New North Head, deeper into the darkness. Warning: mummies were encountered, don't look at pictures 8 and 9 if you are easily terrified.

Several weeks ago, Allie took the boys and I to North Head. Jeanne was suffering from both her cough and a sore foot at the time, so she opted out of this adventure.

The last time we were there, Jeanne and I found a beautiful little hidden beach that almost no one goes to, located just below one of the gun emplacements on the edge of the cliff facing Rangitoto. We planned to spend the afternoon on the sand.  

And we did, mostly.  But I got bored after a bit....

While the boys and Allie continued to play in the water, I took a walk and discovered a new and very exciting set of tunnels. I think these are some of the best ones yet. I had no idea these were here.

I actually entered this tunnel system from the point of the last picture of this series. This picture just below is where I ended, turned around, and re-traced my steps through them to the ocean level again.

Here we go. 

There are eighteen steps to go down.

This is looking back up the steps.

We're looking down the tunnel again. I'm always impressed how well this camera does in low light conditions. Thanks again Mike and Kim.

We're come to the corner and are looking back towards the stairs.  Can you see that the slope is quite steep?

Looking forward again, notice the tracks in the floor.  Probably used a cart to carry ammo. I did not bring a headlamp this time so most of the pictures from here on will be with flash providing the light, otherwise, you'd see nothing at all.

The passages go in several directions. Ammunition rooms and places to gather, eat meals,etc. We'll explore to the right.  

Warning: we encountered mummies in one of the farthest corners of a passage.  I would have preferred to show you the mummies by lamp light rather than my flash.

I know, scary, huh?

Worst case scenario: You are deep under ground in an unexplored maze of tunnels when you come upon mummies....and then they start to walk toward you, moaning hideously....

Beyond the mummies tombs, the passage gets very narrow.  That's Allie following the boys through.  They are navigating by the light on her phone. (Brighter than I thought it might be.)

Here, one of the boys is approaching a corner that is illuminated by light from a distant opening.

We're almost out now, moving through one of the older tunnels.

That last rough-cut tunnel ended in the back corner of this little bunker.

As you see, we are right at the water's edge here. It's low tide right now so the water will soon be up to the wall. There is Auckland in the distance.  

Later, back at the beach again, the boys have discovered a tide pool that is raised up on a platform of lava and formed into a bit of a grotto by the rock covering it. 

What a place, what an afternoon.              -djf