Kawau Island: History, Bays and Walking Tracks

Kawau Island brings together historic sites, walking tracks and numerous bays that offer shelter in almost any weather. Within the Kawau Island Historic Reserve, Mansion House and its gardens are protected, along with sites and remnants of the historic copper industry. This lets you choose a different focus for your visit: the former home of Sir George Grey, traces of copper mining, or tracks to viewpoints and other historic places.

Mansion House and its history

Mansion House was the former home of Sir George Grey and is listed as a Category 1 Historic Place. The historic wharf is part of this story too: it was built for Grey in 1875, replacing the wharf that had already been there since 1844. The two dates mark a clear sequence of different structures. You can also explore the historic gardens around Mansion House.

The house, gardens and wharf offer different ways to explore Kawau Island’s past. In the reserve, you’ll encounter not only traces of the copper industry, but also a place associated with Grey. If you’re choosing a shared focus for a family visit, the history of the house, the gardens and the mining relics can all provide very different points of interest.

Tracks to historic sites and viewpoints

The remains of the copper industry can be explored via the Kawau Island Historic Reserve track network. The Coppermine Track follows an old carriage road built for Sir George Grey. This track therefore links the history of mining with an older transport route. The Momona Point and Pā Track offers a different historic stop: it leads to a former pā site and a headland with good views of the mainland. Choosing between these destinations means deciding between industrial history and an old route on one hand, and a former pā site and views towards the mainland on the other.

Access to the viewpoint on the Two House Bay Track is public; there is a picnic table and views over Mansion House Bay. This offers another specific focus alongside the tracks’ historic sites. A short side track off Schoolhouse Bay Road also leads to a small historic cemetery. Early residents of Kawau Island are buried there, including copper miners and their families. This means traces of the mining industry can be found not only in its industrial remains, but also in the people who lived on the island.

Bays and arriving by boat

Water taxis and ferries run daily from Sandspit Wharf, near Warkworth, to Kawau Island. Check the schedules and operators before travelling. Conditions at landing sites and procedures at the wharf can also change.

Mansion House Bay has a sandy and stony beach suitable for landing visitors in dinghies and tender boats. The historic wharf is separate from the beach: it may only be used for drop-offs and pick-ups, and commercial ferries operate there. This information helps distinguish the different landing options without treating the beach and wharf as the same place. Together with the many sheltered bays, they shape how you get around Kawau Island.

Choose the right focus for your stay

The tracks offer different destinations and themes; the daily connections from Sandspit Wharf provide a specific starting point for planning your journey. Tailor your search and plans to the places and experiences you want to discover on Kawau Island, and check the latest schedules and landing conditions before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Tauhoa, Glen Murray, Matakana, Epsom, Bombay, Hunua, Onetangi, Leigh.

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