Mount Eden
...So for about a month now (!), we've been living here in the Auckland district of Mount Eden, just away from downtown. Its name comes from the massive volcanic cone that dominates the area (also known as Maungawhau), now a park and once upon a time a Maori pa or fortress. It's about 600-700 feet tall and the highest point in Auckland, so needless to say one of the fun things to do is hike up to the top of it and get a sprawling 360-degree panorama of Auckland. I didn't get a nice photo of what the cone looks like from afar but why, here's one right here.
If you're lucky, you'll see the famous Mt. Eden cows up there, a herd that wanders around there and I guess are looked over by the city. It definitely adds to the rural/urban feel of Auckland to look over a view of skyscrapers while avoiding a cow chewing cud.
Because it was once a volcano, Mt. Eden is actually a huge grass-filled crater now, which makes for a cool sight. (It's forbidden to walk down there now to keep erosion under control.)
From the top you can see the entire city, the harbor and ocean inlets, and on clear days out to the Coromandel Peninsula. You can also see our neighborhood, above, although we'll be damned if we can quite pick out the exact location of my in-laws' house. If you ever visit us down here in the antipodes, we'll be sure to take you up Mt. Eden.
No comments:
Post a Comment