Today we tried to find One Tree Hill with the GPS. After a false and scenic stop about 30 km. south, we found the one with the obelisk. One Tree Hill is an old volcano, and one of the original Maori settlements (pau). It has an outstanding view of the city of Auckland. You can see very clearly a number of old volcanoes over the city. There is a huge caldera (now full of grazing sheep) next to the highest point. You can also see the Maori terracing, and some of the storage pits used for sweet potatoes (kumara).
As the guide book pointed out, there is actually no tree at the top of One Tree Hill. The Europeans cut down the Maori native tree, and planted a pine. The Maori took two attempts to cut that one down, and managed to do so. So some diplomacy is going to be required to get another tree planted!
We walked through the park that is the base of One Tree Hill, and had lunch at the restaurant there. It had the look of a summerhouse - and was of the "high tea" variety, tablecloths and black and white wait staff. Eric had a seafood pasta, and I had snapper, both of which were delicious.
We returned the car in the afternoon, and took the "Link Bus" for its full circuit. It makes a vague circle around the city, stopping at most areas of interest, so we had a chance so see a few bits of the city we had missed. We stopped in the shopping area to have a walk about, admire some public art, and find a beer and some wine at one of the cafes.
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