Tourism & Recreation | Getting There |
Getting to Motutapu
You can get to Motutapu in any of the following ways: 
Home Bay, Motutapu. Restoration plantings can be seen up thevalley to the right of the picture
Fullers FerryFullers run scheduled ferry services to Rangitoto Wharf. From here it is a 60 minute walk to Islington Bay, a further 60 - 90 minute walk from the causeway will take you up over the hill and down into Home Bay Motutapu and the DoC camp ground. On scheduled volunteer days (1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month) Fullers sail on to Home Bay wharf, Motutapu.
Fullers catarmaran approaching the Home Bay wharf. Why not jump on the Ferry on the volunteer dates. The boat leaves at 9.15am and departs Home Bay at 4.30pm in Summer (3.30pm in winter). You don't necessarily need to volunteer if you don't wish, just simply come out and spend an idyllic day on the island - swim, walk, explore, picnic, laze - its your call.
Special discounted fares apply on volunteer days for people volunteering (as a result of generous sponsorship from Fullers).Tickets and timetables from Fullers or phone 09-367 9111
Own BoatIslington Bay at the northern end of Rangitoto, adjacent to the causeway, and Home Bay are popular anchorages for private boats. Link tracks to the main Walk Motutapu walkway can be joined at Mullet, Sandy, Station, Waikarapupu and Administration Bays.(see below for important biosecurity information)
Own KayakMotutapu is a favourite destination for recreational kayakers from Auckland, Waiheke and the North Shore. Home, Sandy, Station, Mullet and Waikarapupu Bays are popular landing places for kayakers (see below for important biosecurity information)
North western coast of Motutapu, Rakino island in background
Swim?Not recommended - its quite some way. Motuihe is 650mtrs away but the tides that flow in the channel between the islands prohibit visiting the island swimming from that direction. Experienced swimmers do swim from the mainland to Rangitoto, but these guys are legends.
Water TaxiAuckland Water Taxis operate a water taxi service out of Auckland's Viaduct Basin in Downtown. They service all the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. They will deliver you to Home Bay, Motutapu or Islington Bay, Rangitoto (5 mins walk to the Causeway). Their water taxis can carry up to 16 passengers and it's usually a good idea to give them around 12-24hrs notice if requiring a taxi outside their normal shuttle timetable. They operate 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 364 days of the year. There are 13 scheduled water taxi services to Islington ('Issy') Bay spread across Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sundays. Click on the logo to find out about schedule times and prices. ph: 0800 89 0007
Walk in from RangitotoFrom Rangitoto wharf you have a number of walking options to Motutapu. The Islington Bay road will take you around 90 mins to arrive at the Causeway. The Coastal Track is more interesting but harder going. It will take you approx 2.5 hours to get to Islington Bay and the Causeway and the start of the Motutapu walkway. Once arrived at Islington Bay wharf on Rangitoto, the Causeway is only 5-10mins walk away. The track from the Causeway up along the fencelines and around to Home Bay will take you another 90 minutes (I did the walk from Rangi Wharf to Home Bay on Labour Day Monday 26/10/09. Stepping it out fairly briskly, it took me just 2 hours carrying a small daypack. Believe,however, that you should still allow 3 hours for the journey particularly if you are carrying a large pack with camping gear. After leaving the wharf - when you catch your first glimpse of the rolling green hills of Motutapu between Rangitoto's pohutukawa cover you are halfway to the Causeway. Another indicator of the halfway point is when you pass the left turn road to the Rangitoto summit. This is where the Fullers road train turns left....ed)
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