For almost a century, Rotoroa Island was a Salvation Army treatment centre, closed to the public. Today it is a nature, conservation, arts and heritage sanctuary, just 75 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland.
More than 400,000 native plants have reshaped the island, and it has been predator-free since 2015. Takahē, one of the rarest birds in the world, graze the open grasslands, while tīeke/saddleback call from the regenerating coastal forest.
Days here move at an easier pace. Walk bush and coastal tracks to lookouts over the Gulf, swim at four sheltered white-sand bays, come across the Chris Booth sculpture along the trails, and learn the island’s story at the heritage museum.
The real luxury is staying on. Book one of three restored holiday homes and have the island almost to yourself once the last ferry leaves: a quiet evening on the deck, birdsong at dawn, and a morning swim before the day visitors arrive.
Learn more and book your stay: rotoroa.org.nz
