WHAT TO DO ON KAWAU ISLAND (DAY TRIP)

Given the size of Kawau Island, the list of things to do on Kawau Island isn’t extensive as you might expect.

Why? Because around 90% of the island is privately owned. The other 10% is looked after by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and is accessible to the public.

So if you’re looking to make a Kawau Island day trip, you’ll have no worries about fitting the majority of activities in.

But there are various places to stay on Kawau Island if you’d like a longer stay.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
History | What to do | How to get there | Is it worth it?

KAWAU ISLAND HISTORY

One of the attractions to Kawau Island is its history. I’ll keep it brief:

In 1862 Former New Zealand Governor Sir George Grey bought Kawau Island. He lived in the Mansion you’ll see when you arrive at Mansion House Bay. Along with a collection of animals (some exotic, some natural), he loved plants and had orchards, conifers, and an Olive Grove. Today some remnants of the Governor’s time on the island include wallabies, peacocks, wekas, and non-native tree species.

There was no gold rush on Kawau, but copper was found with a mine in operation for 11 years in the mid-1800s.

If you’d like to learn more you can Kawau Island history check out this post.

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WHAT TO DO ON KAWAU ISLAND

EXPLORE THE GOVERNORS MANSION

You have to visit the Mansion House, it’s right there when you arrive in the bay. Inside you’ll find lots of information with the rooms set up more or less how it was when the Governor lived there. The mansion has been restored so everything is in good condition.

You could spend anywhere from 15-60 minutes inside plus a few minutes walking around the gardens.

Opening times can vary, so confirm what they are when you arrive.

Entry fee is $4 for adults, $2 for children, under 5’s free (cash only).

WALK ON THE PUBLIC ACCESS TRACKS

I really enjoyed the walks. They aren’t hard and you won’t be out and about exploring all day so they’re suitable for all.

I’m going to leave a bunch of pictures at the bottom of the post, otherwise, you’ll never be able to read anything 🙂

The track names are (download Maps.me to see them offline):

• Redwood Track
• Ladys Bay Track
• Coppermine Track
• Miners Track
• Dispute Bay Tack

They all link up, in various ways to Sir George Grey Road which is the one gravel road leaving from Mansion House heading inland.

If you have to do one walk, do the Coppermine Track.

CHAT WITH THE DOC WORKERS

When you’re at Mansion House Bay you’ll more than likely come across one of the DOC workers who live on the island. They might look busy, but we found the worker at the time was excited to have a chat with our group for a while.

We got to know more about the island, general chit-chat and learned other interesting bits and pieces. Once day-trippers leave Mansion House Bay it gets really quiet so the DOC man said himself that he enjoys having a chat with visitors while they’re there.

HAVE A PICNIC

There’s an awesome open field when you arrive at Mansion Bay with plenty of trees you can find shade under. There’s also a free gas BBQ available. You could find a quiet spot along with one of the hiking trails too if you like, but the area around Mansion House is wicked.

OR EAT AT THE CAFE

If you’re there for a day trip (you can do it from Auckland), that’s all there is too it really. The Mansion House Cafe is open during holiday periods, and weekends between Labour weekend and Queens Birthday. It’s expensive, think $4 for a Calippo ice block.

RELATED POST: THINGS TO DO IN AUCKLAND

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HOW TO GET TO KAWAU ISLAND

Kawau Island is a 5000-acre island less than 10km from the mainland in the Hauraki Gulf. As mentioned earlier, only 10% of the island is public land.

If you’ve got your own private boat/yacht, you can simply make your way to Kawau Island on your own. Obviously.

Otherwise, you’ll need to catch one of the public ferries that depart from here in Sandspit several times a day, including the Royal Mail Run which can be found for a good deal on BookMe.co.nz.

Note: there’s no public transport from Warkworth to Sandspit if you were planning to catch a bus to Warkworth. If you’re driving to Sandspit, there’s plenty of secure public parking (you’ll likely need to pay…prices here (6-$12 per day).

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IS KAWAU ISLAND WORTH VISITING

If you’re only planning a day trip to Kawau Island with limited time in New Zealand, I’d skip it. By the time you get there and back, you’ve spent a good chunk of the day on the island which doesn’t offer anything that’s a once in a lifetime experience.

But, if you’re in NZ for a longer period of time and want to go somewhere a bit different then this is for you. There’s some cool history to the island, it’s definitely unique, and there are some cool experiences you can have there.

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A COUPLE MORE PHOTOS OF KAWAU ISLAND

I was stoked I got to spend a few days on Kawau Island. Initially worried about ‘being stuck’ on the island, any worries quickly evaporated as I settled into the island life.

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RECOMMENDED READING

200+ Things to do in New Zealand

Are you bored with NZ? You should never be. There’s always something more to do/see/experience.

New Zealand Slang

I would love to know the slang Governor Grey used back in the day!

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