Had a splendidly leisurely start today involving a long sunny breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruit. We spent the bulk of the day by venturing out to sample some of the North Island rock climbing. It took about forty five minutes to drive to an area of volcanic rock that is considered to be home to some of New Zealand's best rock routes. We got a bit of knowledge from the nearby climbers café, then after 'signing in' drove down the little track to find the crag.
It's not the biggest crag in the world, but the rock type and setting made it feel like we were somewhere totally different. The rock was very solid and filled with little pockets; some finger sized, others like big handles. The countryside was a weird, green land that could have been made as a model, with rocks, trees and rivers in abundance. The climbs were all great fun and we both did three. The sun came round into the main wall initially, the heat of which made climbing impossible. Later the skies clouded over a little which took away the intensity of the heat and allowed us to continue climbing.
It was nearly seven by the time we got home, and before we even made it through the front door, we were ushered into the neighbours garden, where a beer was placed into my hand and minutes later a hot meal produced - followed by ice cream deserts. How could we refuse!
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