Loved the experience. It was an enjoyable journey and the ferry was not too crowded too. Food and beverage available upon request. The island was overwhelmed in solitude and serenity. The cooing of various birds freckled the daylight air. The beaches were good. But ladies bay was impeccably awesome. Treading there thru a narrow cleft in the rocks was challenging but the destination was great . Can't stay there much becuse the tide picks up and gettin back on to the cleft to exit would eventually be a swim. So dip in early and dry out quick. Cafe was good and staff was friendly. Mansion was open to viewing between 12 and 3 pm. The old copper mine is an hours walk from the ferry terminal but definately worth it. Looks majestic. Must visit place guys and on the royal main run. Good word team

My 2 year old and 6 year old thoroughly enjoyed their trip. The show is about an hour and although my 2 year old struggled to sit still the whole time it was quite interesting. Highlight was def feeding the lambs. Kids enjoyed feeding the rest of the farm animals and theres a 10min discovery trail which was neat. The cafe has affordable food which is quite nice and theres a kids playground too. Would def return again

Such a great experience! Loved it so much! If you want to explore a new place or try different things then this is definitely for you! Especially if you're trying to do something different for a date this is perfect and if you make it to the end it's meant to be!

We had an amazing day exploring Matakana. Everything was so well thought out and organised. Overall a fantastic day, would definitely recommend!!

Who would have thought that a picnic in winter would be just as good as a summer one. I surprised hubby for his 50th with a rare day out with just me and told him to put on this thinking cap and go with the flow. With a warm cuppa coffee , map and clues in hand we meander through the nooks and crannys of Matakana Village gathering goodies along the way ending up in unfamiliar spots with breathtaking views and a delightful picnic to remember. We highly recommend Village Picnics for any occasion where you want to connect and explore and escape.

We were very excited for our trip and unfortunately got dealt a bad hand with the weather. However, we had an awesome time and would recommend the experience to everyone as a great way to see the area. A lot of fun!

Awesome experience. Well organised and a lot of fun to do. Highly recommended 👌

We enjoyed the walk through native bush and found the sculptures and artworks interesting and thought provoking.

Great place. Doing all the tracks takes about 2 hours. Well worth it on a sunny day. Especially enjoyed the art installations in the Kauri Forrest.

We were so excited that we could bring our whole family on a day out, including pup. Beautiful surroundings, such lovely staff and a great selection of wine. We were sad as we didn't book a table ahead of time ( it was a busy weekend ) but the food smelt incredible.

Unexpected surprises around every corner with well-chosen sculptures placed to perfection in their various settings. The entire property was carefully maintained with interesting wilderness areas providing a sense of exploration. We were lucky to experience the visit after a few rain showers. The well-maintained tracks provided safe walking everywhere. Staff were friendly and helpful and we felt it was a memorable experience.

It's a nice walk with interesting sculptures, they also have a cafe

Love this outdoor display of art, we had a great time!!

Enjoyed the sculpture trail very much. Great way to spend time with family and run off your little ones energy

A great experience, will definitely go back.

Beautiful place!

Excellent

Very relaxing and enjoyable. Can be a bit demanding if you have issues with knees as my wife has. The map would benefit from having the locations of a just few sculpture numbers marked around the track so you can identify where you are on the trail.

Blessed with an amazing day on the water and time on Kawau Island So glad we went on the trip, better than our expectations. The beauty of the bays, the history of the House and the Copper mines. The wekas walking everywhere and even hearing Kiwi birds calling when we eating lunch. Informative crew A great day out

Kurt was amazing. From the time we steped onto the boat he was friendly and accommodating. His knowledge and enthusiasm about Little Barrier and the Eco systems around the island is contagious. The boat was so comfy and spacious. Even in winter Kurt encouraged us to get out on the water in the kayaks and I am so happy I did. We went into a little cave and up close to some seals. Will go out again in the summer to get in the snorkeling and spend more time in the water. So much peacefulness while out in the Kayaks. Thanks heaps Kurt, see you next time

Fantastic full day out to the Mokohinau islands. Snorkelling was amazing in crystal clear waters. Wonderful walk upto the lighthouse for amazing views. Lots of fab wildlife. Kurt is a great host & very generous with his time. Lovely lunch provided too. To top of a wonderful day we saw 2 lots of common dolphin on the way back.

A wonderful and amazing full day trip to snorkel, kayak and swim with variety of sea fishes in a greenish blue ocean water ! Over 8 stingrays in black and one light grey stingray I saw while do snorkelling in a high & narrow sea cave, really unforgettable ! Dolphins ? & seabirds not rare to see! Hope to see whale ? next trip. You definitely won’t miss a chance to have such cool experience in hot hot summer. Solar halo as a credit scenic while heading to Sandspit wharf. So cool ! Joanne & Kelvin Hui from Hong Kong

My partner and myself had a great day out with Eco Charter.

We had a great day out with gulf eco adventures. Little barrier was amazingly beautiful, high cliffs, rocky islands & dense native vegetation. We cruised around the whole island stopping for a delicious lunch, snorkeling & kayaking. The water was crystal clear. Kurt was a great host & gave lots of information about the island. We had such a great time we’ve booked ourselves on one of his other island trips! A must do trip!

Would recommend to anyone, must do trip!

Was a fantastic day on water. Perfect way to unplug and unwind for a day. If you're looking for a micro holiday from Auckland, this would be a great option. The weather was awesome and scenery even better!

We had a bit of and overcast/wet day but it was still a good boat trip. The staff were all lovely and helped us with the pram and toddler while I held the baby. My 3 year old loved going up the top of the boat. I definitely advise talking the later ferry back to give you plenty of time to explore the island and have a swim.

Awesome trip with my Husband and kids! Beautiful day, and friendly and knowledgeable staff on the boat. We felt valued as customers and can't wait to go back. Brilliant weather, and just an overall fantastic experience.

We had a great time we also went "out" of season witch in fact added to our experience as we were the only people walking around the island.

Had the most enjoyable time! Everything were great. From office check in to crews, everyone were so friendly & professional. Would highly recommend it. Keep up the good work! Thank you so much ?☺

Fantastic day out. Loved the whole trip. We had BBQ lunch which was perfectly cooked both the meat and fish.... salad dressing was very tasty. The whole trip is well worth it. This is something you can do once a year..

Friendly people and the place is spectacular.

Royal Mail Run Cruise to Kawau Island / Mansion House is an exciting way to explore Kawau Island with its rich history and beautiful views.