Rangitoto Island rises from the Hauraki Gulf just 8 kilometres from the Auckland waterfront, its symmetrical volcanic cone visible from almost anywhere in the city. Take the Fullers ferry from the Ferry Building (40 minutes), then walk the well-formed track to the 260-metre summit crater — the whole return trip takes about two hours at a comfortable pace.
The summit views are superb: Auckland's harbour spread out to the south, the Coromandel Peninsula to the east, and other Gulf islands in every direction. The island is a nature reserve — no dogs, no camping without permits, no taking of natural materials. In summer the pohutukawa trees blaze red along the shoreline.