Tiritiri Matangi Island is a wildlife sanctuary and one of New Zealand's most important and exciting conservation projects. It is located 30 km north east of central Auckland and just 4 km from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. A hundred and twenty years of farming had seen this 220-hectare island stripped of 94% of its native bush but between 1984 and 1994, volunteers planted between 250,000 and 300,000 trees. The Island is now 60% forested with the remaining 40% left as grassland for species preferring open habitat.
In conjunction with this planting programme, all mammalian predators were eradicated and a number of threatened and endangered bird and reptile species have been successfully introduced, including the flightless takahe, one of the world’s rarest species, and the tuatara. There are few places in New Zealand where you can readily see and walk amongst so many rare species.
The project is managed by the Department of Conservation in conjunction with the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Incorporated.
Ferry timetable:
CLICK HERE for ferry timetable.
From Auckland 9:00am/from Gulf Harbour 9:50am - Returning from Tiritiri Matangi at 3:30pm, arrives Gulf Harbour 3:50pm/arrives Auckland 4:40pm
Information courtesy of tiritirimatangi.org.nz
