Middle Earth Adventures

McCrain's in Middle Earth
A travel dialogue of our adventures in New Zealand

In February 2004, Jim and Kathy McCrain began a five month oddessy in New Zealand. Kathy was transferred to Auckland for a temporary work assignment, and Jim followed her for moral support. (Isn't he just the greatest husband?) What follows is Jim's account of this adventure.

Site-Seeing: Rangitoto Island

March 27, 2004

Rangitoto Island is one of about seven large islands in the bay east of Auckland and Takapuna Beach. A short ten-minute ferry ride will land you on the wharf for a day of adventure. Rangitoto is a very young island. It emerged from the sea floor a scant 600 years ago. Drawings made by early English inhabitants in the early 1800s look remarkably similar to what the modern-day visitor will see. Although non-native plants and animals were introduced in the 1800's, the Department of Conservation embarked on a "native restoration" campaign ten years ago. Today, there are no non-native animals on the island, and very few non-native plants. The island looks very much like it has for the past six centuries.

We started with a quick climb to the summit, or nearly to the summit at least. We were headed to the Rangitoto Lava Caves! A few hundred meters from the summit, the intrepid hiker encounters a series of large lava tubes. Tubes like this can be found in most volcanic areas, but it is always a thrill to visit "new" ones. In fact, this was the first time that Kathy had ever seen a lava tube! If you don't know exactly what a lava tube is, here is a very quick, non-technical explanation. Lava, flowing from an active volcano, starts to cool on the top. As it creates a shell, the lava underneath keeps flowing. The new crust helps to insulate the flowing lava, helping to maintain its super-heated temperature. When the volcano stops erupting, the molten lava keeps flowing, emptying out the "tubes" or "caves." Eventually a part of the tube will collapse, thus exposing the interior of the tube. Then, Kathy and I climb through them! Geology made simple!

Of course, there are two types of lave found on Rangitoto. Puhuihui is a "flowing" style of rock. A-A lava is very jagged and rough, being formed by chunks of molten lava being "thrown up" by the volcano and solidifying before it lands. OR it can be formed as a crust that gets broken up by a new up-thrust of lava from underneath. This is the type of lava that Rangitoto Island is made of.

Eventually, Kathy and I made our way to the summit for a look at the surrounding scenery. Needless to say, the views are spectacular! After all, it is an island in one of the most lush parts of the world that I have ever seen. It is a very beautiful island, and I am sure that Kathy and I will come back for more exploration before we leave.

Next Stop? Who knows?

The Adventure Begins!