Sometimes something reminds you of long, long ago! A passing reference to Rangitoto in the media brought back memories of trips as a teenager, via my canoe with some friends, to the dormant volcano. Landing on the scoria beach was no easy task although there were some sandy bits. Vegetation was wresting a living from the black , savage rocks and below the high tide mark shellfish were abundant. We lived in Cheltenham and our house faced directly across at the brooding figure of Rangitoto. 600 years ago it erupted ! 600 years in geological terms is the blink of an eye. The molten lava would have flowed down from the gradually rising summit and the Maori occupants of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf would have been somewhat perturbed, to say the least. My friends and I climbed to the crater at the top and a feeling of wonder crept over us, to think that once it would have been a seething cauldron of molten rock but now was peaceful with trees growing in it. Auckland City sits on 50 volcanic cones, not as young as Rangitoto, but not much older either.
I wish I had a time machine!
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