Aotea is spectacularly beautiful but also remote with limited tourism infrastructure. If you like gobsmacking natural beauty and don’t mind making your own fun while no one is watching, then this is the place for you. Here are some of our favourite activities.
Off Grid
The Barrier – as Aotea is also known – if completely off the grid. We do not have reticulated power or water, and every household generates its own power and collects its own water from roof, creek or bore.
At both XSPOTs drinking water is filtered before it comes out of the tap and is safe to drink. Power is generated by solar panels on the roof, and water is heated, also by solar, or by a wood stove with a wetback in winter. There is sufficient power to get by, however, power hungry hair dryers and rice cookers are best left at home.
Being off grid also means that there are no street lights. Because land marks are not so visible after dark and signage is limited, arrival before dark is recommended. Make sure your phone to charge your phone if you are going out after dark and are going to need a torch.
No malls
The island counts only a few dairy-like shops. If you have dietary requirements, bring these with you. Stonewall Store in Tryphena has a good selection of organic, dairy or gluten free products when the boat has been in. Ring them if you have a specific query.
There are no ATMs. Most shops and restaurants will accept credit cards, but a small amount of cash, especially for our local markets, will come in handy.
Seasons
The island is very quiet in winter – from June to September – and is busier in summer, even though the beaches and tracks tend to still be quiet. If you are keen to go out for dinner, plan ahead and book both in summer and in winter, as in summer eateries may be busy and in winter they may be closed. Our busiest time is from Christmas to the end of January, in the New Zealand summer school holidays. Labour Day and Easter are busy, too. We recommend to book outside these periods.
More detailed island information is available here and more maps of the island.
Travel to the Island
To get to Aotea, you can either catch a plane from the domestic side of Auckland Airport in Mangere several times a day, and this is an easy connection with your international or national flight. The connection to North Shore Airfield is less frequent. It’s also possible to catch a ferry with Sealink from Hamer Street in downtown Auckland.
By air
Barrier Air is our most longstanding airline, and they fly to Claris, in the centre of the island, in half an hour in a six- to twelve-seater plane. A very scenic flight. The airfield in Claris is 17 kms from the XSPOT Cliff and 5 kms from XSPOT Medlands Beach House. Island Air aka Waiheke Wings is another option.
By sea
The Sealink car and passenger ferry sails across the Hauraki Gulf from Hamer Street, Wynyard Wharf in Central Auckland. This ferry lands you at Tryphena wharf, around 12 kms from both XSPOTs. The sailing takes approximately 4.5 hours, and on a good day, it’s a wonderful cruise along the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Make sure to keep an eye out for dolphins riding the bow wave, and for flying fish, whales, and penguins.
Natural World
A large part of the island (around 60%) is a conservation park, administered by the Department of Conservation (DoC), and Auckland Parks. Within these areas, there are many fab walks including the 3 day Aotea Track in the Aotea Conservation Park. There are also find many shorter walks to waterfalls and lookout points, both on DoC and Auckland land. The many largely deserted beaches are just waiting to be discovered and walked from end to end, without another soul in sight.
Endangered birds
Endangered species are a common sight on the island. Don’t be surprised if you spot kaka, pateke brown teal duck, taiko black petrel, dotterel, banded rail and chevron skink. Many people travel to the island especially to see these taonga (treasures).
Cliff House Critters
At XSPOT Cliff you may notice kaka and tui in the flax, especially when the flax flowers in flower in November/early December, and gannets glide past the windows on their way to the gannet colony close to Port Fitzroy. Keep an eye out for dolphins and whales, or an ear, as we often hear the whales blow before we see them.
Beach House Critters
At XSPOT Beach you may see kaka flying overhead or banded rail and pukeko rummaging in the long grass on the slope in front of the house. On the beach closeby, keep an eye out for variegated oyster catchers and dotterels.
Mussels grow on Memory Rock in the middle of the beach, and you can harvest some of these at low tide when there’s no swell. The Mermaid Pool is a delight for little marine critters. Also keep an eye out for dolphins in the waves.
Barrier critters
It’s not just these species that are interesting on the Barrier, many of its human inhabitants are too. See if you can spot the odd hippy, hermit or grumpy shopkeeper. Mostly, the natives are friendly though, as visitors make our island thrive.
Getting around
On the road, stay well to the left, especially in corners, look out for the island wave and pull over to gaze at the view.
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We hope this info will help with planning your visit to our beautiful island. Please use the contact form to book your XSPOT stay.
Hilde and Roger