When I first visited Auckland, New Zealand in November 2023, a few people recommended that I check out Tiritiri Matangi Island Nature Reserve after learning about my love of birds. Unfortunately we were only in Auckland for a few short days and didn’t have the time to do a whole-day adventure on this nearby island.
However, when I returned to Auckland in February 2025, I was ready to see some birds! On my relatively short list to “Must Dos” for my almost 6 week trip, this was near the top of the list. And after I went , it is now my #1 recommendation for a nature-based day trip near Auckland if you’re a bird lover. So let’s dive in and see why this very affordable trek made my jaw drop.
Booking
First, to book this adventure I went to the Tiritiri Matangi Nature Reserve website where I bought a Ferry Ticket and a ticket for a Guided Walk. This cost me $95 NZD for the roundtrip ferry and $10 NZD for the guided walk.
However, before I purchase most things, I do a quick search for “[Item] Coupon” and was surprised that I found one that worked for this trip. I added the promo code I’d found and got 10% (-$10.50 NZD) off so I ended up spending a total of $94.50 NZD ($53.72 USD) for this day trip. Not bad at all!
Just a heads up that if you prefer booking through Viator for their benefits (including free cancellation for your ferry up to 24 hours before its departure) feel free to book through Viator instead here.
The Ferry
On the day of my tour I walked to the Explore Kiosk in Viaduct Harbor per the confirmation email I received. They asked us to arrive at 8:30am, but I got there at 8:15am to make sure I found it in time. And I did!
In their email they said their kiosk was diagonal from the Maritime Museum and it was. It’s open in the front and glass on the side and says the company name “Explore” all over the place.
I then walked up to the counter and there was only one person in front of me in line. Once it was my turn I told them I was there for the tour.
They asked for my last name and I gave it to them. The employee then gave me a pass to board the ferry and said they’re going to board 10 minutes before the 9am departure time.
They let me know we would be boarding soon and to please go to the station next to the desk to spray and scrape my shoes to make sure the Nature Reserve stays pest free. So that’s what I did and then I found a nice spot in the shade to chill until boarding.
Soon after, an employee announced they were boarding for Tiritiri Matangi so I got in line and we got on the ferry. I went to the very top deck to get some sun, but the other decks have shade if that’s more your speed.
As for views, on the way to Tiritiri Matangi the right side of the boat gets a great view of Auckland when leaving the harbor (and the left side on the return trip). However, if you’re on the top floor, you can see everything just fine from any side of the boat.
On the left side of the boat while going to Tiritiri Matangi after leaving the harbor, you get to see the New Zealand coast, which was quite pretty and hilariously we passed the spot where I had gone kayaking looking for bioluminescence the night before.
The other benefit of the top deck is that it was not at all crowded unlike the other floors where people were hiding from the sun – there were maybe 14 people on the top deck with me so if you don’t mind sun and have your sunscreen and/or hat at the ready, it’s a great place to be.
At 9:55am we arrived at the Gulf Harbour ferry stop and a few people came aboard. Then we were off again and arrived at Tiritiri Matangi at 10:20am.
When we arrived, everyone left the ferry and on the shore, we gathered around the Tiritiri Matangi Nature Reserve volunteers and they gave us a debrief and told the people who booked a Guided Walk to go to the left of the dock under the awning.
The Guided Tour: Kawerau Track
The Tiritiri Matangi Nature Reserve website has information on the multiple Guided Walks around the island, including elevation and restroom location information like this diagram for the Kawerau Track. However, the website didn’t let me choose a specific Track when purchasing the Guided Walk.
Instead, volunteers came under the awning and told us which Tracks they were going to. I knew I wanted the Kawerau Track ideally based on the elevation, degree of difficulty and the variety of landscapes we would see according to the website. I would’ve also been fine with the Wattle Track.
I went with a lovely volunteer named Toni on the Kawerau Track and as you’ll see later, I also got to go on the Wattle Track on my way back to the ferry so I think this was the right choice for me!
Each volunteer ideally takes only 6-7 people on their tour, but on the day I was there, we had too many people and too few volunteers so my group had 9 people, but I didn’t find that to be too many. I just really enjoy small tours and 9 people is still quite small to me 🙂 .
The only negative with there being more people than usual on the island is that we had to often pause to wait for them to go further down the narrow paths so we could continue. However, that’s not a big deal when you’re surrounded by cool nature things that I’m happy to look at longer.
The Kawerau Track is advertised as taking 2.5 hours, but it took us 3 hours. Not a big deal, but feel free to plan ahead in case the day you visit is busy like mine.
We walked through the nature reserve and saw an abundance of birds, flora and fauna, including 1,000 year old trees, lizards, unique birds like the South Island Takahe and the New Zealand Pigeon and even nesting boxes for Blue Penguins!
Apparently you can usually open the box to see the Baby Blue Penguins, but they understandably weren’t opening the boxes this year because all the chicks died last year (they think because of global warming making it harder for them to find food) so they’re taking every precaution to try and keep them protected this year.
During this tour I kept close to our guide Toni so I could hear everything she was saying. Since our group was larger than usual, if I was near the back of the group, I couldn’t hear the information she was sharing so I made sure to stick close without being in the way.
I was also surprised with how close these animals were to us. I got the best nature pictures I’ve ever taken.
As for the terrain, the walk was pretty easy and didn’t have a lot of elevation change outside of two hills that you’re climbing for about 2 minutes each. There were some stairs without a railing that we took as well, but we went slowly and carefully.
Most of the people on my tour, including our guide, were people who appeared to be in their 60s, so it was right up my alley physically 😉 . Also there were no mosquitoes or flies that I saw during my time on this island, which was awesome.
However, I was very grateful that I brought a liter of water (in my lovely Vapur Collapsible Water Bottle), but I wish I had brought a small towel to mop up my sweat. I was wearing athleisure and it wasn’t a particularly hot day, but walking for 3 hours often without shade after almost an hour and a half in the sun on the ferry, caught up with me 😉 .
During our walk our guide would show us where the restroom stops were and told us how long it would be until the next one, which everyone seemed to appreciate.
After all that we ended our walk on a hill overlooking the island that showcased its beauty. We were let loose near the Visitor Center at 1:20pm and told that we should be back at the dock by 2:25pm for the 2:40pm ferry.
The Wattle Track
After checking out the Visitor Center and the Lighthouse (which is apparently the oldest working lighthouse in New Zealand and was built in 1865) I headed to the Wattle Track.
Our guide Toni had recommended that we start walking at 1:45pm if we were taking the Wattle Track back to the ferry because that section of the track takes about 30 minutes on your own.
And I found that to be true while walking the track by myself. However, I kept stopping to watch birds, look at the beautiful view and enjoy the silence since I was alone on the track.
Also during the tour, our guide mentioned that if you are on a boat, you can anchor it on Tiritiri Matangi for free. Good to know for my next visit 😉 .
30 minutes later I arrived at the dock. I checked out the beach and then found a place to sit on the ground and started knitting. A few minutes later a woman from my tour group started talking to me about knitting. I guess I’ve found my people – grannies!
The Return Ferry
At 2:30 our ferry honked and apparently that indicated that we should start boarding 🙂 . So I did and we left on time at 2:40pm.
I once again sat on the top deck to take in the sun, breeze and beauty of New Zealand. I was in the front row on the left side and had great views of Auckland’s skyline as we went into the harbor.
After 20 minutes we reached the first stop where a few people got off the ferry. After another 55 minutes we arrived back in Auckland at 4pm and I disembarked a few minutes later.
The employees wished us well and said bye as we were leaving the ferry, which was nice. And that was my adventure to Tiritiri Matangi!
The Review
In case it wasn’t clear, I absolutely loved my time at Tiritiri Matangi Nature Reserve. I definitely think that $53.72 USD is a completely fair cost for a full-day adventure including a ferry that in itself is a beautiful tour of New Zealand plus an absolutely amazing Guided Walk by a wonderful and knowledgeable volunteer.
I saw gorgeous sights, really cool animals and learned a lot about New Zealand. I also, as I mentioned, got the best nature shots of my life and was thoroughly entertained.
The Kawerau Track was fantastic and offered a wide variety of different types of island landscapes and the Wattle Track was a lovely short walk to the ferry that included beautiful views and lovely birdwatching spots. If you’re interested in seeing some of the natural wonders of New Zealand and its inhabitants, I can’t suggest this experience enough.
What To Bring
I went on this adventure in February, which is summer in New Zealand. That day had a weather forecast of Cloudy with a high of 77F and a low of 65F. However, when I left Auckland there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was sunny on Tiritiri Matangi.
When the ferry arrived back in Auckland at the end of the day, it was cloudy and I was glad the clouds held off until the end of the day 🙂 . All that to say, even if your weather forecast says cloudy, that might not be the case on the island.
In my ferry confirmation email we were told to wear or bring the following on our adventure:
- Wear comfortable clothing suitable to the conditions, walking shoes, hat and a light jacket
- We also recommend you bring a water bottle, camera, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Bring swimwear and a towel if you would like to go for a swim at the island
- Light snacks and beverages can be purchased onboard our vessel. We recommend you bring your own lunch and snacks packed in a sealed container.
I brought all of the above except for the hat, swimwear and towel. I’m not a hat person 🙂 . I regretted not bringing a towel as I mentioned above, because even if you’re not swimming, it can be helpful to wipe up sweat if you’re prone to sweating a lot in any weather like me 😉 .
However, if I visit Tiritiri Matangi again, I will definitely bring my swimwear, my Quick Dry Travel Towel and ideally a snorkel because the water at Hobbs Beach is clear, turquoise and gorgeous 🙂 . I was very happy with my Guided Walk adventures during my trip and wouldn’t have had time to enjoy swimming in the water and drying off comfortably given the timing of the walks. Next time!
I did end up using my light jacket on the ferry back to Auckland when a few clouds came out and the sun wasn’t there to combat the breeze. I also wish I had brought a hat or more sunscreen (I just put sunscreen on before leaving the house) because I was on the top deck of the ferry on the way to and from the island.
Despite the UV being 1 in the morning and 5 on the ride back, my neck was red when I arrived home. Oops! Maybe I should have been wearing that scarf I was knitting even though it was a bit hot out 🙂 .
Conclusion
And that was my adventure to the Tiritiri Matangi Nature Reserve! It was an absolutely phenomenal experience that I’m excited to repeat when I head back to New Zealand. I still can’t believe such beauty and cool animals are so easily accessible from Auckland. It’s like stepping into another, more peaceful world.
You always find such great deals. New Zealand looks incredibly beautiful, but I would’ve thought it would also be really expensive to do something like this.
Haha thank you and yeah I was surprised with how affordable it was! Auckland in general surprised me with how little I spent compared to my expectations.
Hi dear, I’ve been a fan & visitor for years. I know you mentioned working on the refresh page issue on iPhone, but it’s still happening even after I clear my cookies. Just wanted to update you!
Hi Jen – Thanks so much for letting me know! What type of device are you using and what version of the OS is it on? This will help me troubleshoot. Thank you again!
You’ve been to New Zealand twice?! Jealous…
Every time I see photos of New Zealand, it’s just beautiful. Visiting NZ is definitely on my bucket list!
Also, that 1000-year-old tree is pretty cool! For a post I wrote at the beginning of this year (https://froogalstoodent.blogspot.com/2025/01/why-im-building-pyramid.html), I did some research – and apparently the oldest confirmed tree in the world is in California. ‘Methuselah’ in Inyo National Park has been confirmed at roughly 4800 years old. However, Alerce Milenario in Chile was recently estimated at over 5000 years old! This, however, is an estimate and is not confirmed. So that New Zealand tree is just a young’un 😉
Yeah – I liked it so much when I first went in 2023 that I had to go back the next year. I hope you love it!
This is for sure on my list when I go back to NZ some day! Thanks for the breakdown 🙂
Woohoo!