Rotoroa Island: From one salvation to another! (36°48'51"S 175°11'53" E)

November 20th, 2022

Rotoroa Island would have to be my favourite island to visit in the Hauraki Gulf.  If you've ever visited Rotoroa Island, I'm sure you'll understand why.  Situated off the east coast of Waiheke Island, on a clear day you can see the Coromandel. The North and South Towers give you panoramic views of the Hauraki Gulf.  If you can't sail to Rotoroa then getting to Rotoroa Island is really easy because it's just a 75 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. 

Rotoroa Island is a small island in the Hauraki Gulf and was once a treatment center for people with alcohol addiction. The treatment center was established by the Salvation Army in 1911 and disestablished in 2005. Rotoroa is now owned by a private trust who have been working hard to re-establish native forest and birds on the island. There is a small museum where you can learn about the rich history of Rotoroa.

Everything about Rotoroa is magical.  The Home Bay anchorage is just stunning with its turquoise waters and the dramatic rise of Rotoroa's landform.  Once anchored, we couldn't wait to explore Rotoroa and it didn't take long before we had Tītī (our tender) in the water and we were heading for shore.  Once ashore we were welcomed by the beautiful tōrea (oyster catcher) and the tūturiwhatu (NZ dotterel).   

Looking towards the island we could see a grove of pōhutukawa and pūkeko with their chicks.  We had only just landed and we already knew that this was going to be a special place.  We made our way to the historical buildings which included the gaol, butchery, and school house.  A short walk up some steps takes you to the chapel which has a very nice view overlooking Home Bay.

After learning more about the social history we could now explore the island and the restoration that has taken place on it since the Rotoroa Island Trust was able to purchase it from the Salvation Army in 2009.  Rotoroa has many different walks and each walk has a well maintained track.  The two main walks are to what is called the North Tower and the South Tower - both offer breathtaking views. 

 

We found three lakes on the island.  What I call the middle lake (which is near the cemetery) was where we were so fortunate to see a pāteke (brown teal).  We returned to this lake three times before the pāteke showed itself.  This lake also has a very nice path around it so you can see the different views of the lake from different vantage points.  

We visited Rotoroa on three different occasions, and in total, we spent about 3 days exploring Rotoroa Island taking our time to enjoy each walking track, the native birds and trees, and the different views.  Given the opportunity, we would have spent many more days on this island.  We did visit Rotoroa a fourth time to see out gale force winds but we never had the opportunity to go onshore. 

There are two different tracks which take you to the North Tower.  One goes from the middle lake and the other goes around the accommodation and northern end of the island. Which ever way you choose to go, you won't be disappointed.  Walking towards the lake there is Ladies Beach which is a must stop.  It is here we saw weka and the tūturiwhatu.  It's a quaint little beach and I think women really knew how to pick.   After stopping at Ladies Bay, you have the option of  visiting the cemetery which further showcases Rotoroa's rich social history but also offers spectacular scenery.

I know I keep repeating myself but no matter where you are on Rotoroa Island, you will be offered stunning scenery and each corner you turn you will think it can't get any more spectacular - but I assure you, it does!  The track to the South Tower is just as beautiful with views to the Coromandel.  It's a bit of a longer walk than the North Tower walk (or at least it felt like it to me) but I was just so taken by watching the tīeke, tūī, weka, and tauhou (silver eye)) - oh and did I mention the views? - that it actually felt like it went to fast.  

On this walk we came across Mens Bay and I wondered if it was actually men who knew how to pick?  Being such a beautiful spot, we decided to stop for some lunch and take a timelapse of the beach. We did not expect what was to happen next.  Adam had inadvertently left the camera bag a little way from us and it peeked the interest of a weka which happened to be on the beach (we didn't see it at first).  It made its way across to the camera bag and decided to start digging under it.  For us this was a special experience as we had never seen a weka do this. In fact, Rotoroa Island was the first time I had ever even seen a weka bird.   Furthermore, a pair of tūturiwhatu also decided to show themselves.  They are well camouflaged so can be hard to see on sandy beaches but they were happy to preen themselves and hang around while we ate lunch. It was fun watching them and the weka. 

The last day we spent exploring Rotoroa Island, we decided to walk up to the North Tower again and instead of going back towards Home Bay we would go towards Cable Beach.  We were not disappointed.  It was a good move to make and we had the opportunity of seeing what I call the bottom lake. Views! Views! Views! Is all I can say.

We really enjoyed our time on Rotoroa Island and we can't wait to visit it again.  If sailing to Rotoroa Island and going ashore, you must pay a landing fee.  At the time it was $5 which is not bad at all and helps to support the Trust to continue restoring Rotoroa Island to its former glory.  Rotoroa Island also offers different accommodation options so staying the night and exploring the island at night would no doubt offer another unforgettable experience.

Once again we would like to say thank you to those who work tirelessly to restore these island sanctuaries so that we and future generations can enjoy them but also experience what Aotearoa was once like. Thank you so much. 

Thanks for joining me as I share with you my experience of Rotoroa Island and I hope I’ve given you a sense of what it’s like. Below is our video of our time on Rotoroa. It really is one of my favourite places to visit and it truly is 'an island apart'.

As always, thanks for reading.

Vicki