Welcome Aboard... The West Coast Sightseeing Tour with Lunch

"We're Ship-shape 'n Barrier Fashion and ready for another busy summer season of sightseeing tours" says Chris Ollivier, skipper and owner of Sundancer. Recently returned from survey, and typically issued with another new clean bill of health, Sundancer is Great Barrier Islands' only dedicated coastal sightseeing cruiser.

"We're licenced to carry up to 20 passengers" says Chris. "We're just as happy to take smaller groups... in fact our 'West Coast Tour with Lunch' is our most popular option for families and couples to experience a really beautiful part of the Barrier from a whole new perspective." Popular it is... each year more and more visitors to the island are discovering how great it is to be able to get out there on the water with Sundancer Sightseeing Tours. You're in safe hands with Chris too... He's clocked up 40 years of life on the sea and has held a New Zealand Coastal Masters qualification for 30 years. With stints at skippering both the 'Spirit of New Zealand' and the 'Spirit of Adventure' Chris is probably over qualified for his current position but you'll find it hard to imagine him being happier doing anything else.

"We try and depart Whangaparapara Wharf by 10.00am" says Chris. "We explore the harbour first... it's a very historic part of the island so we check out the old Kauri saw-mill site and the remains of New Zealand's last whaling station before we head up the coast. We cruise through the beautiful Broken Isles and into the Man O War passage, the amazing entrance to Port Fitzroy Harbour. We'll find a nice sheltered bay where our guests can relax in the sun or have a swim while we prepare the on-board BBQ lunch." "We aim to get back to Whangaparapara by around 1.30pm to 2.00pm. This allows them time to pop up to Great Barrier Lodge for an ice-cream or a cold drink before heading off to enjoy the rest of their day. There's plenty of other things to do in Whangaparapara too... visitors can hire kayaks, mountain bikes and Shiny Paua Stand-up Paddle Boards are just up the road."

What it costs: Adults $165 - Child $82 (Minimum 2 adults, Maximum 10 persons)
What to bring: Swimming suits, towels, sunscreen, jacket etc

It's official - Again!

Hiking enthusiasts from around New Zealand and the rest of the world can once again enjoy Great Barrier Island's incredible 3 day hiking experience... The Aotea Track.
In June 2014, "the worst storm in living memory" wreaked havoc and destruction across Great Barrier Island. It destroyed homes & roads and permanently altered the landscape in some areas of the island. Arguably the saddest result though, being the loss of the magnificent Kaiaraara Kauri dam remains.
The Kaiaraara Track, an integral section of the Aotea Track also endured extensive damage and ever since, hikers have had to use the South Fork track as an alternative route between the Kaiaraara and Mt Heale huts.
Up until now that is! On Friday 20th May 2016 Nikki Kaye, the MP for Auckland Central, officially reopened the Aotea Track.

The reconstruction of the Kaiaraara track and subsequent reopening of the Aotea Track has been a primary focus for the Department of Conservation.
It was a sizeable undertaking with 5 bridges and 13 different sections of the track requiring full restoration at a cost of $353,000.

"The Aotea Track is a world-class multi-day track and the centrepiece of the Aotea Conservation Park" said the Minister of Conservation, Maggie Barry. "The park covers more than 40 per cent of Great Barrier and was opened last year. It features beautiful native bush including Kauri, Rimu and the Great Barrier tree daisy, which is unique to the island. Walkers also have the opportunity to see Kaka, Kakariki and Fernbirds among other native wildlife, all within a 30 minute flight from Auckland."

Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye agrees. "It's a vital tourist attraction and economic asset to the Island. "Now that the Aotea Track redevelopment is complete, I am going to ask that consideration be given for the track to get greater recognition. I expect to seek advice from local and central Government over the coming months about how we can do this."
In a recent post on her site, Nikki recognised the hard work of DOC staff who worked tirelessly alongside the local community and Board members to repair the track during the last two years. "Their commitment to the track redevelopment has ensured that New Zealanders and tourists alike can experience the beauty of the 25 kilometre track."
Nikki appreciates the island as a special part of New Zealand and believes that the Governments investment in the track will provide an important boost for the islands tourism industry. "I would love to see more New Zealanders visit and experience Great Barrier Island."

More information:

Department of Conservation
Aotea Track - All inclusive package deal

One Island, two mates, two bikes & three days...

Sebastian Solberg and Johnny Prigg have been mates for a long time now.
In fact they grew up living just around the corner from each other in Auckland.
"I think I can say that we were privileged in regard to where we grew up, and with the group of friends our parents had. All the parents from about 8 families would organise a trip to Motutapu Island each year where we would do an abundance of activities like kayaking, high ropes and rock climbing" says Johnny.

These days Seb is a 25 year old film-maker and commercials director. "I've been living in London for the last 5 years" he says. "My latest short film 'Modern Man' has screened in almost 100 cities around the world which is pretty cool. It's also won a number of awards including Best Comedy Short."

"I also recently got back from Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan where I was shooting part of a feature documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival at the start of this year!"
Over the last 5 years 24 year old Johnny has been living in Australia and Canada and although his last occupation was in construction, you'd typically find him involved with the hospitality industry.

So what made these globe trotting adventurers decide to conquer the Barrier in 3 days - on 2 wheels?
"I first discovered the Barrier at the start of the year when I was visiting friends who have an island just off the coast. It's called Motuhaku Island and they're doing some incredible work there re-vegetating and repopulating the island with bird life. I instantly fell in love with Great Barrier and was determined to do a biking trip around the island as I'd heard there were some great biking trails!" says Seb.

"Seb and myself were already big fans of the Barrier" adds Johnny. "He got in contact with me about cycling the island and I couldn't think of a better way to see and cover it. Research wise, we found the road and trail doc map, booked our campsite and ferry tickets and that was pretty much all we needed to get started. I did look up the distance from Tryphena to Fitzroy and may have been under the impression that if it came down to it we could cycle the whole island in a day. I was soon to find out that the terrain of the Barrier could be an obstacle to our plan at times".

Most enduring memory?

"I would have to say it's the beauty of the island and how untouched it all is!" says Seb. "Great Barrier is one very special place! It has so much to offer. It's an adventurers dream!"
"For me" says Johnny "It was the first day after cycling to the top of Rosalie Bay road and getting on the first trail... riding down hill felt so rewarding after the hard cycle up the gravel road. The track was super decent! I was almost tempted on the last day to go back up Rosalie Bay road for another ride down the track. It was also a real eye opener and gave us an idea on what to expect over the next couple of days."

Lights, camera, action!

Take a look at some of the beautiful scenery and amazing terrain that Sebastian and Johnny encountered during their incredible journey.
Warning: The footage shown in this video could lead to uncontrollable desires to get on your bike!

Meeting the locals...

Both boys thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Barrier community. "Yes we met lots of lovely locals" Seb recalls. "They were all so friendly and had a lot of time to chat. They're extremely passionate about their home and I can see why!"
Johnny was equally impressed. "Oh yeah, still can't get over how nice and friendly everyone was to talk to. Great Barrier and the locals that live there give off a real kiwi vibe. If I was to tell someone visiting NZ for the first time where to go first... Great Barrier Island would be my advice. They'd be in for a very special treat!"

Hearing the call...

A lot of visitors to Great Barrier Island find it hard to find the words to describe what's so great about it... It's almost like there's a subliminal personal interaction that occurs.
"Definitely!" says Sebastian. "You have to be there to feel it, there's a magic about the place that I can't describe. But it's definitely captured my heart and it's a place I'll be visiting again soon!"
Actually - that was my next question!
"Do we get to see you again... maybe to circumnavigate the island by kayak?
Johnny is up for it. "For sure! I'll be back. Are you keen for a kayak Seb?" he asks.
"You know what! I love that idea. When we come back from our travels overseas we must do it!"

Just when you thought life on Great Barrier Island couldn't get any better...
Voila! - Local resident Janene Hunsdale decides to produce the best damned ice cream treats you could imagine, and make them readily available for delicious frozen confectionery lovers around the island to savour.

As a child, one of the hardest choices I repeatedly faced was - which flavour ice-cream this time? I invariably got it wrong... my brother's always seemed more desirable once we ooh'd & aah'd our way through the first few licks.

Sadly, nothing's changed. Only now it's my wife!
I'll be smugly demolishing my dairy-free 'Turkish Delight' made with fragrant rose-water, pistachio & honey... only to realise that although she's right beside, my wife is actually in another world. A tropical world to be precise. In her mind she's lying in a hammock, there's a cooling breeze blowing in from the reef and she can hear ukuleles softly strumming. You see she went for the 'Lime in the Coconut' and suddenly I want it! I really want it!

So just what makes these Ice Dreams so irresistible? We asked Janene to give us the low-down...

"This all came about by me experimenting with making healthier treats for the kids" she says. "I started to get encouraging comments from friends who tried them... and in the end I decided to have a stall at the Claris Club Market on Labour Weekend last year."

Here we are a little over a year later and Janene has an 'A' Certification from the Council and her home kitchen has become a frozen confectionery plant.
"Right now I'm flat out 6 days a week trying to build some stock for stall sales at the annual Great Barrier Island Garden Tour on the 28th November. I still have to keep up with the normal demand as well... currently we're selling 50 to 70 a week!"

Janene's Ice Dream range includes delicious wee tubs of chilled delight with flavours like Rum n' Raisin, Lemon, the amazing Manuka Honey & Sea Salt and Janene's own current favourite, Feijoa.
"I've done a lot of experimenting with different ingredients and I enjoy the challenge of using local fruit and products but my main focus is on our 'On-A-Stick' range. All 7 options are dairy free and except for a couple that have a little honey, have no added sugar.... refreshingly healthy!"
"The flavours include Lime in the Coconut, Turkish Delight, Ginger, Chocolate, Bye-bye Captain Bligh, Strawberry Crush and yummy Mango Crush.
I don't use any artificial flavours or essences so they're great for kids!"

So where can you get yourself a Janene's Ice Dream? The Burger Shack has recently re-branded as 'Swallow'... you'll find them beside Aotea FM in Claris... they stock the full range and you can take it from me... nothing compliments one of their famous burgers better than an Ice Dream.
In Tryphena, you'll find them on sale at the Stonewall Village Store. On a Saturday morning you just may meet the lovely Janene herself at her market stall... A great opportunity to try new flavours and purchase current specials etc.
As Janene says... "I get a real kick out of seeing the enjoyment people can get out of a $5 purchase."
There's certainly something special about how a Janene's Ice Dream can put a smile on your face... and take you to another place!

Contact:

Phone - +64 9-429 0531,
Email - JanenesIceDreams@gmail.com
Facebook - Here...

The ‘village’ is a work of art in it’s own right. The three main buildings are signicant historical structures. Art is exhibited in the Mabey Gallery which was the old Mabey family homestead. It was built in 1908 in the north of the island at Whangapoua Beach.

The Wiltshire House was built by the Gray family. The wreck of the Wiltshire Steamer near Rosalie Bay in 1922 provided some invaluable timber & materials used to finish the construction of their home on the edge of the Kaitoke wetlands. Work is nearing completion on transforming this lovely old homestead into the Village Museum.
The oldest building is the Tryphena School Master’s House, built in 1897. It was the original Aotea Gallery but these days it’s used for holding workshops, meetings and performances.
There’s always something happening at the village. Group exhibitions, winter workshops, kids art classes and special events ensure that their calendar is full of dates to remember.

“As a child I had many holidays on Great Barrier Island. We always stayed at Whangapoua in my grandmothers house - which is now the Mabey Gallery. I never imagined that in the future I’d be going to work each day in the very house I used to play in with my cousins, the Mabey boys.”
We asked her what she enjoys most about her role at the gallery. “The Arts Village is a real social hub and I’ve met some amazing people... the trustees, volunteers, artists and of course the visitors. It’s a challenging position, but it’s also very rewarding.” She was quick to point out that although she’s been coming to Great Barrier Island for most of her life, her experiences were mainly limited to north of the Okiwi airfield. "Working for the trust has enabled me to get acquainted with a much wider section of the community."

Nell is an artist herself and works with a real mix of materials.  "I use recycled fabric to make egg cosies, tea cosies, bags and  hot water bottle covers. I also create mosaic chickens, pottery carrier pigeons, fused glass jewellery, woven baskets and more."
She’s very enthusiastic about her involvement with the village. “Its a really amazing project to have on the island,  I love being part of it, and seeing it grow. There’s  so much potential and some great plans in the pipeline. I'd like to see more people on the island involved, not just artists, but other community members who are interested in the museum/ heritage side, or want to help develop the grounds, or do art with kids.”

Great Barrier Island has had some good news lately.
Along with the recent announcement of the opening of the Aotea Conservation Park, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has also revealed that the Nature Heritage Fund would put "a significant amount of funding" towards a consortium that includes the Auckland Council and Great Barrier Island Local Board in a bid to purchase Glenfern Sanctuary. The Great Barrier Island community have been waiting nervously for almost 2 years for an outcome to the Glenfern predicament.... the recent announcement of this news couldn't have been more timely or welcome.

Legendary Kiwi, Tony Bouzaid was a quiet man... He spoke quietly, worked quietly and succeeded quietly. His achievements though, shout his name across & around the world!
He won the World Half Ton Cup twice, once in 1978 in England, again the following year in the Netherlands and in 1979 he was New Zealands Yachtsman of the Year.

His professional and business accomplishments were equally outstanding and when he and his wife Mal could have been contemplating the 'easy life' of retirement, they instead purchased FitzRoy House on Great Barrier Island and the 'work' began again. As Councillor Mike Lee says in his tribute to Tony... "When Tony and Mal bought Fitzroy House in 1992 and began restoring both the buildings and its extensive estate – they set out on a journey which would carry them to the forefront of private sector conservation achievement."

Glenfern Sanctuary was born and in the following 19 years before his death, Tony pursued his dream of providing a safe haven for all Great Barrier Island native species, with the same passion and dedication he applied to his earlier pursuits.
Tony passed away unexpectedly in 2011 and not long thereafter, the beautifully transformed Glenfern Sanctuary waited nervously under the shadow of it's own uncertain future. The real-estate agents appeared, the hugely popular guided walks ceased and the end result of Tony Bouzaids dreams and hard work lay vulnerable and available to the highest bidder.

Laura Billingham shoots people...

With a camera that is!
Great Barrier Island has long been a haven for all manner of artists, musicians and craftsmen. Photographers too have been inspired by the natural beauty and dramatic landscapes found around every corner.
The island's many moods and tones have been captured from above, from off-shore and from every conceivable angle and outlook.
Laura Billingham however, is inspired by the people. The residents & island characters she's known all her life - and the people that have just discovered Great Barrier for the first time. The children, the mums & dads, the grandparents and her own contemporaries... these are the subjects she's focused on.

In 2013 Laura moved back home to the island with her partner Ngawhare.
Now together with their one-year old daughter, Harmony, these 3 born & bred Barrierites live together in their home on the Sanderson Farm in Claris.
"I'm a naturally passionate person" she says. "I'm passionate about the island, my family & my friends. It's important to me that these things endure and I'm conscious of change - I want to honour them and I can do that best by recording them before and as they change."

And record them she does... Her portfolio includes weddings, island events, personal portrait sessions and snapshots of island life & environment.

Click to enlarge...

"For me, it's about capturing the human aspect. I'm after emotion and honesty. Even when I'm shooting personal portraits I strive for 'natural' rather than posed."
I've done a little property photograhy for real estate companies and have some work coming up with New Zealand Gardener Magazine but to be honest, my main focus is on documenting the people... we're such a diverse and interesting bunch!"

Who: Laura Jade Photography
What: Personal and private photography service... Weddings, Anniversaries, Birthdays and any special occasion - like life!
Where: Great Barrier Island
Contact: Laura Billingham - Phone: 022 354 8875 - Email: laura_jade16@yahoo.com

Humble Beginnings...

Great Barrier Islands' amazing little radio station, Aotea FM, has come a very long way since it's extremely humble beginnings some 10 years ago.
The Aotea Community Radio Trust had their very first meeting in November 2004. The minutes from that meeting make for some interesting reading. Plans were put in place to buy equipment and to set up a studio. Ideas about fundraising and the purchasing of broadcasting and frequency licences were discussed. Although enthusiasm was high, it was apparent that actual hands on experience and practical know-how was limited to a single trust member who had recently been successful in broadcasting a low powered local station from his home.

Have a listen. Click here... http://cp6.serverse.com:2199/start/oemwavgm/
Check out the Facebook page. Click here... https://www.facebook.com/aoteafm
Ring the station. 09 4290 945

What do Namibia, The Cook Islands, Oregon and Great Barrier Island have in common?
Probably not a lot really - apart from sharing 7th best score on National Geographics list of the worlds 99 top islands and coastlines...

The Nat-Geo Traveller Magazine experts rated 99 of the world's great islands, coastlines, and beaches for sustainability and authenticity. The results were broken down into 5 catergories - Top Rated, Doing Well, In The Balance, Facing Trouble and Bottom Rated.

Newfoundland and Labradors' Avalon Peninsula took out 1st place with a score of 84 while New Zealands' Tutukaka Coast shared 2nd best score with the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales.
Chile, Hawaii and Oman tied for 3rd and British Columbias' Gulf Islands, parts of Nova Scotia, Australia, Argentina, Scotland and Italy took out 4th, 5th & 6th places.

Some of the results were surprising!
'Facing Trouble' with a score of 48, Australias' Gold Coast gained critical comment like "displays symptoms of aggressive development—including air and water pollution, traffic congestion, and ugly sprawl."
Hawaiis' Waikiki scored a mere 45 and was described as facing severe problems. Comments included: "With its imported sand, high-rise concrete jungle, polluted water, and superficial touristic representation of indigenous Hawaiian culture, Waikiki certainly differs markedly from Kauai's pristine Na Pali coast."

So what did they have to say about little old Great Barrier Island?
Nicely postioned in the 'Top Rated' category the island is described as being "in excellent shape, relatively unspoiled, and likely to remain so."

The article touches on how unaffected Great Barrier Island remains, despite it's nearness (55miles) to Auckland Cosmopolitan area.
"With fewer than 1,000 permanent residents, more than half of its land area administered by New Zealand's Department of Conservation, and fewer introduced species than elsewhere in the country, the island is in good shape ecologically and will likely remain so for a while."

The panelists were generous with their praise for Great Barrier Island with 'anonymous' comments like, "Gin-clear waters and secluded coves lure sailors to New Zealand's Great Barrier Island..."
"The diverse coastal landscape is relatively unmodified and of outstanding aesthetic
value..."
"The bays, beaches, bush, and coastal waters are spectacularly beautiful. A majority of residents are committed to environmental sustainability"and, "Great location with high levels of biodiversity."

Sounds like a pretty good place to us!

Read the full article here:
See the full result list here: