Tuesday 19 February 2013

Day 3: The Road to Piha

After our exhausting trek yesterday, we allowed ourselves an extra hour or so of sleep this morning. Despite that, almost everyone was up by 7:00 AM, and we were packed and on the road again just after nine. We waved goodbye to Lake Taupo, and though we were leaving behind the beautiful scenery we were also heading towards a far better campsite.


A few kilometers away we stopped at a lookout to get a final glimpse and to hear more from the GLG465 students regarding the underlying geodynamics of the region. We got a primer in magma genesis and gravity anomalies, as well as information about identification of eruption deposits based on ash analysis (the subject of one of the students' thesis research).




Then we were off! On the road again, this time back towards Auckland in the northwest. It was a long drive there, with many swerving trails through treacherous roads (and more than some coaxing of the GPS). We passed some interesting limestone formations (including areas that Henderson himself claimed he'd never been through), and a herd of the iconic animals this country is known for - sheep!


Late in the afternoon we finally pulled over the top of the hill on Piha Road, and were greeted with the magnificent hidden beauty of Piha Beach. We descended down the hillside, and pulled to a stop down shore from the famous Lion Rock. Then it was time to whip out the bathing suits! It was our first taste of the ocean since arriving, and everyone was excited to feel the sand and surf.



Some of us went over to examine Lion Rock. There were huge, dark, igneous clasts embedded in a very fine matrix on the side facing us, which we interpreted as being laid down in a large, explosive, proximal volcanic eruption.


(Geologist for scale)
There was also a particularly nice chert nodule embedded in the rock!


As we climbed the set of stairs carved into the rock, we came upon a visible stratification on the opposite side. This could have been from a previous eruption at a more distal location, producing a finer bedding of ash with distinct layering.


Finally, we reached the top of the rock! Or at least, as far as one could go: the old path leading all the way to the top appeared to have crumbled at one section, shortening the path to just a lower section. Still, it was a great experience to be up there - we had an amazing view of the entire beach!



"We were here"
As the clouds moved in and a light drizzle descended upon our party, we decided to pack things in and head to our campsite in Auckland. Some more minor detours through hilly, winding roads and a few wrong turns later, we finally came upon the site - only a few kilometers from Auckland International Airport, perfect for us to get up bright and early (5 AM!!!) for our flight to Christchurch!

See you in the South Island!

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