Saturday 6 February 2016

Maunga - An Introduction

Thanks Wikipedia
Auckland is covered in small volcanoes or maunga. Approximately 53 cones, craters and maars scattered across the city; some prominent, some barely discernible, and a few quarried away entirely for the scoria rock and gravel. 

Rangitoto, Mt. Eden/Maungawhau, Mt Albert/Owairaka, Mt. Wellington/Maungarei, Mangere, One Tree Hill/Maungakiekie, Mt. Roskill/Puketāpapa, Mt. Hobson/Remuwera, Mt. St. John/Te Kōpuke, Big King/Te Tātua-a-Riukiuta, North Head/Maungauika, Mt. Victoria/Takarunga, the list goes on. Remnants of an ancient volcanic field, or in the case of Rangitoto, not ancient at all.

They are focal points of the city skyline, they name our suburbs, and provide open space for the city. Like any self-respecting Aucklander, I love them.

But like most Aucklanders, I tend to only visit them periodically. Mostly when you're giving the Auckland tour to visitors. First stop, a drive up Mt Eden to show them the city. Even when you live in the shadow of Mt Eden and always mean to regularly walk up it, most people don't. Though as of last month, you can no longer drive up Mt. Eden, so maybe we will all start the Auckland tour with a bracing ascent.

Back in 2012 when we had made the decision to move to Canada, we hatched a plan to walk up as many as we could with the kids. Even though they were only 3 3/4 and 17 months old when we first walked up Mt. Roskill on Sunday the 12th August 2012, we wanted a record of them with their maunga. We didn't know how long we'd be away and we wanted them to have Auckland in their bones, to have the mounts in their muscle memory.

Little Auckland Mountain Climbers - Puketāpapa (Aug 2012)
It turned out we were only away for two and a half years, so now that we're back we've decided to revisit the "weekly" mountain climbing. We'll go back to the ones we conquered, and finally get to those we missed. Shamefully, we never took the children to Rangitoto, and we grown-ups have a idea involving kayaks and Browns Island. It shall happen. I also thought this might be a fun then and now blogging project.

So welcome friends, come climb some maunga with us.







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3 comments:

  1. Clare and Maggie6 February 2016 at 22:42

    I'll climb some Maunga with you! We used to climb Mt Eden with a friend of Hamish's every Saturday morning and it was a wonderful way to start the weekend. This was pre-children of course! I have lived in Auckland for all (nearly) 38 years of my life and I have never climbed Rangitoto! I have been on the island though, which makes it a little bit better. Actually, I'm not certain my sciatic nerve will thank me for climbing mountains, but I do rather like the sense of achievement, and the glorious views, that await you at the top. Let us know when you decide to do Rangitoto, it's the only place remaining on our Under the Mountain tour.

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    1. Erin7 February 2016 at 04:46

      Rangitoto is my little secret too. I've been there, but never to the summit. It was a broiling January day and it was so hot on that scoria oven that we just gave up and swam in the harbour. Actually, a bit of an uncomfortable swim, because the beaches are all scoria too. Ouch.

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  2. Unknown20 February 2016 at 16:01

    We would love to do this with you erin. Lisa baudry

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