Side Trips

A Side Trip to Great Barrier Island

Imagine pristine white-sand beaches empty of people; imagine lush mountains and a vast network of walking tracks. Add rare birds and plant life, a permanent population of less than 1,000, and a seductive, laid-back lifestyle, and you have New Zealand's fourth-largest landmass, Great Barrier Island. The Department of Conservation administers over 70% of the island, and locals like to say that there are more conservationists per square inch than anywhere else in New Zealand.

This seductive paradise is the place if you're looking for a unique New Zealand experience. It's New Zealand as it used to be -- all 285 sq. km (111 sq. miles) of it. It's isolated, yet it's only a 35-minute plane ride from our biggest city. It's a place the locals call "the Barrier" and I call "heaven." Get yourself there and you'll remember it forever.

Getting There

By Ferry -- Ferries land at Tryphena, at the southern end of the island. SeaLink, 45 Jellicoe St., Auckland Viaduct (tel. 0800/732-546 in NZ, or 09/300-5900; www.sealink.co.nz), runs 4 1/2- to 5-hour trips to the island daily in summer and 3 days a week in winter (timetables vary). The Eco Islander has two theaters with plasma screens showing movies and documentaries, a cafe, and a reading room on board. The long trip can be grueling when the sea is rough. Round-trip fares are NZ$105 (US$75/£38) adults, NZ$84 (US$60/£30) seniors and students, NZ$72 (US$51/£26) children ages 5 to 15, and NZ$330 (US$234/£119) for a car. I think it's far better to pay a little more for the short flight. And don't worry about taking a car -- it's easy to pick up a cheap rental at the Claris airfield. Fullers Ferry (tel. 09/367-9111; www.fullers.co.nz), is a much faster (2 1/2-hour) trip, but its timetable service operates only in high season (roughly, Dec-Jan).

Orientation

Great Barrier Island is approximately 15km (9 1/3 miles) wide and 30km (19 miles) long, with Mount Hobson (621m/2,037 ft.) rising in the center. The island landscape is rugged, and much of it is inaccessible by road. The west coast is characterized by steep, forested ranges that run down to the sea; the east coast offers sweeping, white-sand beaches and rolling hills. The main areas of settlement are Port Fitzroy in the north; Claris, Whangaparapara, and Okupu in the center; and Tryphena in the south. Good roads connect them all. Claris and Tryphena are the main villages, though neither is much more than a few shops, cafes, a pub, and a post office. Port Fitzroy boasts one store, a dive station, and a boat club. There are no banks or ATMs on the island (although many businesses accept credit cards). Be prepared to pay more for basic supplies than you would on the mainland.

Getting Around

By Car -- Reasonably priced rental options include GBI Rent-A-Car, Mulberry Grove, Tryphena, and Claris airfield (tel. 09/429-0062; www.greatbarrierisland.co.nz), which has a wide range of vehicles and offers free delivery to Claris airfield and Tryphena Wharf. Prices start at around NZ$50 (US$36/£18) per day. Aotea Car Rentals (tel. 0800/426-832 in NZ; www.greatbarriertravel.co.nz), offers a similar service and prices from around NZ$95 (US$67/£34) per day.

By Bus and Shuttle -- There is no scheduled public transport on the island, but regular bus services meet boats and planes. Great Barrier Buses (tel. 09/429-0474; www.greatbarrierbuses.co.nz) has daily service to walking tracks, beaches, and Port Fitzroy. A 1-day pass costs around NZ$50 (US$36/£18).

By Bike -- Rental mountain bikes are available from GBI Rent A Car (tel. 09/429-0062) for NZ$45 to NZ$60 (US$32-US$43/£16-£22) per day. Paradise Cycles, Tryphena (tel. 09/429-0474), has multiday special deals.

Visitor Information

The Great Barrier Island Visitor Information Centre has closed and island information should now be sought from Tourism Auckland Travel Centre (tel. 0800/282-552 in NZ; www.greatbarriernz.com). The staff has extensive knowledge of the island and offers a prebooking service for holidays on the island. There is also a small, new independent information center located opposite Claris Airport (tel. 09/429-0767; www.greatbarrierisland.co.nz).

Special Events

In January, the Port Fitzroy Mussel Fest (tel. 09/429-0072) provides stalls, entertainment, and as many succulent mussels as you can eat. The annual Santa Parade, in December at the Claris Sports Club, has a legendary reputation for fun.

Exploring the Island

Great Barrier has a rich history. Maori have inhabited the island for over 1,000 years, and Europeans created a thriving timber industry, milling the huge stands of native kauri trees for the shipbuilding industry. The island was a whaling station until the 1960s, and the relics of old stamping batteries attest to a rich gold- and silver-mining history. The remains of the Oreville Stamping Battery are beside the road on the way to Whangaparapara. Also in this area you'll find the very popular Kaitoke Hot Springs Track, which leads to natural hot springs in a creek. Use the toilet by the roadside -- it's the last one you'll see for a while. The springs are 45 minutes in. Don't forget insect repellent.

Farther north, at Port Fitzroy, you must visit Tony Bouzaid's Glenfern Sanctuary, Glenfern Road (tel. 09/429-0091; www.fitzroyhouse.co.nz). Take his guided walk and be witness to one of the most wonderful native wildlife sanctuaries anywhere. Over 8,000 trees have been planted as part of an ongoing reforestation project, and timber boardwalks make the walk easy. Tony also offers multiday tramp-sail packages that might include a visit to the otherwise inaccessible Sven Stellin of Barrier Gold, a backyard enterprise making a range of kanuka oil products on the shore of Wairahi Bay.

Even farther north, you'll find the S.S. Wairarapa Walkway at the very beautiful (and deserted) Whangapoua Beach. The steamer Wairarapa wrecked on cliffs near Miners Head on October 29, 1894, with the loss of around 130 lives. A little gravesite at the northern end of the beach serves as a reminder of one of New Zealand's worst shipping disasters.

A range of tracks crisscross Mount Hobson, a focal point for keen trampers. There are stunning views from the top on a clear day, and the summit is the main nesting ground for the rare black petrel. It's at least a 2-hour round-trip walk. A signposted side track will take you to Kaiaraara Kauri Dam, one of the tallest kauri dams, built over 70 years ago to transport logs out of the forests. If you feel like a steep climb, you'll find the remains of two more dams farther upstream.

In Okupu is a delightful surprise: Young's Museum, 212 Blind Bay Rd. (tel. 09/429-0388). Christine Young, spurred on by the memory of her father, has put together the cutest little museum you'll find anywhere. It's a real Kiwi experience, with Christine showing you through her father's astounding collection of old photographs that depict early life on the island. Phone ahead for an appointment.

A good number of artists and sculptors live on the island; the visitor center can furnish a brochure detailing their whereabouts.

If the great outdoors is more your style, call Richard Lintott of Foromor Fishing Charters, 149 Sandhills Rd., Medlands Beach (tel. 09/429-0335; rlintott@clear.net.nz). You can try your hand at saltwater fly fishing or get him to take you out to the impressive gannet colonies on the west coast of the island. Aotea Sea Kayaks, Mulberry Grove, Tryphena (tel. 09/429-0664; aoteakayak@hotmail.com), offers night kayak trips, sunset paddles, and harbor kayak cruises. Prices range from NZ$45 to NZ$75 (US$32-US$53/£16-£27).

Where To Stay

If you plan on traveling to Great Barrier Island during the summer months, book your accommodations well in advance. In Port Fitzroy, Fitzroy House, Glenfern Road (tel. 09/429-0091; www.fitzroyhouse.co.nz), has a three-bedroom, self-contained cottage; rates start at NZ$200 (US$142/£72) but expect that to double during peak season from December 24 to January 15. On a hill above Okupu Beach, you'll find a real gem in self-contained Bay Lodge Cottage, P.O. Box 28, Claris (tel. 09/429-0916; www.lodgings.co.nz/baylodge.html), for NZ$275 (US$195/£99). Owners Neil and Carole Wright will ply you with chilled wine, freshly baked bread, fruit, and flowers. The cottage is just up the hill from John Mellars' boutique vineyard.

At the top end of the market, you won't regret a hilltop stay at Earthsong Lodge, 38 Medland Rd., Tryphena (tel. 09/429-0030; www.earthsong.co.nz), where Trevor and Carole Rendle cook amazing meals as part of the NZ$896 (US$636/£323) room rate.

If you like the idea of leaping from a king-size bed onto the beach, settle yourself into Richard and Sandy Lintott's modern beachfront home, Foromor Lodge, 149 Sandhills Rd., Medlands Beach (tel. 09/429-0335; fax 09/429-0395; www.greatbarriernz.com). Nodding off to sleep to the rhythm of the waves is a special kind of luxury for NZ$275 (US$195/£99).

Where To Dine

Don't get too excited about dining possibilities on the island -- they're few and far between, and relatively expensive compared to the city. Claris Texas Café, Claris (tel. 09/429-0811), is one of the best choices. It serves hearty breakfast fare, tasty lunches, and good coffee daily. You can eat out in the courtyard overlooking fields and idly wonder what might have become of the rest of the world. Oasis and Earthsong Lodge, are both open to casual diners. Bookings are essential for both. The menu at Oasis is international; Earthsong specializes in French and nouveau cuisine. Things are more modest at Tipi and Bobs Waterfront Restaurant in Tryphena. You can expect good-value meals, especially if you like fresh fish and chips. Currach Irish Pub, Pa Beach, Tryphena (tel. 09/429-0211), offers excellent seafood.