The Aotea Track on Great Barrier Island is a fun, moderate 2 to 3 day walk. Here is some info – highlights, logistics, and how to get to the island.
Great Barrier Island is located just north of the Coromandel and east of Auckland. This isolated island is sparsely populated with about 70% of the island being managed by the Department of Conservation. The Aotea Track circumnavigates the central part of the island and surmounts the highest peak. Along the way you’ll see remnant kauri trees, Manuka and kanuka, a lovely river, and more stairs than you want. However, the views from the summit of Mt. Hobson (Hirakimata) and Mt. Heale Hut are truly spectacular.
Aotea Track Highlights And Logistics
Highlights – Kauri trees, remote Great Barrier Island bush, tallest peak on the island, wonderful vistas, flocks of kaka, and hot springs.
Location – Great Barrier Island, trailheads – Summit of Whagaparapara Road along Forest Road and Kaitake Hot Springs.
Length Of Walk – Varies depending on start/end locations, but route described here about 25 kms. Forest Road to Kaiaraara Hut 13 km 4.5 hours; Kaiaraara Hut to Mt. Heale Hut (with side trip to summit) 6 km, 3.5 hours; Mt. Heale Hut to Kaitake Hot Springs trail start 6 km, 3.5 hours.
Difficulty – Easy to Moderate
About Aotea Track
There are 7 different points to get onto the trails that traverse Aotea Conservation Park. The official Aotea Track, as described by DOC, starts and finishes along the Whangaparapara road, making almost a full loop. As the map shows, there are many tracks that can be combined to make a loop, so pick and choose what you looks fun for you.
The route described here starts at the Forest Road on Whangaparapara Road and finishes at the Kaitoke Hot Springs Track. The majority of our first day, about 4.5 hours, entailed walking along a forest road. Not exactly what I expected, but it still had some nice parts.
Aotea Island today is quite different than it was a couple hundred years ago. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, much of the island was heavily logged for kauri and other native trees. The logs were felled and hauled out of the bush by bush tractors, or washed down the narrow streams using dams (a great example of one is along the track just above Kaiaraara hut). Along the way you will follow an old tramway track. The forest road passes through an area dominated by a regrowth of manuka/kanuka with some tree ferns and scattered kauri trees.
We took a detour to the 280 m high point of Mangapiko for a lunch break. Wow! That 5 minute detour gave us our first great views out over the island as we climbed up some neat rocks to a bench at the top – definitely worth it.
Our route kept us on the Forest Road for the rest of the way to Kaiaraara hut. Although we saw none, I hear this section is popular with mountain bikers, so be aware. Along the way we took another detour to see some towering remnant kauri trees.
Kaiaraara hut itself is nothing special, but it’s near a lovely stream that makes for a nice spot to wash off the sweat and grime from the day.
The next day began started with a gradual climb along the Kaiaraara Track, passing through a beautiful forest full of nikau palm, tree ferns, and some giant puriri trees.
Shortly, the trail got steeper and steeper as it began the climb towards the island’s tallest peak, Mt. Hobson/Hirakimata. Someone mentioned to us that the track had 1,000 steps. After reading the DOC literature, which states it’s a fairly easy walk, I thought they didn’t know what they were talking about. Well, it turned out to my dismay that their statement was pretty close to accurate.
The ‘trail’ turned into an incredibly long series of narrow wooden stairs that climbed straight up to the top (around 500 steps). The upper area is designed to protect black petrel nesting grounds.
The views from the small platform at the summit were absolutely stunning, looking out across the islands over small bays and the ocean towards Little Barrier Island.
It was quite windy (which I hear is common) so we descended and headed to Mt. Heale Hut along the South Fork Track. Mt. Heale Hut is one of the nicer huts I’ve stayed at, with amazing views and a great porch to relax and enjoy the sunset.
The following day we descended the Peach Tree Track along a long ridge with sweeping vistas out to the eastern side of the island.
A few hours later we stopped at Kaitoke Hot Springs to soak and rest our muscles. Then we carried on a mostly flat track to the trailhead.
My Insider’s Tips To The Aotea Track
The first challenge is getting to the island. You can either take the ferry or a plane ride. The plane has a strict weight limit – 7 kg for carry on or 20 kg for checked baggage. If you are flying and have room in your weight, I’d suggest bringing your own food. While there are a few stores on the island, it’s expensive and there’s not a large selection.
The hugs along this walk (Kaiaraara and Mt. Heale) are both bookable, and you should book in advance. They are serviced huts, thus cost is $15 per adult, but they have gas cookers. Thus, you don’t need to bring in your own stove or gas bottle, which helps since you can’t carry a gas canister on the plane! (You should confirm this before you head out, but as of my trip in October 2020 they had gas cookers).
You need to visit the hot springs! Even if you don’t do the full walk, at least take the short walk to the hot springs and take a soak.