R Marine Flagship Presents…

ARID (RAKITU) Island

Arid (Rakitu) Island – 36` 07.214S 175` 29.583E

Arid (Rakitu) Island is a little known magical boaties hide-away located just 1.2nm northeast of Great Barrier (Aotea) Island, 20nm from Port Fitzroy and 60nm from Westhaven Marina.

Covering just 253 ha, Arid Island’s sheer cliffs rise over 180 meters from the sea in places, creating an imposing appearance whilst also offering the prefect home for numerus breeds of sea bird and native birds alike.

There are a number of coves and reef outcrops around the island, with fantastic fishing and crystal clear water for diving, the best anchorage is in Arid Cove on the North-west corner affording good shelter for a number of boats, (Photo by Darryl Torckler).

Aside from the anchorage at Arid Island you will find many other safe locations scattered down the eastern side of the Barrier to explore and anchor up overnight.

We know many of our owners have shied away from exploring the back of Great Barrier Island for fear of being caught out by an easterly shift, but with NIWA advising us on an El Nino summer which should give us plenty of westerly’s this could be your year to explore.

A little more on Arid Island:

History has it that a title to the island was first issued in the names of Hone Pama, Wi Turipona and Raihi Miraka in January 1871, the island was subsequently put on the market 14 years latter advertised as having steamboat communication once a week, and covered with native bush and grass.

At some point, Rakitu/Arid Island was purchased by John Buchanan, merchant and elder of the Avondale Presbyterian Church. When he went bankrupt in 1889, the island was put back on the market to be purchased at auction in May 1889 by Archibald Buchanan for 3s 6d per acre. It is reported that on October 29, 1894 the SS Wairarapa, a steamer bound for Auckland from Sydney carrying 170 guests and 65 crew ran aground at Miners Head, northwest of Arid Island. The captain had been pushing the steamer at full speed (14knots) whilst running in heavy fog, not realising that he was too far to the east, the grounding came with a heavy toll with the loss of 121 lives, many of whom washed up on the Barrier and Arid Island.

From the mid-1890s, the islands ownership is a little vague until Bryce Rope purchased and farmed the island in 1956. Bryce had a colourful life that took him from flying the de Havilland Mosquito fighter bomber in in WWII, this was an aircraft predominantly built of plywood that helped to decimate the German fighters whist remaining undetected by radar through to coaching the All Blacks to 9 out of 12 test match wins in 1983-84.

In 1993, the Bolger Government purchased the island for $1.8m from the Rope family before it was sold to DOC in 1994 becoming a Scenic Reserve. The Ropes continued to farm the land until 2010 when Doc took over full management.

One of many stories from time past is of Capt. Fred Ladd, an acquaintance the Ropes, who was delivering by air to the island a specially repaired bulldozer part, the plan was to drop the repaired item from the plane onto a paddock. Instead of hitting its target, it hit the island’s prize bull, killing it instantly.  The incident is still depicted on the flag of the “Arid Island Yacht Club” featuring a bull with its legs pointing skyward.