Rangitoto Island Aug 2026

RANGITOTO RENDEZVOUS

Rangitoto Island Sat 8 Aug

Chilled' was the word of the day! Even the weather was chilled out and a pleasant day was enjoyed by all. Weather warnings earlier in the week were predicting rain and cold winds but, apart from a bit of cool wind at the summit, we had a good temperature for walking and dry weather, which was appreciated, even though we all packed for every possible season!

A group of 15 participants arrived at the correct ferry wharf in good time and by 9.15am we were boarding, finding our prefered seats and setting sail on a calm, low cloud morning. We even had a soft rose hue to make the first early morning photos on the open deck of the ferry look extra pretty. There were lots of children on board and a large group of scouts were happily enjoying the wind in their hair as they stood at the bow, the leader, cheerfully standing close by. We were to overlap with them a number of times during the course of our walk but always well mannered, they let us pass as they explored the volcanic rocks on the way.

We regrouped once arriving at the island at 10am and had a time of introductions and quick briefing of what was the approximate plan and timing of the day. Diana took the lead and Barbara came up at the tail end as we set off for the summit at 10.15am. Requests came in for an easy pace, so hence the word 'chill' and we focused on staying together as a group and enjoying the views and conversations along the way
The gradient was gradual for a big part of the upward journey and the path was well formed and easy to follow with good signage. We stopped at the Lava caves junction and a group of 11 members went on a sideways path to check out the lava caves, which was an extra 15 mins one way. The four of us remaining, took a slow and steeper climb on the last section to the summit and waited, with fantastic views, for the others to arrive and join us for our lunch stop at approximately 11.45am. A number of members took the crater rim walk of 15 mins, before we set off again for the descent. The views of the gulf and channel past Whangaparoa and the North Shore were so clear and close and the city and harbour bridge looked small but cleanly formatted. This made me feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful and relatively safe city with so much flora and fauna surrounding it. On the note of nature, we heard saddlebacks, stitch birds and tuis as we walked, letting us know there was plenty of native bird life on the island.

Part way down the track we stopped at a clearing for a devotional time, prepared by Barbara. She spoke on the theme of 'Be a team player' and how this is a biblical concept and is a part of who we are as a tramping club, which attempts to honour God in its practices and beliefs. Barbara referred to the word synergy, being the shared energy of many or much and how, when likened to a finger versus the efficiency of a whole hand, can teach us about working together for the good of the group. Sir Edmund Hilary was part of a large group of climbers all set on reaching the summit of Mt Everest, knowing from the onset that not everyone would make it to the top but working and supporting each other as a group, they would be more likely to see success of a few. Sometimes it takes sacrifice to accomplish much. Our club embraces this concept and it makes for a much safer and enjoyable time for all members.

The last stretch down was straightforward and a number of members detoured off around the Kidney Fern Glen path, which linked up at the wharf, adding only an extra 10 or so minutes. It was nice to have these small, spontaneous options and everyone seemed to arrive back at the wharf in good spirits. A little wait and then the return ferry arrived at the scheduled time of 2.30pm. What a lovely day. Thanks to everyone who embraced a team spirit, with kindness and inclusion shown to all.