North Head

With no gaming on today, being fathers day here in NZ. Will and I headed out to Devonport's North Head for a bit of a photo trip. The idea came about after Lee had been out there a few weeks back, and since I hadn't been there since I was shorter than a grasshopper and Will was pretty much in the same boat, we thought it would be worth a trip. Auckland turned on a stupendous blue sky day and out came the sun screen.

Interesting little bit of history from our own back yard, Here’s a little excerpt from one of the local web sites.

1880 the British Royal Engineers reported to house a battery consisting of three 7 inch and three 64-pr guns. The defensive plan continued and North Head was made into a fort with trained soldiers stationed ready for battle. In 1889 Fort Cautley was developing with new guns, an 8 inch disappearing gun, with a 7 inch RML and a 6-pr Nordenfelt on both northern and southern flanks of North Head. (meaning if the enemy got around the north side then the south side would also be able to attack). During the 1890's Fort Cautley was complete with tunnels, underground storerooms, Barracks, guardrooms, kitchens etc. Search light emplacements built and now the role of Fort Cautley was to stop any enemy sailing entry to the harbour of Auckland. Interestingly most of the work was done by prisoners with simple pick and shovels digging the tunnels by hand. In 1896 the minefield was laid extending from North Head across the inner harbour, a generator room can still be found on the south side to provide the power to detonate the mines.The turn of the century North Head was heavily fortified but the Russian invasion did not eventuate and it was decided to dismantle the guns at that time. Almost all of the guns were sold for scrap metal. Some say that several are still buried into the side of the hill. One gun is known to be at Newmarket in Auckland pointing down the main street.”

We played around with torches and my flash units in the tunnels and rooms underground as we walked around the grounds.