Goat Island Marine Reserve

There is something very special about Goats Island Top of our list 
Enjoy New Zealand’s marine life in a 100% clear kayak Clearyak offer a pure, peaceful experience and the vision beneath you is amazingly clear and detailed. Seriously cool! We also enjoy the Goat Island walkway. This return walk traverses the coast part way to Cape Rodney overlooking New Zealand’s oldest and most popular marine reserve. Walk up the Auckland University Marine Laboratory driveway to the start of the track. If you have time, the lab is open to the public and worth checking out. The track passes along the cliff-top beyond the marine laboratory through paddocks and fine remnants of coastal broadleaf forest. There may be cows or sheep in the section through the farm paddocks. Getting there Access is from the Goat Island Road end, off Pakiri-Leigh Road, east of Warkworth. Park at the marine reserve carpark and walk up the driveway to the Leigh Marine Laboratory. The walk starts on the right, 50 m inside the gate. The walkway is 83 km from downtown Auckland.

Cape Rodney-Okakari Point lies north of Auckland. The marine reserve offers some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities close to Auckland. You can also enjoy swimming, kayaking and walking on the beach. The marine reserve is about one and a half hours’ drive north of Auckland, near Leigh. Take SH1 to Warkworth and follow the Goat Island Marine Reserve signs.

Find on www.park-sleep.co.nz and photographs of the camp ground

Awesome experience

I absolutely love Goat Island for a good day trip. The marine reserve is alive with fish! Tip: On a summers day the parking on the road can get very busy but if you drive to the main car park and turn left there is usually parks up in the hill car park.

Have just enjoyed an awesome afternoon snorkelling at Goat Island Marine Reserve. We were staying just down the road in Whangateau and so, when the tide was right, a group of us headed to Goat Island with our snorkelling gear to check out some of the biggest snapper I've ever seen. I love the way the pohutukawa overhang the beach and, no matter how busy it is, there's always a quiet spot you can find to tuck away from the crowds. This is NZ summer at its best!

Peaceful and tranquil

One of my favourite long weekend getaways, Goat Island is tops for snorkelling, swimming and just generally a whole lotta beach'ing and relaxing. There's a wicked little local campground that I reckon is one of the best in New Zealand and I also like to enjoy a pizza and a glass of wine at the Leigh Sawmill after a long day of swimming in the reserve's pristine salty waters. My friends' with kids also love holidaying up here or just enjoying a school holiday day trip because there are so many kids' activities they will love. If you want to get back to nature with lots of awesome outdoor adventures, Goat Island is a great place to get the sand between your toes, the sun on your face and be up close and personal with New Zealand's beautiful marine life.

good short drive to the beach with family on a sunny afternoon...good drive and a good place to hang around if you got a big family