Rangitoto Island, NZ
Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The 5.5 km wide island is an iconic and widely visible landmark of Auckland with its distinctive symmetrical shield volcano cone rising 260 meters high over the Hauraki Gulf. The volcano erupted about 600 years ago and is the youngest island in the Haurake Gulf.
We took the ferry to Rangitoto Island and took the summit trail to the top and then chose to take the coastal track back to the wharf. It was a pretty long hike, about 8 miles, and we had to keep up a pretty good pace. The ferry only departs from the island three times in the afternoon, with the last ferry leaving at 3:30. We sure did not want to miss that last ferry and spend the night on an uninhabited island without water or food.