Coast to Coast

Since arriving in Auckland, I've been harassing my husband to undertake the Coast to Coast Walkway. This 16 kilometer urban hike begins overlooking the Waitemata Harbour and the Pacific Ocean, traverses ancient volcanoes and beautiful parks, to finish at the Manukau Harbour and Tasman Sea. As this past Saturday dawned with blue skies, my Aunt Anne & Uncle Larry committed to the trek so we hopped the bus down to the CBD (Central Business District). Dave & Mikaela were seated in the prime bus seats, as the rest of us shuffled further back. Shortly after we pulled away from the curb, I noticed Dave struggling to force Mikaela to stand. It would seem the excitement of the bus had caused her to poop her pants, and Dave was trying desperately to stop her from squishing it :-)

Once disembarking, we made one quick stop at the public toilets, before collecting our map and heading out. The Waitemata Harbour was sparkling as we left it behind and worked our way across downtown to the University of Auckland Campus; it was here that I realized the provided map was vague at best. Where exactly are these arrows I was supposed to see en route? And why are most of the streets on the map unnamed? Oh well, my cohorts soldiered on without question as I wondered if I was leading us astray. Perhaps Dave sensed my hesitation, or perhaps he truly was thinking of Mikaela's patience, but he took the opportunity to veer homeward as we crossed the Auckland Domain.

Anne, Larry & I continued onward and upward, approaching our first true volcanic climb - Maungawhau - or Mt. Eden for those of us unable to pronounce Maori names. It was on this climb, that I truly lost the trail and wandered aimlessly. Were we really supposed to end up in a cow pasture? In retrospect, yes. The only other way to reach the top is via the road, a good tramp through cow country is definitely preferable. Although I had previously climbed Mt. Eden with Dave & Mikaela, the warm sunshine and lack of a small child made it even more enjoyable. There was ample time to truly appreciate the view; both Harbours are visible and there are no less than seven volcanoes towering over their surrounding areas.

A few more missed turns and extended routes, and we arrived at Cornwall Park, the entryway to Maungakiekie - or One Tree Hill. With mature trees and wide open fields, stone fences and sheep grazing on the hillside, you can almost picture the affluent families of yesterday picnicking on the grounds, parasols in hand. Given our earlier trek through the cow pasture, I shouldn't have been surprised to find us soon making our way through the sheep pasture. I believe I still have proof of that on the bottom on my sneaker. Again, we were rewarded with beautiful views and as a bonus the sense of accomplishment was starting to bubble to the surface; the SkyTower in the distance represented our starting point while we could see the Manukau Harbour only a short distance away. In less than six hours, we'd ridden a bus, changed a poopy pants, and walked literally across the city - what a fabulous day.