5 reasons to love GREAT BARRIER ISLAND
Carmen Bird goes bush on this isolated Kiwi isle
My last trip to Great Barrier Island was as a toddler, so when my friend Rachel invited me along on a girls’ hiking weekend, I jumped at the chance.
1So close but a world away
A quick 30 minutes via plane or a four-hour ferry ride and you are at the Barrier, 100km from Auckland’s CBD. We were met by Steve from Go Barrier, who turned out to be one of the highlights of our visit, an absolute wealth of information delivered with some very entertaining stories. He even organised jars of the infamous GB Manuka honey for us at a great rate. Great Barrier is like stepping back in time, when life was less rushed and more simple. The locals all grow their own veges, and trade and share eggs, fish and herbs, and there are no fast food chains here.
2 Exploring on foot
Great Barrier Island is more than 60% reserve, so what better way to explore than walking? On our first day, we tramped up Mt Hobson, the highest point on the island – hard work, but worth the view. On the downward path, we stopped to soak our tired legs in the natural hot pools. The next day, we hit the coast. With its towering cliffs and views out over the rugged west coast ocean, it’s just beautiful. Rumour has it Great Barrier had been offered the accolade of the 10th Great Walk of New Zealand, but the locals prefer to keep their spot off the beaten tourist path so politely declined.
3 Boating paradise
We had a day off tramping and headed out with local Chris on his launch Sundance. After a cruise up the coast, we settled into some fishing around the breathtaking Broken Islands. Before we knew it, our group was pulling up huge snapper and a kahawai, giving one of the girls a good bicep workout pulling it in. In the blink of an eye, Chris had filleted one of the snapper and had a plate of sashimi with soy sauce sitting next to the rosé we had bought along with us. Thirsty work, that fishing!
4 The locals
We happened to be on the island for St Paddy’s Day and as luck would have it, the pub is Irish, which made for a fun night of Guinness and dancing. Our friend Carol, who lives on the Barrier, introduced us to a few of the locals. Everyone had a story and none of them are dull. They’re a diverse bunch of folk, from the hermit who blasts his cannon every now and again, to the wealthy set who chopper in once a year to their baches at stunning Medlands beach.
5 The night sky
One of the most impressive things about Great Barrier Island is the sky. The island is one of only five Dark Sky Sanctuaries and the first island one in the world. There are no power stations, so all the electricity is generated by solar panels. There are no street lights and at night, it is pitch black. We spent a night out with Hilde from Good Heavens, who taught us about constellations, star signs and all things Milky Way. We lay in the grass for hours gazing at the 5000 stars on display, drinking hot chocolate, eating homemade brownies and snuggling under blankets. It really was a truly magical night.