Great Barrier Island

Great Barrier Island combines vast natural landscapes with a long Māori history and traces of early industry. As the largest and most seaward of the Hauraki Gulf islands, it lies in the Auckland Region. If you’re looking for a holiday rental for a stay here, you might first ask which aspects of the island you want to shape your holiday: hiking, historic sites, or its special dark night skies.

Vast landscapes and dark night skies

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

The Aotea Conservation Park extends this natural experience across more than 12,000 hectares. It has several hiking trails for beginners and experienced hikers. The park also includes the Auckland Region’s only multi-day wilderness hiking track, as well as two DOC huts and numerous campsites. This lets you plan for either individual hikes or a multi-day stay on a wilderness track.

From the summit of Hirakimata, also known as Mount Hobson, you can enjoy 360° panoramic views. The mountain is home to kākā, kākāriki, tomtits (miromiro), black petrels (tāiko), and the reintroduced North Island robin (pītoitoi). Windy Canyon also offers views: north to the Okiwi Basin and Whangapoua Estuary, and east to Kaitoke Bay and Medlands Bay.

Hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty

The trails differ not only in length, but also in the stated walking time and difficulty. The Wairarapa Graves Walkway is considered easy; the walking time is 30 minutes each way. The Cooper’s Castle Track near Port FitzRoy, by contrast, is challenging and takes 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours each way. When planning your holiday, you can use these details to choose between shorter and longer hikes.

The Harataonga Coastal Walkway is also challenging: allow 4 to 5 hours each way, and note that dogs are not permitted. The Tramline Track is 14 kilometres long. Original track surfaces, sleepers, skid sites, and other remains from the island’s logging history can still be seen in several places. A five-minute detour on the Aotea Track leads to Kauri Falls; swimming beneath a waterfall is one option there.

The Kaiaraara Track has 15 bridges, including three suspension bridges. The stream also reveals the foundation of the Kaiaraara main dam, which was destroyed by a storm in 2014. These tangible traces also make the track a place to understand the island’s former uses.

Māori history and other traces of the island

Pā and other archaeological sites connected with the island’s long Māori history are preserved on Great Barrier Island. At the northern end of Whangapoua Beach are the Tapuwai graves, enclosed by a white picket fence. Some of the original pickets and corner posts date from 1894. If you’re interested in such historic sites, the island also has places that tell a more recent story: Miners Head was New Zealand’s first copper mine; the wreck of the SS Wairarapa lies on the eastern side of the headland, and Miners Head is a popular dive site.

The Harataonga Homestead, built around 1906, is also one of the island’s few surviving early homes. It is managed by the Department of Conservation and privately leased. Together with the traces along the Tramline and Kaiaraara tracks, it shows the variety of historical themes found on Great Barrier Island.

Getting there and choosing a holiday rental

Great Barrier Island can be reached by scenic flight or ferry. The island is entirely off-grid and uses renewable solar power and collected fresh water. When looking for a holiday rental, you can first decide what kind of trip you want: would you like your stay to focus mainly on hiking, or would you prefer to centre it around historic sites and a range of island activities? Activities on offer include kayaking, diving, fishing, golf, harbour tours, surfing, and visiting art galleries. Details about trail lengths, walking times, and restrictions can help you choose suitable outings for your daily itinerary.

Other locations: Puhoi, Karaka, Algies Bay, Warkworth, Mauku, Auckland, Tuakau and Epsom.

Go to the main travel overview: Auckland.