Tiritiri Matangi Island Ferry

About This Experience

Explore Group runs the ferry to Tiritiri Matangi, an open island sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf. It is transport to the island, and the day ashore is yours to plan. It holds a 4.7 rating from 214 reviews, and fares start from $59 per person.

You can board in the city at the Explore booking kiosk in Viaduct Harbour, diagonally opposite the Maritime Museum, or at Gulf Harbour Ferry Terminal on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, where you wait at the top of the ramp. Arrive 15 minutes before departure. From Auckland the crossing takes about 80 minutes via Gulf Harbour, or about 25 minutes if you join there.

The ferry runs Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays. Midweek it leaves Auckland at 9am, reaches the island at 10:20am and leaves again at 2:40pm, back in the city at 4pm. At weekends it leaves at 8:30am and stays until 4pm, giving you over six hours ashore. On the island you can follow the walking tracks through native bush to the cliff tops and the lighthouse, listen for kōkako and tīeke, look for takahē, and swim or snorkel at the quiet beaches.

It suits birdwatchers, walkers, photographers and families with children old enough for a few hours on foot. Reviewers mention dolphins on the crossing, but that is luck of the day. The tracks are not wheelchair accessible.

There are no food outlets on the island, so bring your lunch, snacks and water in sealed containers and take all rubbish home. Food and drinks are also sold on the ferry. Drones, bikes, smoking, feeding animals and touching plants are not allowed, which protects the sanctuary. Check the weather before you go.

Highlights

• Visit a pest-free island sanctuary home to kōkako, takahē, tīeke/saddleback and tuatara
• Walk to Tiritiri Matangi lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in New Zealand
• About 80 minutes cruising through the Hauraki Gulf from the Viaduct
• Over six hours ashore at weekends, about four hours midweek
• Cliff-top tracks, regenerating native forest and quiet beaches
• Board in the city or at Gulf Harbour on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula

What's Included

• ✓ Return ferry from Viaduct Harbour (about 80 minutes each way)
• ✓ Option to board at Gulf Harbour instead (about 25 minutes each way)
• ✓ Free time on Tiritiri Matangi: about 4 hours 20 minutes midweek, over 6 hours at weekends
• ✓ Access to the island's walking tracks
• ✓ Swimming and snorkelling opportunities at the island's beaches

Not Included

• Food and drinks (bring your own or buy on the ferry; nothing is sold on the island)
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Snorkelling gear

What to Bring

• Packed lunch, snacks and water in sealed containers
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Hat and sunscreen
• Swimwear and a towel
• Camera or binoculars
• A bag to carry your rubbish home

Good to Know & Caveats

• The ferry runs Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays, not on Mondays or Tuesdays.
• Arrive 15 minutes before departure: at the Explore kiosk in the Viaduct, or at the top of the ramp at Gulf Harbour Ferry Terminal.
• There are no food outlets on the island. Pack food in sealed containers and take rubbish home.
• Drones, bikes, smoking, littering, feeding animals and touching plants are not allowed.
• Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed, on the island or during the crossing.
• Check weather conditions before your visit.

Meeting Point

Explore Group booking kiosk in Viaduct Harbour, diagonally opposite the Maritime Museum, or the top of the ramp at Gulf Harbour Ferry Terminal; arrive 15 minutes before departure.