Continuing in my quest to explore the various parks in Auckland, I returned with a friend to Mangere to investigate the volcanic crater of Mangere Mountain. It doesn't look like much from a distance, but it is actually one of the more impressive volcanic cones in Auckland I have seen so far, with a wide crater and a well defined lava dome in the middle.
It makes the perfect venue for flying remote control quad-copters. I only mention it because we met two guys from the Northern Helicopter Modellers Club who were doing just that, with remote viewing glasses and everything. Well it is not quite perfect, since the surrounding high trees provide ample opportunities for quad-copters to get stuck. Luckily, one of them was also a member of a rock-climbing club and could climb up retrieve his vehicle.
Even without the quad-copters, Mangere Mountain offers fantastic views of southern Auckland and some interesting geological features. I should have come here years ago.