28. Mount Roskill/Puketapapa

Visited on 29 June

This volcano I was sure would be amazing -the aerial shots of it are rather striking. Maybe it’s because I didn’t properly conquer it (just drove to the top and barely circumnavigated the cones) but I found it kinda boring and a little bit creepily isolated. There’s no definite point of interest and no pedestrian path beside the roadway yet there were enough people coming and going (in their vehicles).

Near the entrance. Interesting subjects for linear perspective vanishing point

I had no end of trouble trying to find this one -far out, the jolly thing isn’t even called Mt Roskill on the map but some Winstone Park in honour of the last European fulla to have owned it but who so kindly gave it to the council in 1928 to be a recreation reserve. My journey started out at Three Kings and went via Mt Albert (& Unitec) and just as I was driving down Dominion rd towards it, had it in my sights and everything, I had to go and turn right a few metres too early and ended up on the West bound on-ramp of the North Western motorway. Not to worry, volcanoes are round and I have a good sense of direction so I didn’t even need to stop and check a map but decided I would approach it from the other direction. Even knowing it was coming up and being in the correct (left) lane, I still had to make a last minute swerve to avoid the beckoning gulf of that dreaded on-ramp looming up ahead.

Steepness! On the all too common boulder-lined drive.

Finally I was on Winstone Park Domain soil! But still in my car and not wanting to be in the way I just sort of pointed my car forward and drove up the hill and when I reached a safe place to park, I got out and had a wee wander. It’s Auckland from another point of view, on a lovely clear late afternoon.

The hairy mop of Mt Albert silhouetted against the setting sun. Aaaaand that New World supermarket down on Stoddard Rd gets fresh goat meat in every Tuesday.

Sky Tower & Mangawhau/Mt Eden (and my little blue car)

This North facing view is taken from the highest point on the South side accessed by a short track and over a stile & another tiny track -it’s pretty obvious once you’re there. Mt Roskill was named by Alexander Kennedy, the first European to give Puketapapa a name, after Roskhill in Scotland but was sometimes known as Mt. Kennedy in the 19th century. In pre-European times there were two shallow craters on the summit and earthworks & pits round about but that all pretty much went when the water reservoir was installed inside the craters -yeah, the flat tops ain’t natural, surprise, surprise.

Industrial art (or some geo-survey marker thingy and a signal tower of some sort)

I confess that I do not know the significance of this rock plonked by the entrance. I thought there might’ve been some plaque or description on or nearby but I could see none. Maybe it’s as simple as “Hey! this mountain used to be a fire-spewing, rock-chucking volcano so just you look out, you”. And please appreciate the length I went to to snap this for you. You can’t tell but I’m basically perched on ledge 2metres high and one wrong move & I’d be sprawled in the traffic. Don’t tell Mum! (Hi Mum, just checking that you read my blog -you know I’m pretty nimble on my feet and trust my climbing instincts ay?)

The random rock of importance.

26. Three Kings/ Te Tatua a Riukiuta

Visited on 29 June

I guess I wasn’t expecting too much fun here. It is, after all, basically a dog park. I was wrong! This is a very cool place and most definitely worthy of a wander. The birds I met here were really tame and would let you come quite close before flitting away.

Once upon a time the three kings volcano bore the stately profile of the three kings of biblical renown who wisely brought gifts to the boy Jesus. It has the largest explosion crater (almost 200m deep and 800m wide) of any volcano in the AVF which can easily be seen from above & approximately bordered by Mt Albert, St. Andrews and Landscape roads, Duke St, Scout and Simmonds Avenues. Now only the second highest of the peaks remain, called Big King and we have the Wesleyan Native School to thank for preserving and donating it to the government for future generations of Aucklanders (that’s you and I) to enjoy.

First I tried parking down a side street but I couldn’t find the accessway that should’ve been there, and not being one for rummaging in people’s actual gardens (even if just by accident) I decided to head back to the main carpark and found a park! It looks bigger on the map but it’s really not. I even found mountain-goating up the side of the hill to be easier than the actual path coming back down.

The red circle (I’ve been reading too much Sherlock Holmes) to the grey circle via the most direct route (as a ground crow would fly)

Take note of the prominent water tower on the summit overlooking the free roaming dog area

A natural stepping stone to nowhere

A pit beside a beaten track

Almost at the top -see the water tower?

That tree covered rise beyond the houses is Landscape Rd

When the volcano erupted there was a strong Southwesterly blowing so that the ash and airborne lapilli built up in a ridge on the Northeastern side of the vents, some ash reached as far away as Remuera (which can’t even be seen from here) and covered parts of One Tree Hill up to 3metres thick. This is Landscape Road, quite steep, I’ve driven up it.

And now, since we are in a dog park it’s only fitting that I should start writing about a cat, a very specific cat known to the Internets as ‘Grumpy Cat’, real name: Tardar Sauce. This poor darling of internet meme stardom wears a perpetually grumpy look on her face due to feline dwarfism.

Meet our brush wielding hero, Mt Roskill resident ‘Anonymous Person’ who painted a topical, ironic typically Grumpy Cat which was removed by Watercare who cares for the reservoir perched on Big King which contributes to the water pressure of some 5000 houses in the area. But because “dealing in public art is outside the company’s operations” the disgruntled kitty had to go the way of all previous artwork -smothered by a lick of dull grey paint.

The original article as it appeared in Stuff:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/8731423/Grumpy-cat-gets-rubbed-out

followed by a change of heart maybe? (I bite my tongue and refrain from saying it may be a watershed decision. Maybe a landmark one, who knows?)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/8877555/Grumpy-cat-may-smile

Grumpy Cat Inspired Artworks

See? Not the first artwork to be inspired by this particular sourpuss.

And the reason I mention all this? I managed to catch a glimpse of something not many others will have… and took a photo to prove it.

This artwork is likely to stay in place longer than the portrait of the cat it commemorates.

Right! Enough feline introspection and back to the view…

Looking southish there is a sports field inside the maar (blast crater) and houses built right up to the edge (not to mention the ones inside it!)

Mt Roskill behind the new motorway

Peering through the trees I’m rewarded with an unusual view of Mangare Mountain

Mt Albert. Little did I know it at the time but that was my next volcanic destination despite pointing my car in the direction of Mt Roskill.

The Sky Tower and Mangawhau/Mt Eden (and one awfully packed Mt Eden Rd -seriously, don’t even think about getting anywhere fast around mid day Saturday)

This was my lunch time view: sunny Saturday salmon sushi time!

The fissured rocks and rubbly ground behind the water tower

Because I just can’t help myself from taking more pictures of rocks. The rocks on this mountain are really quite something. Like old castle walls the rocks all fit together, but dislodge one and the others around risk crumbling into the gap (so I always make sure to put it back).

This would be really quite lovely in Spring when the cineraria comes into bloom.

That rubbly rock just loves to slide down and make it’s presence felt on the path

Purposefully sticking to the main walking track coiling downwards I noticed a track leading off to the right, so in the interests of discovery I was compelled to follow it -just to see where it led. It would, I believe, ultimately end up at the shopping mall. I didn’t get that far but instead took the opportunity to peer into the working quarry.

Little piles of sand in the Southernmost quarried out smaller king

Toy diggers busy at play in the scoriacious hollow

Even though I headed back to the car this journey was not over yet. I had one more place to visit: Liverpool Street.

Layers of ash can be seen nearby on Liverpool Street where the road was cut through

Earthshakes after the layers of ash settled form these slumpy lines.

The other end is literally weathering away. Such a pity really.

And because I now write this at the end of all my posts: yes, there are toilets (at the main carpark), although I didn’t even notice them at the time.