See & Do
Local Info
Great Barrier Island is 90km north east of central Auckland, New Zealand, located at the edge of the Hauraki Gulf, the Barrier is one of the most unspoilt places you’ll ever find, with an area of 285 square kilometres (110 sq mi), it is the sixth-largest island in New Zealand. Great Barrier Island was named by Captain Cook for the barrier it forms between the Hauraki Gulf and the open sea. For more local information & history visit: Milk, Honey and Grain Museum | Ph: (09) 429 0773 Gray’s Museum | Ph: (09) 429 0123
Flights & Ferries
Sunair Daily flights are available to Great Barrier from Ardmore, Hamilton, Tauranga, Whangarei and Whitianga. For current flight schedule and pricing visit www.sunair.co.nz Fly My Sky Daily flights are available o Great Barrier from Auckland and Whangarei Domestic Airports. Return flights from the Barrier are available Mon – Sun. Private charter flights are also available. For a current flight schedule and pricing, visit www.flymysky.co.nz Great Barrier Airlines Daily flights are available to Great Barrier Island from Auckland. Domestic Airport as well as Northshore, Whangarei, and Coromandel Airfields. Return flights from the Barrier are available Mon – Sun. For a current flight schedule and pricing, visit www.greatbarrierairlines.co.nz Sealink Regular ferry sailings for passenger and vehicles depart daily from Wynyard Wharf, Auckland. Return sailings from the Barrier are available Mon – Sun. For a current sailing schedule and pricing, visit www.sealink.co.nz
Getting Around
We can organise a transfer for you from Tryphena Wharf or from Claris Airfield when you arrive or depart from Great Barrier Island. Prices are competitive and you can pay the driver directly. We can also help our guests arrange their Island transport before arrival. Just ask when you make your accommodation booking with us. There is no public transport on the Barrier, however tour operators can to take you to and from local attractions and activities such as walking tracks, beaches etc. Rental cars are readily available for you to explore the island at your own pace. 4WD is not necessary to get around the island or to get to Sunset Waterfront Lodge. Note: Other Island accommodation may require 4WD for driveway access. Useful Links:
Bush & Bike
Great Barrier Island is a popular destination for walkers, hikers and mountain bikers. There are more than 100 kilometres of well-maintained tracks and the canyons, valleys, native forest, mountains and coastline make forspectacular sigthseeing – even in the rain. A number of bush walking, island traversing and mountain biking events are held on the Barrier each year. Guided tours are available or simply explore the many walking tracks at your leisure. The Barrier walking tracks require a reasonable level of fitness and caution is required on some tracks with steep drop-offs. Mountain Biking is only permitted on public roads and on the Forestry Road from Whangaparapara to Port FitzRoy. See the Map When visiting the Barrier, Glenfern Sanctuary is a must see. It offers a rare opportunity to experience native wildlife on Great Barrier Island and is part of 230ha on Kotuku Peninsula between Port FitzRoy and Port Abercrombie. A guided walk is available. Useful Links: Paradise Cycles – Mountain Bike & Cycle Hire | Ph: (09) 429 0700
Art & Crafts
The Barrier is home to many talented artists including potters, painters and wood carvers. Some artists have their own studios while many display their work in the Galleries on the island. Those with an eye for creativity and originality will be delighted with the artistic pieces on display and available for sale. Local artists & galleries: Aotea Community Art Gallery | Ph: (09) 429 0508 Peter Edmonds Workshop & Gallery | Ph: (09) 429 0414 Sarah Harrison – Shoal Bay Pottery | Ph: (09) 429 0455
Sand & Surf
Great Barrier Island is a wonderful playground for lovers of sea, sand and surf. Swimming, surfing, sea kayaking, and body boarding are all popular activites on the Barrier and the east coast beaches are great for families or just hanging with your mates. Beach essentials including swimwear, diving gear, boards and kayaks can allbe hired on the Barrier. Medlands Beach is considered one of the best surfing beaches on the Barrier.It’s a ten minute drive from Claris airport and a 15 minute drive from the ferry terminal at Tryphena. According to the local surfers, it has good sand bar breaks along its entire length, particularly on an incoming tide. Whangapoua Beach is only a short walk from Okiwi Airfield and is straight across the island from the Port Fitzroy ferry terminal. Good surf waves break over sandbanks across the mouth of the Whangapoua Estuary producing “beaut barrels in a north-easterly swell”. Awana Beach is noted for its good all year round surfing conditions and the variety of waves resulting from rapidly shifting sandbanks. Any respectable easterly swell will push up fast-moving, heavy beach breaks on an incoming tide. Kaitoke Beach is the largest east coast beach and boasts a number […]
Food & Fun
If you’ve had your fill of native bush, biking or swimming, the Barrier has plenty of other activites to entice you. Fishing is a very popular pastime to enjoy alone, with family or with friends. There are a number of great fishing spots around the Barrier and friendly charter operators who may share them with you! Crayfish and Schnapper are amoung the bounty which is abundant in the typically clear waters of the Barrier. Snorkelling and diving are also popular around the sheltered coves and bays. There are also two shipwreck sites for those with an extra sense of adventure. Great Barrier Island Golf Course is a 9 hole course and offers specaular views and gentle exercise to golfers of all handicaps. Family groups are welcome. There are several great pubs, cafe’s and restaurants on the Barrier to choose from – so if you havent had any success with the rod and reel, there’s always a fish burger from the takeaways. Useful links: Mulberry Grove Store – Fish Bait & Ice | Ph: (09) 429 0909 Hooked on Barrier – Fishing & Diving gear hire | Ph: (09) 429 0714 Great Barrier Island Golf Course | Ph: (09) 429 0420
Our Place
If you don’t feel like venturing too far around the Barrier, we have plenty for you to do right here at Sunset Waterfront Lodge. Games Galore – Enjoy volleyball, right on our own private reserve or simply head to the safe swimming beach straight over the road. Smokin’ – Once you’ve returned with your catch of the day, you’re welcome to usethe fish cleaning facilities at the Lodge. Use our fish smoker to get your fish ready for eating or simply throw it on the BBQ. Yoga anyone? – We have just the spot for focussing the body and mind while enjoying the fresh air. We call it ‘the island’ and it’s a quiet, green sanctuary right near the Beach Villas. It’s peaceful and private and a fantastic place for yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates. A yoga session can be arranged for you or your group. Relaxing Massage – What better way to unwind than a professional theraputic massage in such a glorious setting. We’d be happy to book a session for you. Feed the pet eels! – A very popular activity with our guests who are young at heart. The Lodge has a gentle stream running through the property […]
Dark Sky Sanctuary
Our skies are spectacular. Aotea/Great Barrier Island is the first island in the world to receive International Dark Sky Sanctuary status. We are committed to protecting our outstanding night sky. Sanctuaries are in remote areas with few threats to the exceptional quality of their starry nights . Aotea/Great Barrier Island is a unique place where our isolation, our small resident population and our being off-the-grid means we can preserve and protect our night sky for future generations to enjoy. We are committed to the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) principles and requirements for maintaining our island as a Dark Sky Sanctuary. We live with an exceptional night sky. The Milky Way spans our Southern Hemisphere sky and the Magellanic Clouds, not visible in the Northern Hemisphere, are easily seen. The night sky is woven into Maori culture with Matariki, the rise of the Pleiades constellation, signalling the Maori New Year. The night sky is a sight residents already share with visitors but the spectacular nature of the Island sky deserves to be shared with the world.