For the True Auckland Running Experience. Easy afternoon trip!
Access park via Mt. Eden Rd., then proceed to summit for lovely views of the city. On the descent, take the dirt trail on the right then proceed to eat it face first and subsequently cry in front of a hot Australian and a busload of Chinese tourists. Then, try to hide your shame away from the crowds by sitting on a bench you don’t realize is covered in fire ants, then try to run home bleeding, dusty, and with said fire ants still in your shorts.
“Must-See!” - Hot/Concerned Australian “5 out of 5 Vegemites!” - The Sky Tower, if it could speak “Best Place to Spot Dumb Americans in the Wild!” - Chinese Tourists
Jokes aside, it was definitely one of my crappier experiences on a run. I wanted to head back to Mt. Eden for a nice jaunt on my own, but clearly I need Terence by my side or else terrible things happen. Maybe he'll dance it out and scare away the fire ants. Or maybe I'll use him as a fire ant shield, or pretend that the person crying all the tourists heard was him all along!
Nonetheless, there's something to be said about the cleansing power of a fire- like searing pain radiating through your lower body as you grimace at strangers.
I got some pretty pictures though! So now we all know it happened and it was way cooler than everything I just said and you should be jealous of internet me, because filters and things.