Running with the Ward's: Devonport

Showing posts with label Devonport. Show all posts

Rangitoto and Devonport

Justin and I had a couple of short adventures recently. We climbed to the top of Rangitoto and we visited Devonport (again). Rangitoto is the volcano in Waitemata Harbour that can be seen from most places in Auckland. On a Saturday morning, we took the ferry to Rangitoto and climbed to the summit taking a detour on the way up to the lava caves. The lava caves were really cool and we used a torch to go deep into one of them. The views from the summit were amazing and we were the only ones at the top so we had the place to ourselves. We had a snack at the top and quickly discovered some cute, little, green birds that were brave enough to grab dried fruit pieces right out of our hands. The whole hike took just over 2 hours and we were back on the ferry to Auckland just as the rain started. It poured down rain for the rest of the day so we were lucky to get in a dry hike before the storm! The pictures are a little foggy due to the impending storm.

Justin with the Auckland skyline in the background

From inside the lava cave

Cute little guy

Lindsay at the summit

Justin at the summit

Close up of our little friend

The next weekend we took a ferry over to Devonport and explored Northhead and the little main street. Although we have been to Devonport numerous times, the walk to and up Northhead is very enjoyable and the views from the top are amazing so we enjoy it every time.

View of Rangitoto from Northhead

Canon at the top of Northhead

Auckland from Northhead

Our ANZAC Day

To celebrate ANZAC Day, Justin and I took the ferry to Devonport (again....b/c my husband loves a boat ride!) for a little beach site seeing and biking. First stop was Cheltenham Beach a short ride from the ferry stop. We laid on the beach for a little while reading and observing the crazy's who ventured into the water. The water is pretty cold here and I was chilly just laying on the beach in shorts and long sleeves! We then biked on a route taking us by Narrow Neck Beach and Takapuna Beach. We thought this would be a leisurely ride based on the distance but didn't account for the constant up and down hills. We were pretty wiped out after our ride. We had a late lunch at a cafe in Devonport called Platters. Platters is a really cute place with views of the bay from your table and really good food. After lunch we took the ferry back home to Auckland. We had dinner that evening with some friends and enjoyed tacos and games! Not a bad day at all for a random Wednesday off work!

Rangitoto from Cheltenham Beach

Chilling on the sand at Cheltenham

Narrow Neck Beach

Looking down the main street in Devonport

Waiting for the ferry back to Auckland

First Weekend in Auckland

Justin and I took full advantage of our first weekend in Auckland. We knew we wanted to get out of the city centre and see some of the famous landscape. We were warned by more than a few people that a huge storm was coming through on Saturday. So we planned to stay in on Saturday and venture out on Sunday which was forecasted to be sunny all day. Saturday turned out to be rainy on and off but overall not too bad. We headed out for a few hours and I got to try out my new gumboots and rain coat. I stayed relatively dry although we did have to hide behind a silo at one point to escape the rain on the dock. We explored an area down by the viaduct that we had not yet seen and visited the Auckland Fish Market. We plan on many more trips to the fish market for fresh seafood to cook up at home! We both tried the fish and chips at a small stand in the market but I did not have a good experience. So far my "I will eat and like fish" plan is not going so well! Luckily there is sushi literally on every corner and plenty of shrimp as well. We also did a little window shopping on Queen Street and some actual shopping (I bought a hairdryer).

On Sunday, we slept in and headed down to the ferry dock around 10:30. In less then a 15 minutes ferry ride, we arrived in Devonport, a quaint Auckland suburb. We absolutely loved our first Auckland excursion! We walked down the beach and then climbed a small mountain, North Head. North Head has several trails you can take to the top and the one we choose highlights the bunkers and remains of WWI fortifications. The views from the top were amazing and I just kept thinking how unreal it is that I live 15 minutes from such paradise! We climbed back down and I took a few minutes to stick my feet in the ocean! In true Kiwi style, I left my shoes off while my feet dried and we took off down the street. We explored the small main street area and stopped at a local cafe for a snack. I persuaded J to try a flat white which is the preferred local coffee choice. We had a wonderful day and cannot wait for many more adventures!