Misty volcano

My ride to work takes me across Grafton Bride over Grafton Gully into Park Road, past the main entrance of the hospital before a left turn into Pukekawa. Mostly known as Auckland Domain, this is a large volcano crater and tuff ring system, which has been turned into a mix of sports fields, botanical gardens, with buildings such as the Auckland War Memorial Museum and the Wintergardens hot houses.

Today, as I did the last part of my ride along Domain Drive, I saw the rising sun between the trees along the top of the remnants of the scoria cone in the centre of the peat covered lava lake which forms the two areas of sports fields in Pukekawa, on either side of the elongated cone remnants. 

The cone was  named Pukekaroro by Maori, meaning hill of the karoro (or black backed gull). Remains of the earthworks from an old Maori Pa have been supplemented by a Totara tree planted by Princess Te Puea as part of the 1940 centennial (of New Zealand) celebrations.

This morning was the first fine morning this week, and water was evaporating from the ground as the early sun exerted its effect. I was delighted to be able to show the rising mist "on film".