I'm pretty happy I live in
Auckland. Just over a million people with an increasing cultural diversity, loads of good restaurants, and a surprising number of international concerts (although that means for every visit from Interpol and Ryan Adams we get, we also have to host Tommy Lee's woeful Supernova).
Across recent weeks I've been exploring
Auckland's wilder side in a series of articles on "Urban Adventures" I'm writing for a local magazine. An earlier post was on Bungy Jumping off the
Auckland
Harbour
Bridge , and I've just returned from canyoning in the
Waitakere
Ranges to the west of
Auckland with my nephew Matthew.
Togged up in wetsuits and safety helmets, we've just spent three hours working our way down the
Blue
Canyon's cavalcade of eighteen different waterfalls. Each of the cascades has required a slightly different technique. On some a spectacular and energetic leap has worked best. On others we've been forced to slide on our backsides down mossy natural water slides. Throw in a couple of watery abseils for good measure.
All the while we've been surrounded by native birdsong in a stunning chasm that's only a few metres across at its widest point.
It's been a great day. Not bad for somewhere that's only 45 minutes from downtown
Auckland .
See Canyonz for more information
Filed under: Climbing, Hiking, Oceania, New Zealand, Ecotourism
