Discover Great Barrier Island

Great Barrier Island is the largest and most remote of the Hauraki Gulf Islands, in the Auckland Region. Natural landscapes, hiking trails and a long Māori history shape the character of the island. When planning your trip, you can consider whether nature, hiking or historical sites are particularly important to your stay.

Nature and dark night skies

More than 60 percent of the 285-square-kilometre island is public land managed by the Department of Conservation. Almost 60 percent of the area is managed as a nature reserve by the New Zealand authority. Aotea Great Barrier Island has been designated a Dark Sky Sanctuary since 2017. The island preserves its natural darkness at night; there is no public electricity supply for outdoor lighting.

Aotea Conservation Park covers more than 12,000 hectares and offers several hiking trails for beginners and experienced hikers. Great Barrier Island has more than 100 kilometres of hiking trails in total. The park is also home to the Auckland Region’s only multi-day wilderness hiking track, with two DOC huts and numerous campsites.

Hiking trails and planning your time

The trails vary considerably in walking time and difficulty. The Wairarapa Graves Walkway is an easy trail, taking 30 minutes each way. The challenging Cooper’s Castle Track near Port FitzRoy takes two and a half to three hours each way. The also challenging Harataonga Coastal Walkway is listed as taking four to five hours each way; dogs are not allowed. Check current track conditions before your hike.

The 14-kilometre Tramline Track preserves traces of its logging history in several places, including the original track surface, sleepers, skid roads and other structural remains. The Kaiaraara Track has 15 bridges, including three suspension bridges. Comparing the walking times listed can help distinguish short walks from multi-hour hikes when planning, without equating track length with walking time.

Views, forest and wildlife

The summit of Hirakimata, also known as Mount Hobson, offers 360-degree panoramic views. The mountain is home to Kākā, Kākāriki, Tomtit, also known as Miromiro, Black Petrel, also known as Tāiko, and the reintroduced North Island Robin, also known as Pītoitoi. Windy Canyon offers views of the Okiwi Basin and Whangapoua Harbour in the north, and Kaitoke Bay and Medlands Bay in the east.

Those interested in varied landscapes can also find wetlands and regenerating forest: the Kaitoke Hot Springs Track passes through the Kaitoke wetlands and regenerating Kānuka forest. A five-minute detour from the Aotea Track leads to Kauri Falls; swimming beneath the waterfall is one possible activity there.

Māori history and other historical sites

Pā and other archaeological sites associated with the island’s long Māori history have been preserved on Great Barrier Island. More recent island history can also be traced through specific places. Miners Head was New Zealand’s first copper mine and is a popular dive site; the wreck of the SS Wairarapa lies on the eastern side of the headland.

At the northern end of Whangapoua Beach are the Tapuwai graves, surrounded by a white picket fence. Some original pickets and corner posts from 1894 remain. Harataonga Homestead, built around 1906, is one of the island’s few surviving early homes. It is managed by the Department of Conservation and privately leased. At the Kaiaraara Track, the foundation of the main dam, destroyed by a storm in 2014, is still visible in the stream.

Activities and getting there

Activities offered on Great Barrier Island include kayaking, diving, fishing, golf, harbour tours, surfing and visits to art galleries. This means you can also consider activities on the water and cultural attractions alongside hiking.

The island can be reached by scenic flight or ferry. Check schedules and operators before travelling. Great Barrier Island is entirely off-grid and uses renewable solar energy and collected fresh water.

Explore more destinations: Manukau, Kumeu, Pohuehue, Dairy Flat, Helensville, Wainui, Waiatarua, Waiuku.

For the main travel overview: Auckland.