Day 29 - Auckland's Black Beaches & Auckland Reflections

Wednesday January 25, 2012

After a hearty breakfast, we set off to black sand beaches. I thought we would take public transportation but this beach was further away than I expected. When we walked outside, I was surprised to see a bus, much like the one we took down the Great Ocean Road, waiting to take us to the beach. The ride was fairly smooth as we crossed the city but as soon as we got further away from the city center, the ride was rough and the turns were frequent. Mild nauseating was starting to set in so I made sure I kept looking out the front window. There is also something about any type of bus that makes me nauseated… the smell. I don’t know what it is but every vehicle capable of carry 10 or more has a distinct smell that doesn’t help my motion sickness.

I fared well and managed to not get sick. We arrived at the beaches and we were at a complete loss of words for how beautiful they were. The Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles were awesome, and bigger, but the beaches here with the hint of a tropical look was much more inviting. Of course the water was freezing. Before we arrived at the beach, we all noticed a large rock, much like and “apostle”, in the center of the Piha beach. Jason, myself, and some others immediately determined we were going to climb it.

We were able to take steps and well traveled paths partially up the rock. Around the halfway point, a sign clearly states for you to not try to go further to the top. Feeling a little ambitious and adrenaline seeking, we disregarded the sign and continued. We hopped the fence and continued down a path that had once been well traveled but was not off limits. I can only imagine why it was closed. I will admit the path was sketchy in parts and I was unsure of the stability of the rocks. The scenario of a massive earthquake-driven rockslide was flashing through my mind. After some small altercations with New Zealand thorn bushes, we made it to the top.

The view was great and I don’t believe my pictures did the scenery justice. It is also hard to show how tall the rock mass is in a picture. It was pretty tall. After taking some pictures up top, we started the trek back down. With careful foot placement and “2 points of contact” at all time, Steele led us back down the rock. Although I am usually not a rule breaker, this was worth it.

Afterwards, we spent some time on the beach. The sand is really fine and awesome to walk on. It is also dark black when you pick it up. Apparently it is a product of volcanic eruptions and contains iron, which makes it respond to magnetic forces.

We got back to our apartments around 2:00 pm and have the rest of the day of to finish schoolwork and prepare for our departure to Queenstown tomorrow morning. The next couple of days are going to be nonstop going so I hope to get good rest tonight. 

 This made for a cool picture.

 A park we stopped at on the way to Piha.

 View from just over the hills of Piha beach. That is 

that rock we proceed to climb.

 Look at the reflection on the wet black sand. 

 And this is how we climbed the rock.

 Great views along the way

 About halfway

 Jay found a grassy knoll to rest on.

 This reassures me of my safety...

 We climbed halfway up just for this? Rules are silly. 

And we continued.

 Up we go into the forbidden lands.

 A view down from the top.

 Me and Steele on top.

 View from the top.

Our nauseating van.

Auckland Reflections:

Built Environment:

Auckland is one of New Zealand's largest cities. It contains the usual big city flair, such as high-rises and busy streets. It did, however, contain an awesome sky tower in the center. The sky tower has really become an icon of Auckland. In relation to my thesis research, New Zealand did not contribute as much. Chris, Jay, and I were able to land a tour of a new 6 Greenstar building, but most of the points were not awarded in the area of water conservation. Since New Zealand is an island with a tropical-like climate, rainfall is common and droughts almost never exist. Because of this, no water shortages have sparked any type of action on water conservation. Most homeowners to harvest the rainwater in tanks in order to save money.

Natural Environment:

New Zealand's environment is much more desirable that Australia. The entire country benefits form regular rainfall and droughts are rare. New Zealand customs and border patrol are extremely stringent which is a huge reason New Zealand has been able to preserve its natural environment that is free from foreign invasive species such as kudzu. The island is made up of beautiful mountain ranges with glacier fed lakes. The beaches are beautiful but the currents are harsh and cold. Overall, I really enjoyed New Zealand's temperate climate and I was sad to leave it. Australia is much hotter!

Local Culture:
The local culture was very different than other places we have been. Unlike Australia, New Zealand inhabitants really embrace the native Maori culture and really ensure it is included in many day to day activities. A huge Maori museum sits in the middle of A accomodating uckland. New Zealand's native rugby team had Maori traditions that have carried on for years. Also, the Maori descendants are noticeable throughout town and are accepted for their heritage. I don't feel this is exactly true in Australia. The Aboriginal culture is not as widely accepted or embraced no is a country icon, such as a sports team, based on Aborginal tradition. I really believe the connection with the native Maori culture has shaped New Zealand into the lovely and desirable place it is today. 

Minority Culture:
The minority culture in New Zealand was more difficult to place. Even though the Maori culture still exerts lots of influence on the New Zealand's tradition, they are still the minority culture. Much of the local culture is of English descent, but the Maori culture has been wonderfully preserved to a better degree that the Aboriginals of Australia. There is also an Asian influence in New Zealand much like in Australia, but I feel it is to a lesser degree. 

Conversation with a native:
While we were in Queenstown, we made really good friends with the owner of the hostile where we stayed. He was extremely accommodating and one of the nicest people I have met. New Zealanders seem to be more laid back and accommodating that Australians. This may be due to the large cities we have visitied. Nonetheless, he was extremely accommodating and nice, as everyone was in Queenstown. He shared all of his travel experiences which include most of the world. I really enjoyed speaking with him and I hope that I will be as culturally influenced as he is one day. Because of my experience with the hostile owner and all of New Zealand's inhabitants, I hope to bring my family to visit one day.