Rangitoto Island, North Island, New Zealand

5Jason F 5:00 PM Jan 28, 2023

Beautiful views and an enjoyable walk
Booked the ferry a few days beforehand and pleased we did, as it was busy on the day. We decided to take a long route up and down, to avoid the crowds, and if you have time to do the same, I’d recommend it - we only passed a handful of people apart from at the top where it was much busier. The total route we took was 9 miles and this includes quite a bit of elevation. The track is smooth and wide in a lot of places, but uneven and rocky in others. We wore proper walking shoes, which helped a lot, as a minimum you’d need sturdy shoes for a comfortable walk. There are no cafes etc on the island so remember to take plenty of food and drink and to take your rubbish home with you. We saw a number of different birds, including saddlebacks.

4FredRocha 5:00 PM Jan 17, 2020

Rangitoto: a great full day when in Auckland
A nice small volcanic island just 25minutes north by boat from Auckland. I suggest to take a boat soon in the morning (09:00 is very OK) because in the afternoon the environment is very hot there. The boat ticket costs 39 NZD round trip. Take with you plenty of water (I suggest 2 liters per person) for you to drink there because there is no water in the island and no place to buy water or food or soft drinks there. Prepare some sandwiches, fruits and snacks or any food you want to consume along the day.The trails in the island are well indicated in terms of the way to you to follow, although the indications usually shows only the time between points and only few show the distances (in Km) between points. For those intending hikking along the trails in the island it is better to remain in the Rangitoto island because the trails in the connecrted island Motutapu are mostly along a grass landscape and thus, you walk under so hot and under strong heat from sun. You should start your journey walking upto the Volcano summit where the crater of the volcano and there is a great 360o view of the island, including the other islands and Auckland bay. From there we followed in the trail to Islington Bay Wharf where you have a very nice beach thst you can swim. We had a nice picnick in the Inslington wharf and after it, we returned to Rangitoto wharf by the coastal track. To opt for this track be aware that along most of this trail you will walk on and among rocks of volcano lava on very irregular ground and sharp rocks. Use good trail shoes and do not use sandals. At the end of this trail you have a rest area and toalets and clear water where you can swim (so, take your watersuits with you), while you wait your boat to came back to Auckland. All of our journey tooked 17.3 km along trails and about five hours. Be aware that the last boat departs from the island to Auckland 5:00 PM and if you lost it you must pay a very expensive taxi boat to return if yoy are not prepared to camp in the few available indicated camping areas.