Amazing Volcano Explorer Weekend The End

The End

Well I have to say that I enjoyed this explorer weekend immensely. It was fun, I learnt A LOT. It opened my eyes to see things in a different way and it stirred within me a passion to explore my surroundings more. I am totally going to organise another Explorer weekend another time .. and we did only do 8 of the 50 volcanoes in Auckland!!

When I got home I quickly printed photos so I could finish Riley's Journal.

It is FULL of information and photos!!

We wrote a lot on the day that we visited the volcanoes. Riley and I sat in the back of the car while we were travelling from one volcano to the next. I wanted to get his fresh thoughts on each volcano after we had visited. As the day wore on his answers and descriptions became shorter due to tiredness but I am so glad I took the time to write it all down while we were doing it.  

So here are a few finished pages in the album for you to have a look at. 

What are your children interested in? What do you think would make a great Exploration Adventure?

I challenge you to take time time and effort to do something fun, educational and bonding with your kids. It is totally worth the effort!

Part 1 HERE
Part 2 HERE
Part 3 HERE

Amazing Volcano Explorer Weekend Part 3

Day #2 - Rangitoto

I had booked us tickets on the Rangitoto Island Explorer quite some time before the day we went.

Auckland and Northland were officially in drought. It hadn't rained in a couple of months. So of course the day we had booked to go to Rangitoto Island was the first rainy day. And it was very wet.

But we weren't going to let the weather ruin our experience. None of us had been to Rangitoto Island before so there was excitement all round.

                      

So we put on our raincoats and jackets and headed off to the Ferry Terminal to wait for our Ferry.

The kids were pretty excited about just the Ferry ride! 

There was a pick-up stop at Devonport and then a 1/2 hour trip to Rangitoto Island. We sat right next to the captains cabin so the kids had fun watching him pressing all his buttons.

When we got to the Island we had a quick toilet stop and then jumped onto our transport for the day.

 The tractor driver was our Tour Guide and was awesome! He told us some really interesting stories and he was also really funny so we were laughing a lot too.  I mentioned earlier that is was raining. Well I was sitting on the outside seat and the rain just happened to be coming from that direction. I was soaked about a 1/4 of the way around the track.

I learnt so much about Rangitoto Island that I had NO idea about. Things like the fact there is NO soil on Rangitoto, only rock. Rangitoto has been pest free since 2007. The largest Pohutukawa forest in the world is on Rangitoto Island. The kids didn't get as much enjoyment out of the narration as us adults did and unfortunately the weather made it slightly less comfortable and the scenery a little less interesting for them.

So when we reached the part where we got to get out and climb to the summit it was a relief for them to get to stretch their legs.

There were 300ish stairs to the Summit, which happens to be higher than the 2nd observation deck on the Sky Tower. About 3/4 of the way up there is a lookout to the volcano crater. This was where Mum, Aunty Val and the kids decided they had had enough of the rain and the stairs so they decided to head back down to the tractor. I decided that since I had made it this far I would head to the summit on my own.

Looking down into the volcano crater

So a few more stairs up, I got a lot more drenched and tired but I got to the top where there was a magnificent viewing platform where I got to see the spectacular summit view .....

Well I would have if the top of the mountain wasn't surrounded by rain clouds! I am really glad I went right to the top though.
So I trekked back to the bottom of the stairs where I found my family huddled in their seats having snacks and keeping as dry as they could.

300ish stairs!!

After waiting for the rest of the group to arrive back from the summit we headed off on the trail again. 

The next stop was the Lava Field. This is pretty much unchanged from when the volcano formed Rangitoto about 600 years ago. It was amazing. If the weather was better I would have liked to have explored this more but it was just a quick jump out, look around and then back into the transport for the shelter.

Then around the last part of the track and back to the dock to wait for the ferry to arrive to take us home. 
I had to get a photo with our awesome Tour Guide and he even let the kids jump up and have a turn pretending to drive in his tractor.

Because it was raining the scheduled stops weren't as long as they would have been had the weather been nicer. No one really wanted to have extended exploring time in the miserable weather. So we had about 45 minutes to wait before the next ferry arrived to take us back. Poor Abbey was soaked through, tired and cold. She was pretty much over it and just wanted to go home.

Once we were back on the ferry we ordered Hot chocolates (and a lemonade for the fussy boy) so everyone got warmed up and rejuvenated for the trip home.

Back to the car for dry clothes (thank goodness we packed some!) Then back to Aunty Val's for hot showers!!

Riley said that Rangitoto was his favourite part of the weekend and I would have to agree with him. Regardless of the weather it was an amazing adventure and I would love to go back again some other time in better weather!!! I would highly recommend the Explorer tour to anyone interested in going over.

Stay tuned for tomorrows installment ... the ending!

Read Part 1 HERE 
Read Part 2 HERE

Amazing Volcano Explorer Weekend Part 2

Day #1

Part one of our Volcano Explorer Weekend was all about the preparation. We ended with Riley getting his Explorer pack and then we went to bed ready to get up early in the morning. See Part One HERE

So bright and early on Saturday morning Mr Riley was up and ready to start his adventure

Since we were starting out in Takanini (South Auckland) we decided that we would work our way north.

Did you know that there are 50 volcanoes in Auckland. FIFTY! Crazy huh! We knew that we weren't going to get around to all 50 and I only put 16 in the Journal.  Riley had decided that he definitely wanted to go to Mt Wellington, Mt Eden and One Tree Hill. I really wanted to get to Devonport to North Head and Mt Victoria, plus we had a visit to the Auckland Museums Volcano exhibit.

Volcano #1 - Panmure Basin

I had never been to Panmure Basin. It was a beautiful place. You could see really clearly on the rocks on the shore of the basin the way the lava flowed, it was really cool.

It's amazing when you go somewhere with a specific purpose in mind you see things in a completely different way. I don't think I would have noticed the lava flow rocks or stopped to read the information plaque had we not had Volcanoes on our mind.

Volcano #2 - Mt Wellington

I'd been to Mt Wellington once before but I didn't really remember what it was like. When we got there we saw a whole bunch of guys running around and up the mountain. We learnt that they were league players doing training. After watching the men run looking at the Mountain crater a bit we decided we would walk to the summit up the trail the guys had been running.

After about 1/4 the way up us adults (Mum, Aunty Val & I) were thinking how on earth did those guys run up here repeatedly!
It was worth the effort though because the view was magnificent! And we got to see the full size of the Panmure Basin from up there too.

Looking at Rangitoto from the top of Mt Wellington

Volcano #3 - One Tree Hill

I have been to Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill countless times. On our way up to the summit I made a split decision to go to the Cornwall Park Information Centre. I had never been in there and I was hoping to pick up a leaflet about One Tree Hill or Volcanoes or something we could put in our Journal. Who knew the treasure we would find!!

In the Information Centre we met a VERY helpful lady who showed us to the video room!! There we watched a short video about One Tree Hills volcanic explosion, the Maori Pa sites that were established there and the History of Cornwall Park. It was FASCINATING! I learnt so much about this area that I had no idea about.

They had an area which had lots of books and information about the Auckland Volcanoes which we thought was a Gold Mine! 

After exploring the visitors centre we headed up to the summit of One Tree Hill

After watching the video at the visitor centre and heading up to the top I could look around an see everything with different eyes. You can totally see where the kumara fields were. You can see where the Pa sites were. It was just awesome!! 

Abbey takes a picture of the view

Volcano #4 - Mt Eden

Mt Eden has got to be my favourite Auckland Volcano. I have spent loads of time at the top of Mt Eden with friends and it plays such a fantastic part in one of my favourite NZ books Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee

It was super windy at the top and there were a lot of people. The kids were getting a bit tired and hungry by this stage so we didn't stay up the top as long to explore.

Volcano #5 - Auckland Domain and The Museum

Who knew the Domain was a volcano? Not me! Sadly we didn't get to explore the Domain because as we were heading there for lunch it started raining. We ate our packed lunch in the car and then ran through the rain into the Museum.

We have been to the Museum lots, and we have also been in the Volcano exhibit lots but never with eyes as wide open to the Volcanoes as we did that day. I loved it, the kids learnt new things and going into the Volcano simulation house with a new knowledge was a whole new experience!

Auckland Volcanoes

 Volcano #6 - Mt Victoria

I had been to Devonport loads of times but never up Mt Victoria. I have seen loads of friends take photos of themselves on the toadstools up there so I was really looking forward to seeing what it was like.

Riley & Abbey really enjoyed the toadstools and so did the rest of us!

Mt Victoria was a Military Command Post and there are still remnants of this on the top of the mountain.

With fabulous views of Auckland city we spent quite a bit of time looking out across the water while the kids played on the Toadstools and rolled down the hill.

Look! It's Rangitoto

Volcano #7 - North Head

I think North Head was the kids favourite of the day - leaving the best 'til last!!

I love North Head too. The history of the tunnels and their purpose I find fascinating. We got out our torches and did some real exploring through some of the tunnels that are open.

Tired little (and big!) legs and grumbles starting to come out told us it was time to call it a day.

And what an AMAZING day it was!! Full of discovery and surprises and so much fun!!!

And there is no better way to end a fantastic day than with ice cream!!

Home we went to takeways for dinner and an early night for our next big adventure in the morning .....

going to RANGITOTO!!!!!!

to be continued ............

Amazing Volcano Explorer Weekend Part 1

Preparation 

A while ago on a weekend in Auckland the kids and I and a friend were wasting a bit of time and we ended up up both One Tree Hill and Mt Eden. It was late at night so we didn't get much of a chance to explore. I suggested to Riley that it would be cool if we could have a whole weekend exploring the Auckland Volcanoes. He LOVED the idea so the Volcano Explorer Weekend idea was born. I decided to organise it all as a Birthday weekend for Riley.
So I spend AGES planning the weekend. I found out about where we could go, made a Volcano Explorer Journal, made an explorer pack and got my Mum to sew an explorer uniform.
The Friday before the weekend we headed down to Auckland in the afternoon and once there presented Riley with his Volcano Explorer Pack.

In the pack was:
- Camera                                               
- Pencil Case with Pencils & Pens  
- First Aid Kit                                         
- Magnifying Glasses
- Rope                                                  
- Compass
- Torch                                                 
- Water Canteen
- Head Lamp                                          
- Measuring Tape
- Sketch Journal                                     
- Binoculars
- Tongs (for hot rock collecting)

And in the pack was the Journal I made. 
I bought a regular journal which had a leather look cover. I then covered it with embellishments and spray painted the whole thing. After the paint was dry (I did a couple of coats) I gave the letters a light sand so they looked a bit worn and then I sprayed it with varnish.

On the inside I put maps and photos of the volcanoes we were visiting with decorated pages for photos & journalling. These are just a few pages from the journal.

The Explorer Uniform was sewn by my Mum. We found some cool patches at Arthur's Emporium to sew on the pockets of his shirt. I had some iron on tape which I stamped his name on.
The pith helmet is Jason's from when he was a US Marine

So my little Volcano Explorer was all ready and super excited to start his awesome adventure in the morning!!

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of our adventure!