Auckland
Taken form the waitakeres. rangitoto island, Mount Eden and One tree
hill (3 extinct, or supposed to be, volcanoes around auckland)
Moon Craters
Just before Taupo coming from Rotorua, maintained by the DOC (therefore
well maintained) and worth visiting. Natural geothermal activity makes
this place look like...craters of the Moon. Still, smells good....
Downtown Auckland
A glimpse of Auckland, city of sails, and the Hauraki Gulf. Left the
sky tower. Center, Devonport volcanoes (Mt Victoria and Northead). Behind
and quite impressive Rangitoto Island. We met a ranger in the area who
told us his (maori) ancestors problably lived (footprints encrusted int
he lava soil) in the area when this island suddenly erupted (during the
14 th Century). He reckon they problably broke the unofficial world record
for the fastest canoe trip between Motutapu Island (the island they were
leaving in, now joined with Rangitoto Island) and the closet shore....
Hauraki Gulf
Chartreuse Ranges
Back in France, view from my bedroom of the mighty Chartreuse Ranges:
The Belledone valley is at 200 m above the sea level, top of the cliffs
at 2000 m !!
One of the best place for paragliding and gliding, great walks also
but pretty dangerous at it can be quite slippery from time to time.
Mt Manganui
Guarding Tauranga harbour lies Mt Manganui, a huge rock covered with
natural bush and sheep pasturages. Great views from the top, of the
East coast up to the Coromandels and down to Wakatane. Beautiful beaches
too but a little bit transforming its shore into a small Goldcoast (heurk
!!) or even worse the French Riviera.
Between Napier and Turangi 1
and 2
Not a lot of people on this mostly unsealed road but great landscapes.
Mom was not happy with my "kind of rally championship" driving style.
13hill
Another auckland volcano with a great 360 view but an amazingly ugly,
tasteless oblesik on the top. Guess it was the best way to say: "it's mine
now...".
Great park around....
Purpoise Bay
(Catlins, South Island)
Best place for a close encounter with endangered hector
dolphins usually swimming around the bay. You need to be brave enough to
wait for them in the freezing water...Was unlucky enough to spot them before
and after fighting the under 15 deg C sea temperature...
From Rangitoto 1
and 2
From the top of Mt Rangitoto, from left to right, Motutapu Island,
Auckland CBD, Devonport, North Shore.
Tongariro NP
Still active tallest volcano of the North Island. The tongariro crossing
is believed the most spectacular one day walk of New Zealand. I did it
and it's great, mainly because of the dramatic change in vegetation and
landscape. I started early in the morning with a freezing -9 deg C, went
up with a chilly wind but with a greap deep blue sky adding layers of polar,
gloves and otherwinter gears and finished in T-shirt and short in the bush
7 hours later...
Overlooking the Tasman
sea (Unspoiled beauty of the Waitekeres)
My playground: lot of tracks, almost nobody around and still the natural
beauty of NZ forest and wildlife. You can still find some big Kauris in
there...
Tamaki River (Sailing
the Tamaki river on a sunny sunday)
Another great sunny Sunday in Glen Innes...
Fiji: Tavewa Island
One of the Yasawa Island. A little bit too small but still great to
relax under the coconut trees on a white sandy beach with the lagoon warm
water just waiting for you...
Fiji: Koroyanitu NP
Several hot hours of walk through Fiji rainforest for this great rewarding
view.
