Goat Island (Motu Hawere)
The Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, commonly known as Goat Island, was the first marine reserve to be established in New Zealand and the world. Five kilometres of coastline and an area extending 800 metres offshore were included in the reserve in 1975. Located about one and a half hours drive north of Auckland, this site is generally dived straight from the shore.
Positioned just outside the inner Hauraki Gulf, the reserve is usually swept by clean ocean currents from the north. A rich diversity of near-shore and reef-dwelling organisms flourish in this largely silt-free environment.
The benefits of a no-take marine reserve are pretty obvious on entry to the water. The crayfish are big here! Fish life thrives and it is likely a flotilla of Snapper will follow you as you dive, encouraged by the not yet extinct practise of feeding the fish. Feeding the fish is no longer condoned, although you’ll still see people wandering into the water with packets of Watties frozen peas.
Goat Island itself is a scientific reserve and an important seabird nesting area. You can visit the island, but please stay on the intertidal rock platform. Walking over the island will disturb birdlife and vegetation, and may cause seabird burrows to collapse.
Goat Island is an awesome location to practise your diving skills as the diving is generally quite shallow, less than 5 metres. It’s also a great spot to practise your underwater photography skills as the fish are quite tame and macro life is in abundance.
Resources
Goat Island Marine Reserve, An identification guide to the underwater inhabitants
By Jenny and Tony Enderby
National Geographic did a beautiful feature on Goat Island and New Zealand marine reserves in April 2007. The article has a Sights & Sounds feature as well as a Photo Gallery.
Remember: Fishing within a marine reserve is an offence under the Marine Reserves Act 1971. Offenders can incur fines of up to $250,000 and/or six months imprisonment. Vehicles, vessels and equipment may be seized.
AUUC at Goat Island
Members descend on Goat Island in vast numbers each March, shortly after Orientation Week, for a weekend of diving, camping and socialising. This is your chance to meet the people you’ll be diving with all year, polish up your diving skills and introduce yourself to the underwater environment of New Zealand, without having to concern yourself with dodging the spearguns of our spearfishing compadres. We bring the club boat so that small numbers of divers can be ferried to dive sites further from the shore. It is also a great snorkelling destination if you haven’t done your course yet.
What you need to bring
Tent and sleeping gear, food, and the all important dive gear (you will probably get away with only one tank this weekend, you can get fills from Goat Island Dive). The campsite has cooking and toilet/shower facilities. Read more about the campground.
Directions to Goat Island from Auckland
Travel north over the harbour bridge. Stay on the main road north, SH1, until Warkworth where you turn right, following the brown signs to Goat Island Marine Reserve. Drive through Matakana. In Leigh, turn left, following the signs to Goat Island. Pass Goat Island Dive on the right. Turn right into Goat Island Road. The campsite is on the left. At Goat Island there is a small lower carpark where you can offload your dive gear before parking at the upper carpark.
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