James has been an island guide five times and says there's nowhere else like it in the country. It's the obsidian (a jet black glassy stone formed from eruptions) which makes the island so special, he says.
''The 'devil's staircase' is on the edge of the crater rim and that's where you see most of the obsidian. There's large deposits of it, huge lumps of it, it's quite awesome to see.''
People may find tiny pebbles of the black stone washed up onto surrounding beaches, he says.
Mayor Island is 35 kilometres north of Tauranga. It is a dormant shield volcano with an impressive collapsed crater and is believed to have risen from the sea about 35,000 years ago.
It is now covered with bush and is a wildlife refuge looked after by the Te Whanau A Tauwhao ki Tuhua and administered by the Tuhua Trust Board.
Permission is required to go to the island and it is a long boat ride out there.
Katch Katikati promotions manager Jacqui Knight came up with the idea of including Mayor Island in the Echo calendar (Echo stands for enjoy connecting hills and oceans).
Mayor Island has been a special place for her since going on a school camping trip there in the 1980s.
Both James and Jacqui speak of the lush, interesting plant growth on the island and how everything seems to grow differently there.
Event manager Kylie Watkins says the experience is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity ''and one you will reflect on for the rest of your life''.
They appreciate the patience of those who wait year in and out for this walk. The Mayor Island walk is always a sell-out and every year creates a waiting list, this year is no exception.
Last year's walk was cancelled due to the weather and everyone who booked asked to hold onto their booking ''which means we have a waiting list of 35 people waiting in the background wanting to experience this spectacular walk''.
They're also grateful for the relationship they have built over the years with the Tuhua Trust Board and the experienced Proctor family skippers who take the excursion there.
