Day trip to the Mokohinau Islands

Nestled in the Hauraki Gulf, about 11 nautical miles northwest of Great Barrier Island, the Mokohinau Islands are a hidden gem. With their rugged beauty, crystal-clear waters, and an abundance of wildlife, these islands offer a perfect escape into New Zealand’s wild, untouched landscape. Whether you’re looking to drop anchor, explore the surrounding nature, or try your luck with fishing, the Mokohinau Islands are full of incredible experiences.

 

Activities to Enjoy

Hiking to the Mokohinau Lighthouse one of the best ways to take in the stunning vistas of the Mokohinau Islands is by hiking up to the historic Mokohinau Lighthouse. Situated on the highest point of the main island, this 19th-century lighthouse provides sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding islands and the sparkling ocean. The hike is relatively short, but offers a rewarding view at the top that makes it worth every step.

Snorkelling and Diving beneath the crystal-clear waters around the Mokohinau Islands lies a thriving underwater world. These islands offer remarkable offshore diving opportunities, featuring sheer walls adorned with vibrant marine life, including snapper, blue and pink maomao, trevally and kingfish. Beginning at just over 5 meters deep, these underwater wonders extend to depths well beyond 30 meters. Visibility consistently impresses, typically spanning from 15 to 30 meters – what a dream!

 

Fishing Spots

Simpsons Rock heading from Little Barrier Island to the Mokes, you will come to an outlying reef close to the Mokes called Simpson’s Rock. It is a long skinny reef that runs back slightly north-west towards the Mokes and it is well worth a look – kingfish love this place and many big snapper have also been pulled out of here over the years, but they’re not always there so give it an hour at the most and then move on.

Fanal Island from Simpson’s, the Mokes are close. Fanal Island is the closest, but watch out for Navire Rock, a large area of shallow reef sitting in front of Fanal with a channel between the two. Navire is a good place to strayline, or use a soft bait or a popper. Apart from the usual suspects – kings, kahawai and snapper – there can be big trevally in here, but they’re not easy to get out of that rough country. On the western side of Fanal there is a good deeper reef that fishes well, and this continues right around into Cathedral Cove where we have had some great snapper catches, too.

The Channel between the two groups of islands there is a wide, deep channel. There is foul ground through here and some great pinnacles. It is a bit hard to find but a good place for hapuku if you can find the pinnacles. Some big snapper have come out of here; it is deep water between 50 and 70 metres so that means big sinkers, big jigs and big gear. It is a channel where you could find anything big – snapper, kings, hapuku, sharks, tuna and the odd black marlin in the season.

Anchoring Spots there are no safe anchorages for large launches at the Mokohinau’s so we suggest a day trip from the barrier would be the best way to enjoy the islands and have a fabulous day out! For smaller trailer boats there are a couple of semi-safe anchorages for when the weather is glass-calm.

 

A couple of things to note:

  • Burgess island is the only island of the Mokohinau Islands group that you can land on, see the below map which shows where you can land.
  • The remainder of the islands (including Fanal, Flax and Trig Islands) and small stacks are nature reserves and protected wildlife sanctuaries, and landing is not permitted without a permit.
  • No visitor facilities are available on the islands