Rangitoto Island

Rangitoto Summit Track A public ferry from Auckland puts you on the city's youngest and biggest volcano, which rose from the sea about 600 years ago. The summit track is 7 kilometers return and about two hours, a steady 250-meter climb across raw lava fields to a 60-meter-deep crater now forested with pōhutukawa, and a lookout over the harbor. Add the short side trail to the lava caves, tunnels left by the eruption itself; the turnoff is 15 minutes from the summit. Bring a flashlight, because the caves are dark, low and jagged, and wear sturdy shoes for the rough, loose lava underfoot.