Excerpt from nzherald.co.nz
The ‘other’ islands of Aotearoa are waiting to be discovered, writes Thomas Bywater
After two years exploring Aotearoa, you might think you’ve seen it all. There are many motu in our patch of the Pacific you might never have thought of as related to New Zealand in any way. The Realm of New Zealand stretches from hidden corners, cut off from the “mainland” to a host of neighbouring island countries and territories. It includes the edge of Antarctica to Tokelau, just south of the Equator.
Here’s how you can get to them.
Aotea / Great Barrier
Stars, Surf and solitude are what bring people to Aotea. New Zealand’s fourth largest island by area, Great Barrier sits 90km away from Auckland out in the Hauraki Gulf. If you take the half-hour flight (or four-hour ferry) you’ll feel like you’re in the outer isles of the South Pacific. It’s definitely a couple of degrees more tropical. The pristine Medlands Beach is a favourite haunt for surfers. Without a centralised power grid there’s no light pollution either. The island was made a Dark Sky sanctuary in 2017. Tune into the island’s radio station Aotea FM, the world’s first solar-powered broadcast, for a taste of island life.
Rangitoto Te Taonga / D’Urville Island
Over the Marlborough Sounds and the narrow ridge of French Pass, lies D’Urville Island.
The possum-free island in the Cook Strait is a hardy and secluded spot at the end of the tracks in Admiralty Bay. A short hop by boat, the 6000 hectares of public conservation land are also home to some legendary mountain bike tracks. Grades 3-5, the downhill is not for beginners and – needless to say – there is no bike hire on the island.
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