. The perfect lunch spot!
The boardwalk around the rim of the Mount Eden crater was more than awesome!
The Mount Eden Lookout was a very popular photo op.
From Mount Eden we deviated off the prescribed route, crossing the busiest road in New Zealand IMO, to Newmarket Central to see a Modernist building.
Back on route to the Auckland War Memorial Museum (1st below) and nearby Domain Wintergardens (2nd and 3rd below).
Not quite finished with the walk, we stopped for dinner at Khu Khu Vegan Thai to celebrate Sun-Ling's birthday. Followed by takeout dessert from a French bakery.
Resuming the walk the next day, we stopped by the former Railway Station (1st below), and Ferry Terminal (2nd(, on route to the end of the walk at Viaduct Yacht Basin (3rd).
And always a great sunset view from our hotel window.
Finally, the Threads of Time: Travel, Trade and Textiles exhibit at the Auckland Art Gallery was a refreshing survey of European art from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
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