I moved to Mt Eden today actually, to a smaller hostel where they hired me to clean for accomodation. This is a very common way for backpackers to save money in NZ. I didn't have to work today, so I climbed Mt Eden, where you can see most of Auckland from above. Behind me is the city center where I had been staying up until today.
Mt Eden is the tallest summet in Auckland (it's only about 200m, though). It was once an active volcano, but not the crater is covered in grass and...cowpies! There is a sizeable heard of cattle which lives on Mt Eden. They have a healthy no-nonsense attitude towards tourists. They get this look in their eyes where you can see the whites all the way around the pupil that just tells you "Move or I'll stomp on you", and then you move.
One of the coolest things about Mt Eden is seeing a volcano, a major city, and a heard of cattle all in the same glance. It is very peaceful and there are only a few tourists, really. I enjoyed my hike a lot. It was pretty hot today, climbing up. Another thing I have noticed is that you really feel the sun a lot more here. I am not tanning so much as I am freckling, which is a distinct effect of the hole in the ozone layer. The New Zealand Skin Cancer Society has its own brand of sun screen (and they call it sun cream here).
Here is a pretty good view of Auckland, cows, and crater.
4 comments:
Thank you so much for getting the blog started. I've been waiting patiently for some pic.
S! I agree with your dad - I hope you keep it up!
I like the picture of the cow with it's tail blowing towards it head.... It is just neat!!
Have Fun! J.B.
Neat pictures! It's a "cowdera". Hope this is just the beginning of many adventures!
Post a Comment