20km Day : 1121km Total
1 April 2015

Today I walked Auckland’s Northern Coast.  The walk started by catching the 8:45 ferry to Devonport from Auckland CBD.  The ferry was nearly empty since the morning commute is in the opposite direction and I had the entire upper deck to myself.  This gave me the opportunity to walk from side to side of the boat looking at the sites without someone seeing me as the gawking tourist that I was.

Auckland Ferry Termimal

Auckland CBD

Auckland Harbour Bridge

I realised once the ferry got under way that I forgot to bring my sun glasses.  An absolute necessity to walk the coast on this bright sunny day.  So my first stop in Devonport was to pick up a pair of sunnies.

Devonport with Auckland in the Background

Today was a first in several respects.  It was the first section of Te Araroa that I walked Northbound.  It was also the first section I walked in blue jeans and running shoes, and only the second section I walked without my backpack, so I hesitate to call it a hike. 

After a few kilometres I came to a park at North Head with old gun emplacements and bunkers which I spent some extra time exploring.  The bunkers were very extensive and to fully explore them I would have needed a flashlight.  I was a little surprised that the deep dark tunnels were not gated off.

Haraki Gulf Maritime Park

Cheltenham Beach from North Head

It was a beaut of a walk with equal parts of walking beaches, rock hopping at the bases of cliffs  and walking sidewalks through suburbs. I stopped in Takapuna for a leisurely lunch and rewarded myself at a pub in Browns Bay with a cider at 3pm.

I got my hair cut earlier this week.  I had a lot cut off but still left it long in comparison to the close cut I had before this hiking trip.