This weekend I hiked my very first volcano. After that dreadful incident where I was positively shamed by my hiking companions in the Pyrenees (who didn't posess any body fat) I decided it would be best to hike alone. Truth is that I'm a casual hiker and am usually more interested in the flora and fauna than in reaching summits. Having said that, I did in fact reach the summit, but only after exploring every other path on the island and having taken pictures of many different types of ferns for my beloved sister. The birds here are exquisite as well! The birdsong was a singular experience in itself. Some of them sounded like magical songpipes.

There are fantastic caves to explore created by the lava years ago. When I was a child I always dreamed of caves. The adventures one could have with a cave!! These were everything that I'd ever wanted -except secret. A good cave loses value if it's not a secret as every adventurer knows.

The whole island is full of lava of many colors, lush forests and undergrowth. The summit comands quite a view of the rest of the islands surrounding Auckland. Mountains, island, volcanos and finally Auckland itself. Then there is the peace. Perhaps the peace is what I enjoyed the most. To spend a day in silence listening the the song of life that surrounds you...perhaps this was the chief treasure of the day. I intend to explore more of the islands nearby.