a blog by hayden

I’ve been to the Auckland Zoo a heap of times over the years, it’s always cool to go and see all the animals and the zoo itself is one of the better ones in the world apparently.

We wanted to do the Tongariro crossing one more time before we left New Zealand, I don’t do a lot of hiking/walking but this is definitely my favourite, you see so much in the 6 hours it takes to walk it.

Finally got around to doing this, the snow season for 2010 in 3 and a half minutes. From Niseko & Rusutsu in Japan, to Mt Hutt & Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand.

I’ve been meaning to take the trip out to see the dolphins and whales in the Hauraki Gulf and although the weather was awful on the way out, we got some sunshine and saw heaps of wildlife.

Finally, after years of doing every other board-sport but avoiding this one, I took the opportunity to have a surfing lesson at Muriwai Surf School.

A weekend away at Castaways Lodge on the “other” West Coast, the Awhitu Peninsula. A really isolated part of Auckland and somewhere that not many people would have been or even heard about.

Another year, another visit to Arran Bay. The bottom end of Waiheke Island is awesome, hardly any people, sheltered bays and good times.

It’s been a while since i’ve seen Auckland from the top of Rangitoto, it’s an awesome view and it’s surprising how many people have never even been up there. Luckily the weather turned it on for us.

The last day of the season for me at Mt Ruapehu, it was so damn hot that the hard pack turned to slushies at about 10 and the spring slush came out in force. “Fresh” lines to be had all over the place, especially my favourite spot on the mountain, solitude.

A beautiful weekend at Mt Ruapehu, it’s not often you get two bluebird days in a row. Went for a walk to a nearby waterfall at the end of the day.