About our island

Where we are

Kawau Island is in the Hauraki Gulf, 8kms off the coast about 45km north of Auckland.

Tourist Attraction

A popular day trip to the Island is Mansion House Historic Reserve and the Royal Mail Run Cruise. Popular with families in the warmer months. Visitors are advised to check Mansion House opening hours to get a glimpse of this historic homestead on the inside. With many surrounding walks, large expansive grounds and a beautiful bay for swimming, it is a perfect spot for a day outing with family and friends.

holiday destination

Kawau Island is a popular destination for pleasure craft cruising the Hauraki Gulf; those looking for a relaxing escape in nature; and bird enthusiasts. Kawau Island is known for having no road access. Accomodation and attraction destinations are reached via sea!

Population

The Island has a small population of permanent residents and many holiday dwellings. A permanent population of approximately 80 live on Kawau, with the main population based at South Cove, North Cove, and Bon Accord Harbour. This population swells to hundreds over weekends and at holiday time. The majority of the population is based around the water’s edge; accessed by private jetties, apart from South Cove and Schoolhouse Bay which have public jetty access and a small ribbon of roading to the various homes on the steep hill-faces above the water.

Kawau Culture

Kawau Island is a unique community. Set off from the mainland, ring fenced by water and with barely a hint of the ordinary suburban infrastructure and amenities. Residents and home owners on the island take pride in relying on their own resources and valuing our neighbours.  We are an extremely cohesive community, despite the geographic and infrastructure constraints which means most social contacts are either by boat or on foot. There is an active Ratepayers Association (KIRRA) to which is allied a small committee (KIAC) which is charged with managing the crucial political interface with mainland bureaucracy at both local and central government levels.

A quarterly magazine - Kookaburra - is published for KIRRA members. The curious name is derived from that well-known Australian bird, which has flourished in a few colonies around the Island since being introduced by Governor Grey in the 1840s. Some time after the First World War an editorial committee decided that Kookaburra was an appropriate name for this New Zealand journal!

Islanders are proud of their deep ecological commitment, being mindful of both the particular and challenging geography of Kawau and the beauty and importance of the sea which surrounds us. Life on Kawau is unique. The island has no connecting roads, except a few for access to properties, and other than a fragile electricity network from an underwater cable from the mainland, we are very much dependent on our own resources. Water is collected from roofs and rubbish is removed on a "pack it in, pack it out" principle as there is no rubbish collection service on the island. Sewerage is predominantly septic tanks, the occasional long drop and increasingly, more modern house-by-house treatment systems. The community has developed an extraordinarily sophisticated and professional Emergency Response group, who manage medical, civil defence, weather and fire events. They liaise with mainland first responders through the 111 system.

Kawau is a community with incredible heart and community care. Property owners are committed and diligent custodians of the environment who thrive on the challenges of minimal infrastructure and the adventurous spirit of sea travel. We are here because we are all passionate about Kawau.

Climate

Kawau Island enjoys its own micro-climate within the sub-tropical zone of northern New Zealand. Generally, we enjoy warm humid summers and mild winters. Typical summer daytime maximum air temperatures range from 22°C to 28°C, and can exceed 30°C. Winter daytime maximum air temperatures range from 12°C to 20°C. Annual sunshine hours average about 2000 and the nights are often clear, cool and starry. In recent years the prevailing wind has been from the east, which offer great shelter in the harbours, coves and bays where there are numerous settlements, and which face west towards the mainland.

Geography

The Island covers an area of approximately 5000 acres, is 8km by 5km at its longest axis, and is almost bisected by the long inlet of Bon Accord Harbour which is geologically a “drowned valley”. The Island has remained largely in private ownership except for around 10% which is owned by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and this includes the famous Mansion House in Mansion House Bay.

Wonderful walking tracks from Mansion House Bay are open to the public and provide a wonderful way to see part of the island’s landscape and coastline. There are other walking tracks on the island but these are for the most part unmarked and on private property - as is the foreshore on a large part of the island.

While most landowners do not prevent access to walkers, please respect their privacy. Ask permission to cross if someone is in residence, and most importantly – keep your dogs under control in those areas at all times. Kawau Islanders are passionate and protective of their fragile populations of kiwi and other flightless birds, and it makes sense for all of us to protect them. 

DogS ON THE ISLAND

The Kawau Island conservation reserve managed by the Department of Conservation, (notably Mansion House Park and Reserve areas), is officially off-limits to all dogs.

The rest of the island is privately owned. Visitors and boaties should observe the following guidelines:

• Know where you can and can’t go (access local maritime and DOC rules on the island)

• Be a responsible dog owner by knowing the by-laws and adhering to them both on land and water, specifically with regard to having dogs on or off-lead as well as where they can or can’t relieve themselves.

• If you are staying on the island, check with your accommodation provider or host what to do as each owner or operator may have their own allowances or facilities.

• Know your dog. If your dog has a high ‘prey-drive’ or you are not sure before you come, always keep your dog on lead. There are many flightless and nesting birds like kiwi, weka, blue penguin and dotterel, which are rare and often threatened but have started to thrive on Kawau.

• As a visitor or resident - if you bring your dog to Kawau regularly, consider avian awareness and avoidance training for your pet. Please contact KIRRA or Doc for more information.

The primary source of updated and correct information is the Auckland Council’s Dog Management By-Laws. There is an abundance of information here on dog owners' obligations around access and how a dog needs to be managed in public.

Iwi

Kawau Island is of major cultural, spiritual and historical significance to Ngati Manuhiri and has long associations with their Te Kawerau relatives. Kawau is also the boundary for Ngati Wai and Marutuahu interests.

Facilities

The crystal clear waters of Kawau Bay are a paradise for fishing and sailing and there are many sheltered anchorages for boaties. The Kawau Boating Club provides fuel, wonderful meals throughout Summer and has basic, but well-curated stores. Electricity, phone and all modern communications services are available on the Island and mail and other items are delivered as required. There is no reticulated water on Kawau Island so the majority of properties rely on tank water for their domestic supply and most Kawau residents have septic tanks or bio-waste systems.

WASTE DISPOSAL

There are NO public rubbish or recycling bins on Kawau island.

Visitors to Kawau Island need to ‘Pack-In and Pack-Out’ by taking any rubbish or recycling back home with them and use their own kerbside rubbish and recycling collection for responsible disposal.

For more information on where and how to dispose of rubbish from the island, please visit Auckland Council.

Accommodation

There are several holiday baches and houses to let, self-contained holiday flats and bed and breakfast accommodation (all meals available). Only minutes from the mainland, Kawau Island offers the ideal “away from it all” holiday venue, no roads, no cars applies to the majority of the island. See accommodation options here. 

Cafés & Restaurants

There are a few places to eat out on Kawau Island all serving great coffee, food and wine selections. There is also a café at Sandspit, a short ferry ride from Kawau. See dining options here.

Weddings & SPECIAL EVENTS

Mansion House and the new Parohe Island Retreat are perfect wedding venues for a Kawau Island experience on your special day. These venues also cater for conferences, retreats and many other special events.

Birds

There are many native birds on the Island and as you wander around you will hear and see Tui, Fantail, Kereru, Kingfisher, Silver-eye, Grey warblers, the cheeky flightless Weka and many different sea birds. The Kawau shag nest in mighty Pohutukawa in the bays and little blue penguins are occasionally spotted around the shoreline. You may also see and hear bright-coloured Rosella and Kookaburras, native to Australia but settled on the Island. As dusk approaches the sound of Morepork can be heard in the bush and if you are lucky, you may even hear or see a Kiwi, as sightings are becoming more frequent as the population grows on the Island. Learn more about our island birds here.