Today was another beautiful 22 degrees C (about 70 F) and I just had to go on another walk. Luckily dad was keen and he ended up convincing me that we should walk up Mt Eden. This hill, known as Maungawhau (pronounce the “wh-” as an “f-”) in Maori, is another reminder of Auckland’s volcanic heritage. According to Wikipedia, it is also the highest natural point in the whole of Auckland.
The entrance up to Mt Eden
The big attraction of Mt Eden is the gigantic crater left behind when the volcano last erupted.
The crater of Mt Eden
A geological marker stands at the peak of Mt Eden
A view of the crater from the other side
To protect the crater from erosion you’re not allowed to walk down into it, however the view from the walking track around the rim more than makes up for it. From this point, you get stunning 360 degree views of Auckland city. Some places to spot are Eden Park, where some games of the Rugby World Cup were played including the finals, and the Auckland Sky Tower, which is visible in the next picture.
View towards downtown Auckland from the peak
If you look very closely, you can also see the obelisk at the top of the next picture which is where we were in my previous post.
Can you spot where we were?
Tired after our climb, we stopped at the nearby Mt Eden village for a coffee. This is a great time to introduce you to the flat white, which as far as I know is really only obtainable in New Zealand and Australia.
Flat white: my favourite way to have espresso
According to the very knowledgeable Mel, it’s very similar to a latte but with less of the cream and more of the steamed milk. In my mind no other forms of espresso is as tantalising, as satisfying as a flat white but I could be more than a little biased. A good flat white should have a rich texture and very little foam on top, hence the name “flat”. The closest drink I can think of in the US is a cafe au lait, although it is made with espresso rather than drip coffee. We got ours from the Circus Circus cafe in Mt Eden Village. Despite it’s rather pricey food, I highly recommend this place.
Circus Circus cafe in Mt Eden Village
That coffee looked delicious! Reminds me of Kaldi’s coffee back home. Though I have always preferred a mocha myself. Around here mocha has chocolate in it and latte has milk. I just thought they were names for the same thing just from different origins. Might be the same back home but I’ve had quite a few lattes that have had chocolate in it.
What? Latte with chocolate?! Haha good old Kaldi’s. I go there just about every morning for my caffeine fix. Have you ever tried their pour overs where they hand brew you a cup?
But I guess it’s just what you’re used to – I think that both the roast and the beans we have here are different compared to Kaldi’s. A little less bold maybe and less acidic.
I haven’t actually. Have seen others do it. Trying to think if my boyfriend got one like that when he visited me in the states. Their beans have a nice flavor that I can point out better than any other coffee place I’ve been to. Plus they sell it in the stores. I may have gotten my mom addicted and she’s never set foot in one of their cafe’s. I’d be interested in trying the coffee in all kinds of countries since it seems they have a unique taste.
Yea they really do. If you ever go to Asia I think you’ll find the weirdest roast. The beans there are roasted with butter and sugar which gives a kind of rich caramel taste.
Oooh sounds like my kind of coffee.