Ewes and their newborn lambs enjoy some time on the beach at Cable Bay, Urupukapuka Island. Photos / S Curtis
Where else can you watch newborn lambs basking on a beach while oystercatchers comb the sand nearby — all seemingly unfazed by the presence of visitors?
Urupukapuka Island is a pest-free wildlife sanctuary and recreational reserve, one of Northland’s best-kept secrets. The only problem is, it’s just too good not to share.
Its Māori name means the island of many pukas — a large-leaved native tree once prevalent throughout the Bay of Islands (Ipipiri).
Partly grazed by sheep but also an ongoing restoration project, the island has no human population but is home to an abundance of birds and creatures long gone or scarcely seen on the mainland.
The Advocate visited in early spring on a calm sunny day. The paddocks were lush, lambs were about and the bays were turquoise. The picture-perfect paradise is only a 40-minute ferry ride (on Fullers or Explore) from the tourist towns of Russell and Paihia for a reasonable fare.
Urupukapuka is nothing short of idyllic at any time of the year — an affordable day out for nature lovers.
In summer, ferries call in more frequently and the island teems with holidaymakers all getting their share of this pristine coastal setting, which is ideal for swimming, diving, snorkelling, boating and kayaking, walking, wildlife watching and photography.
Reviews by 173 Tripadvisor contributors rate a visit to Urupukapuka as a 4.5 out of 5 experience.
With its many well-preserved Māori sites that pre-date European settlement, Urupukapuka is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most significant archaeological islands.
Because of its rich history and the ties many tribes have with it, Urupukapuka is also a place of high cultural significance to Māori.
At 208ha, it’s the largest island of the 144 in Northland’s Bay of Islands. It’s also the most topographically diverse, its landscape ranging from flat areas behind the major bays (Entico, Otehei, Urupukapuka) to moderately steep slopes and coastal cliffs on the island’s eastern side.
Serviced by Fullers and Explorer ferries, it is also a popular stopover point for tour vessels to the Hole in the Rock.
The voyage of about 7.5km to Urupukapuka from Russell or Paihia is a memorable scenic trip.
In good conditions, visitors are free to move about the boats at their leisure and there’s seating at almost every vantage point.
We could even sprawl out on the fenced deck of the bow.
In cooler weather, there are plenty of comfortable cabin seats — all with panoramic window views.
The boats slow down through Te Pēwhairangi (Bay of Islands) Marine Mammal Sanctuary, where skippers share a yarn or two about nearby islands and the marine environment.
Have your camera ready as there’s a high likelihood of seeing marine mammals, including bottlenose dolphins.
As we made our way from our ferry to shore via Otehei’s long pier, the water was like glass beneath us.
No wonder the island is popular for scuba diving.
As we boarded the boat again at the end of the day, we got an awesome close-up view of a large school of snapper wrangling over titbits in the water.
About a third of Urupukapuka Island is grazing land, predominantly covered with kikuyu grass.
Archaeological sites are visible in that open landscape and it’s a harmonious contrast to the rest of the island’s cover — large tracts of native scrubland, spectacular pōhutukawa trees that skirt the coastline, and a wetland created as a wildlife habitat in the 1980s.
With its range of habitats, Urupukapuka has significant and ongoing restoration potential.
There are breeding areas for brown teals/pāteke and NZ dotterels.
The conservation initiative Project Island Song has successfully released rare bird species — robins/toutouwai, North Island saddlebacks/tīeke and whiteheads/pōpokotea. Giant weta have also been reintroduced.
Take a day trip as we did or pack your camping gear and stay a night or more at one of the island’s three affordable, family-friendly, DoC-managed campgrounds at stunning Urupukapuka Bay, Sunset Bay and Cable Bay.
At peak time, the largest of those venues — Urupukapuka Bay — hosts up to 240 people across 60 non-powered tent sites.
It’s classic no-frills styled Kiwi camping with only cold showers and non-flushable (composting) toilets but popular nonetheless. Campsites are heavily booked every summer — especially over Christmas and New Year.
The Northland Regional Council’s rubbish barge, which has become a summer fixture in the Bay of Islands, calls in every second day from around Boxing Day to mid-January to remove refuse on a pay-as-you-use basis.
Rules apply to taking alcohol and dangerous goods (camping fuel, dive tanks, etc) on board ferries so check with the operator first.
Pets, drones, fires, generators, loud music, littering and foul language are not allowed on the island.
Just one cat or dog could cause considerable damage to island wildlife, DoC says.
Phones are probably best forgotten. However, there’s limited mobile coverage if needed or if you simply can’t resist immediately skiting about the scenery to your social media mates.
A conservation centre in Otehei Bay operates from December 26 to February 6 each year, offering lots of fascinating information, including about Project Island Song and the marine mammal reserve’s bottlenose dolphins.
The centre also has a pop-up library and is the base for children’s activity days.
Visitors to the island are well-served by a network of walking tracks. While many involve a steep hill or two, the climb is worth it for the breathtaking maritime views.
From the trig station above Otehei Bay, you can see up to the Kerikeri Inlet, over to Russell, Waitangi, the Cavalli Islands and Cape Brett.
For the less energetic or mobile, there’s plenty to enjoy at Otehei Bay, including the new Providore’s Gallery showcasing Northland artists, which opened in October. Part of the gallery will also operate over the summer as a small general store.
The landscape at Otehei is flat and there’s white sandy beach on both sides of the pier. Bring a picnic or check out the licensed beachside cafe for a meal, drinks or an ice cream.
Sink into one of the cafe’s many outdoor bean bags, stretch out on the sand, or stake a claim to one of the countless shaded spots on the grass.
Strolling around Otehei’s park-like setting, you’ll still see all manner of birdlife — saddlebacks, weka, herons, fantails and more. Resident species aren’t shy of awestruck visitors and happily go about their business regardless of the people nearby.
If you want to explore the island from the sea, kayaks, paddleboards and snorkels are available for hire during summer. Beaches are sheltered and safe for swimming.
According to a useful potted history on DoC’s website, before European settlement the Bay of Islands was a heavily populated place with a complex political, ancestral and cultural history.
To date a total of 66 archaeological sites have been identified on Urupukapuka and there are many more on adjacent islets.
Urupukapuka has at least eight pā sites on headlands and numerous surface features such as garden sites and storage pits. They can be seen from one of the island’s walks, which have information panels explaining each feature.
The diversity of Urupukapuka’s archaeological sites and the well-preserved state of them make the island one of New Zealand’s most significant archaeological islands, DoC says.
From the mid-19th century, European settlers began clearing land around the island to graze livestock, using Otehei Bay as the main entry point.
The island was farmed in the early 1900s by the Baker family. Businessman and farmer Charles Baker was also keen on fishing and in 1926-27 invited the famous American novelist and game-fishing enthusiast Zane Grey to visit.
Grey used Otehei Bay as a base for game fishing and pioneered the maritime recreation activities now central to the Bay of Islands at his namesake Urupukapuka resort. He was also inspired to write his book, Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado, New Zealand. Its success established the Bay of Islands as New Zealand’s swordfishing capital.
Eventually sold by its Māori shareholders in the 20th century, Urupukapuka was acquired by the Crown in 1970 and gazetted as a Recreation Reserve in 1979.
The current landscape of Otehei Bay still houses some of original buildings, which have been left as examples of the vernacular style of European structures once common but now rarely seen in coastal northland settings.
All the island’s archaeological sites are protected under the Historic Places Act 1993.
Don’t forget, all New Zealand’s precious reserves are vulnerable to contamination transported on visitors' footwear and gear and marine pest invasions spread by boats and marine equipment. Biosecurity safety measures and rules apply (check online). Remember, fisheries officers or DoC rangers could be waiting to check your compliance at any time.
Post-season monitoring recorded 50 individual tara iti, up from 33 last year.