An island cleared of predators and replanted by hand, where some of the rarest birds on earth hop across the path in front of you.
Tiritiri Matangi was farmed for a century until most of its forest was gone. From the 1980s volunteers planted hundreds of thousands of trees, rats and other predators were removed, and endangered birds were brought back.
Today it's an "open sanctuary": anyone can visit, and the birds have grown so used to people that they barely move off the track. It's one of the best places in the country to see wildlife that has vanished from the mainland.
Look for the chunky blue-green takahē grazing near the lighthouse, the bell-like song of the kōkako, the chestnut-saddled tīeke (saddleback), and the hihi or stitchbird at the feeders.
Tūī and bellbirds fill the bush with song. The lighthouse, first lit in the 1860s, stands on the island's highest point.
Walk slowly and listen.
Leave downtown in the morning; check your bags for seeds and stowaway pests before landing.
Volunteer guides meet the boat and lead small groups up through the forest, pointing out birds you'd miss.
Climb past water troughs and feeders where hihi, tūī and bellbirds gather.
Picnic near the lighthouse and look for takahē grazing on the grass.
Descend through old pōhutukawa forest to the wharf for the afternoon ferry.
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The ferry leaves downtown Auckland (with a stop at Gulf Harbour) Wednesday to Sunday; book ahead, especially in summer.
Check bags, shoes and clothing for seeds, soil, insects and rodents before boarding. The island's success depends on it.
Don't feed the birds, keep to tracks and give takahē space. Detail on species is in the guide's wildlife section.
Auckland practical notes →Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
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