Only a 20 minute ferry ride from Auckland CBD, Rangitoto was a volcano I always saw from afar. Whether that be from Takapuna, Devonport or Mission Bay, the dormant volcano was on my bucket list since arriving over 2 years ago.
With Waitangi Day (New Zealand’s 4th of July) falling in the middle of the week (no work on Wednesday, Feb 6th!), it seemed the perfect day for a day trip. My old flatmate and I bought our $36 round trip ferry tickets a day before hand to confirm our spot on a 9:30am departure.
Many people had the same idea as us, and most of them were families. Once we got off the boat, we decided to take the less traveled “Coastal Track” to beat the crowds to the summit.
Along the coast were some ‘baches.’ Before WWI, there were over 100 holiday homes on the island. During the Great War, and again in WWII, Rangitoto was used as an Army base. Soldiers would camp out at the summit to keep an eye out for ships and aircraft coming toward Auckland.
The trail was very hot, as we were basically walking on volcanic ash! There was no shade and the heat was pumping back up from the black gravel. At least the view was nice.
After about an hour and a half we made it to the East coast of the Island and Yankee Bay. From there we headed North-West to the summit.
It took us about another hour to make it to the summit. I was exhausted and so excited to eat my lunch at that point. Do note that this direction has a steeper ascent to the top and includes some stairs.
The summit was crowded with people and had little shade. We walked right into a bunker to get some relief from the sun and take some photos of the North Shore.
Going down the way everyone came up we saw even better views of the city. That being said, the views coming back into the city on the ferry are the best.
Once we got back to the dock we waited for the next ferry at 2:30pm. I put on my bathing suit and jumped in the water. It was so refreshing!
I would definitely recommend this hike for anyone in the Auckland region. You do need to come prepared with plenty of water and food as there are no stores on this reserve. Although there were lots of families, I would not bring children under 5. There are bathrooms close to the dock but you should bring back all of your trash.
Tip: Sometimes, a camelback is just worth it.
Have you done a hike on a volcano?