Jul 7, 2008

Scary Volcano

Auckland From Mount Eden By way of background, Auckland is built on an area that has been formed volcanically, and in the not so very distant past either.

At the museum, when we went, there was a whole section devoted to volcanoes which was loud and graphic and which scared poor little Eloise somewhat.

Nicole was ill on Saturday, feeling tired and headachy, so to get her some rest time I suggested to Eloise that we go and see a real volcano, which in retrospect was a poor persuasional tactic and she was convinced that if we went to one it would explode beneath our feet and render us extinct.

But I made some enticements, probably to do with sweeties, and we set off catching the bus up to Mount Eden which is the tallest volcano in the area.

It was a pretty tough climb for me, because I had to carry Squeaky up for most of the way, but eventually we lost the path and decided just to head straght up the slope hand-in-hand on the slippery just-rained-on-grass to the top, which we then discovered wasn't the top at all.

So we climbed down into a saddle-bole which may or may not be the correct term, then up an even steeper slope to the rim of the volcanic crater where we were harrassed by Japanese camera-bearers with an unhealthy fascination with little redheads. You just can't get away from them.

"it's hotting me" said Eloise shivering in the biting wind. "There hasn;t been hot rock down there for an awfully long time" I replied. "Are you enjoying yourself?" She looked at me and said "Yes. I want to go home now. I need the toilet."

So we followed the path back down, got down in fifteen minutes flat and were soon emptied and waiting safely for the bus when, you guessed it, the heavens opened.

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