Whatipu

Spent a beautiful day in Whatipu, a remote black sand beach at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges. I had never seen a black sand beach before in my life so it was really exciting to see a new type of beach. Martin, Matthias, Savanna, and I spent some time walking along the beach and then hiked the Omanawanui Track complete with stream crossings! The view of the ocean from the summit was absolutely gorgeous and worth the muddy uphill hike. The forecast called for rain, but we were lucky to only get a brief period of rain (I was secretly happy it rained so I could see Savanna in her obnoxious XL red poncho). It was one of my favorite days in New Zealand so far. Great friends with incredible views . . . Doesn't get much better than that! =)

To see more pictures from Whatipu: Whatipu Photos