The mighty kauri

I started my second day in Auckland by joining a free walking tour of the city. We saw the Auckland Skytower (and a person bungee jump off of it), strolled through Auckland University campus, and climbed through some branches that had become so overgrown that they almost completely covered the path. The tree is a protected species, so it is allowed to grow over walking paths.

I also met a guy my age from Germany who had hitch-hiked all over the South Island. That was such a foreign concept to me because hitch-hiking is considered incredibly dangerous in the States. Apparently, it is fairly common for backpackers to do in New Zealand.
On the walking tour, we were able to see a kauri tree. These trees were used by the indigenous Maori people to build canoes and other things, but not they are threatened by kauri dieback disease. The Waitakere Regional Park, a popular place for hiking by tourists and kiwis alike, is heavily affected by this disease that spreads through the dirt. To prevent the spread of kauri dieback, tourists are educated upon entering and leaving the forest. Stations to scrape dirt off of your boots before and after you leave the forests have been put in place to stop its spread. Currently, there is no cure for kauri dieback, and the protected kauri trees may be placed in serious danger if the problem persists.
New Zealand is known for its ice cream, so I stopped at a famous gourmet ice cream place in Auckland before succumbing to jet lag.