Last updated November 2026
For more than a century, Rotoroa Island was off limits to the public. From 1911 to 2005 the Salvation Army ran New Zealand’s first addiction treatment centre on this Hauraki Gulf island, and it opened to visitors in February 2011.
Today the Rotoroa Island Trust, a registered charity, manages about 80 hectares of restored bush, wetlands and white-sand bays as a predator-free wildlife sanctuary, home to takahē, kiwi, tīeke and pāteke.
Explore Group ferries make the crossing from Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour in about 75 minutes, and private boats can anchor in the bays. Short tracks link the beaches, the historic buildings and the island’s cemetery, and a ranger leads a 90-minute guided walk.
Practical Information
- Location
- Hauraki Gulf; ferry from Viaduct Harbour, Auckland
- Distance from the city
- About 40 km from central Auckland in a straight line; about 75 minutes by ferry
- Size
- About 80 hectares (Rotoroa Island Trust)
- Managed by
- Rotoroa Island Trust (the Salvation Army owns the island; the trust holds a 99-year lease)
- Walking times
- Mai Mai Bay Track 10 min return; Cable Bay Track 30 min return; North Tower Loop 45 min loop; Southern Loop 75 min; guided Living Island walk 90 min
- Facilities
- Toilets, drinking fountain, free electric barbecues at Home Bay and Ladies Bay, a kiosk with ice creams and cold drinks before the return ferry (no café), Exhibition Centre
- Fees
- Ferry fares apply (booked through Explore Group) and the guided walk costs extra; private boats pay a landing fee (day pass or annual vessel pass). See the trust’s day trip and private boats pages.
- Dogs
- No pets anywhere on the island, including on leads, on beaches and below the high water mark
- Status
- Rotoroa Island Trust: Day trip page
About Rotoroa Island
Rotoroa is a sanctuary built on a long history of people. The trust says the Salvation Army opened the island in 1911 as New Zealand’s first addiction treatment centre, run as a self-sufficient community with gardens, farms and orchards. It operated until 2005 and served more than 12,000 people, which the trust describes as the longest-running addiction treatment centre in the country.
In 2009 the Rotoroa Island Trust took a 99-year lease from the Salvation Army, which still owns the island, and began restoring it. More than 20,000 pine trees have been removed since then, and native trees have been planted.
The island has been predator free since 2014. The trust gets no government operating funding and relies on ferry fares, guided walks, overnight stays, donations and sponsors.
The trust’s first big project was funded by Neal and Annette Plowman, who later founded the NEXT Foundation. More than 10,000 people now visit each year, by ferry or private boat.
Wildlife on the Island
Takahē, kiwi, pāteke (brown teal), tīeke (saddleback) and pōpokotea (whitehead) are the trust’s featured residents, and all of them were brought to the island, along with shore skinks and moko skinks. Takahē were thought to be extinct for about 50 years until their rediscovery in a remote Fiordland valley in 1948.
The island also works as a kiwi crèche. The trust says wild kiwi chicks have about a 5% chance of survival, rising to 50 to 60% when raised somewhere predator free, and 145 kiwi chicks have been raised there and returned to the wild since 2015.
Other native birds on the trust’s list include tūī, pīwakawaka, riroriro, weka, kererū, ruru, pūkeko, tūturiwhatu (New Zealand dotterel), taranui (Caspian tern), tara (white-fronted tern), tōrea pango (oystercatcher) and oi (grey-faced petrel), with tākapu (gannet) seen now and then offshore.
Walks, Bays and Heritage
Tracks
The North Tower Loop (a 45-minute loop from the Exhibition Centre) passes beaches, wetland and forest, and the trust rates it the best chance to see a range of wildlife. The Cable Bay Track (30 minutes return) goes through the Patatoa Point wetlands to Cable Bay, the island’s largest swimming beach.
The Southern Loop is a 75-minute medium track where sturdy shoes are advised, and Mai Mai Bay is just 10 minutes return, with views across to Waiheke Island. The 90-minute Living Island walk is led by an island ranger and is booked with the ferry.
Heritage and art
The Exhibition Centre was designed to look like a traditional wool shed and won a public architecture award in 2011. Around it are the original jail, an 1860s schoolhouse and the old butchery.
The historic cemetery sits above Ladies Bay on the North Tower Loop, looking towards the Coromandel Peninsula. On the Southern Loop, Chris Booth’s sculpture Kaitiaki leans three arcs of boulders towards Ruthe Passage, inspired by wind-bent pōhutukawa branches.
Getting There and Island Rules
Explore Group runs the ferry from Viaduct Harbour, and sailing days change with the season, so check the trust’s day trip page before planning.
The trust also welcomes private boats: anchor in Home Bay, Ladies Bay, Men’s Bay, Cable Bay or Mai Mai Bay and land by dinghy only, as there are no moorings and the wharf and pontoon are not open to the public. Home Bay is exposed to westerlies and the tide goes out a long way there.
Dogs and other pets, drones, fires and camping are not allowed. Bring all food and drink in sealed containers and take your rubbish home. Before you leave, check gear, clothing and footwear for pests, soil and seeds and use the brushing stations at the departure pier.
Fishing is allowed, but a DOC high-protection area lies off the northern end at Pakatoa Point. For overnight stays, the trust books its holiday homes rather than campsites.
Where to Learn More
Rotoroa Island Trust: Day trip: ferry times, fares, what to bring and facilities on the island.
Rotoroa Island Trust: Scenic walks: track times and descriptions.
Rotoroa Island Trust: Private boats: anchorages, landing fees and biosecurity rules for boaties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to Rotoroa Island?
By Explore Group ferry from Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, which takes about 75 minutes, or by private boat or water taxi.
Who runs Rotoroa Island?
The Rotoroa Island Trust, a registered charity, under a 99-year lease from the Salvation Army, which owns the island.
What wildlife can I see?
Takahē, kiwi, pāteke, tīeke, pōpokotea, weka and many other native birds, plus shore skinks and moko skinks.
Can I bring my dog?
No. The trust does not allow pets anywhere on the island, including on leads and on the beaches.
Is there food on the island?
There is no café. A kiosk sells ice creams and cold drinks before the return ferry, so bring your own food in sealed containers. Free electric barbecues are at Home Bay and Ladies Bay.
How long are the walks?
From 10 minutes return to Mai Mai Bay up to the 75-minute Southern Loop; the guided Living Island walk takes 90 minutes.
Can I stay overnight?
Yes, in the trust’s holiday homes. Camping is not allowed.
Do private boats pay a fee?
Yes. The trust charges a landing fee, as a day pass or an annual vessel pass; see its private boats page for current fees.
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