View source for Great Barrier Island

{{Short description|Island in New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox islands
| name             = Great Barrier Island
| image_name       = Medlands Beach From High Up West.jpg
| image_caption    = Kaitoke Beach in the east of Great Barrier Island. The "White Cliffs" can be seen in the front right.
| image_size       = 
| map              = New Zealand
| label            = Great Barrier Island
| local_name       = {{Native name|mi|Aotea}}
| nickname         = The Barrier
| coordinates      = {{Coord|36|12|S|175|25|E|type:isle_region:NZ|display=inline,title}}
| location         = [[North Island]]
| archipelago      = 
| total_islands    = 
| major_islands    = 
| area_km2         = 285
| rank             = 
| highest_mount    = [[Mount Hobson, Great Barrier Island|Mount Hobson]] or ''Hirakimatā''
| elevation_m      = 621
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatbarrierislandtourism.co.nz/information/more-information/|title=Information about Great Barrier Island, New Zealand - Great Barrier Island Tourism|website=www.greatbarrierislandtourism.co.nz|access-date=7 March 2018|archive-date=8 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308042205/http://www.greatbarrierislandtourism.co.nz/information/more-information/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz9423/Mount-Hobson/Auckland|title=Mount Hobson, Auckland - NZ Topo Map|publisher=[[Land Information New Zealand]]|access-date=2017-10-17|archive-date=17 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017093543/http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz9423/Mount-Hobson/Auckland|url-status=live}}</ref>
| country          = New Zealand
| population       = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Barrier Islands|y}}
| population_as_of = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y}}
| population_footnotes = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2||||y}}
| density_km2      =  {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Barrier Islands|y}}|R}}/285|1}}
| ethnic_groups    = 
| additional_info  = 
}}
'''Great Barrier Island''' ({{langx|mi|Aotea}}) lies in the outer [[Hauraki Gulf]], [[New Zealand]], {{convert|100|km}} north-east of central [[Auckland]]. With an area of {{convert|285|km2}} it is the sixth-largest [[List of islands of New Zealand|island of New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/local-boards/all-local-boards/great-barrier-local-board/Pages/about-great-barrier.aspx|title=About Aotea / Great Barrier|publisher=Auckland Council|access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> Its highest point, [[Mount Hobson, Great Barrier Island|Mount Hobson]], is {{convert|627|m|ft|0}} above sea level.<ref name="DOCBOOK1">[http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/hauraki-gulf-islands/great-barrier-island-aotea/ Great Barrier Island Aotea page on the DOC website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114064611/http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/hauraki-gulf-islands/great-barrier-island-aotea/ |date=14 January 2015 }} (from the [[New Zealand Department of Conservation|Department of Conservation]]. Accessed 2008-06-04.)</ref> The [[local government in New Zealand|local authority]] is the [[Auckland Council]].

The island was initially exploited for its minerals and [[kauri]] trees and saw only limited agriculture. In 2013, it was inhabited by 939 people,<ref name="Census13">{{NZ Quickstats2013|13616|Great Barrier Island Local Board Area}} from [[Statistics New Zealand]].</ref> mostly living from farming and tourism and all living off-the-grid.<ref name="ACC">[http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/introduction/hauraki/default.asp#great Great Barrier Island] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225020855/http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/introduction/hauraki/default.asp |date=2010-12-25 }} (from the [[Auckland City Council]] website)</ref> The majority of the island (around 60% of the total area) is administered as a nature reserve by the [[New Zealand Department of Conservation|Department of Conservation]].<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/> The island atmosphere is sometimes described as being "life in New Zealand many decades back".<ref>{{cite news |title=Great Barrier - island that tough times forgot |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=2009-01-18 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10620744 |access-date=2009-01-18 |first=Beck |last=Vass |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024185623/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10620744 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Etymology==

The [[Māori language|Māori]] name of the island is ''Aotea''.<ref>One of several possible translations of Aotea is "white cloud". However some traditions give Aotea as the name of [[Kupe]]'s canoe: see [[Aotearoa]].</ref> It received its English name from [[James Cook|Captain Cook]] because it acts as a barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Hauraki Gulf.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/> Entrance to the [[Hauraki Gulf]] is via two channels, one on each side of the island. [[Colville Channel]] separates the southernmost point, Cape Barrier, from [[Cape Colville]] at the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula to the south, [[Cradock Channel]] from the smaller [[Little Barrier Island]] to the west. The island protects the Hauraki Gulf from the [[Wind wave|ocean surface waves]] and the currents of the [[South Pacific Gyre]]. It is not a [[barrier island|sandbar barrier]], often defined as the correct use of the term.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} The island's English name stems from its location on the outskirts of the Hauraki Gulf.

==Geography==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
With an area of {{convert|285|km2}}, Great Barrier Island is the sixth-largest island in New Zealand after the [[South Island]], the [[North Island]], [[Stewart Island / Rakiura]], [[Chatham Island]], and [[Auckland Island]]. The highest point, [[Mount Hobson, Great Barrier Island|Mount Hobson]] or ''Hirakimatā'', is {{convert|627|m|ft|0}} above sea level.

Great Barrier is surrounded by several smaller islands, including [[Kaikoura Island]], [[Rakitu Island]], [[Aiguilles Island]] and [[Dragon Island (New Zealand)|Dragon Island]]. A number of islands are located in Great Barrier bays, including Motukahu Island, Nelson Island, Kaikoura Island, Broken Islands, Motutaiko Island, Rangiahua Island, Little Mahuki Island, Mahuki Island and Junction Islands.

With a maximum length (north-south) of some {{convert|43|km}}, it and the [[Coromandel Peninsula]] (directly to its south) protect the Gulf from the storms of the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the east. Consequently, the island boasts highly contrasting coastal environments. The eastern coast comprises long, sandy beaches, windswept sand-dunes, and at times heavy surf. The western coast, sheltered and calm, is home to hundreds of tiny, secluded bays which offer some of the best diving and boating in the country. The inland holds several large and biologically diverse [[wetland]]s, along with rugged hill country (bush or heath in the more exposed heights), as well as old-growth and regenerating kauri forests.

=== Surrounding islands ===
Surrounding islands and islets:<ref>{{LINZ|id=21784|name=21784 |access-date=2023-09-06}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Name
!Coordinates
|-
|[[Aiguilles Island]]
|{{Coord|36.035|S|175.407|E}}
|-
|Bird Islet
|{{Coord|36.312|S|175.471|E}}
|-
|Bird Rocks
|{{Coord|36.113|S|175.346|E}}
|-
|Grey Group Islands
|{{Coord|36.187|S|175.301|E}}
|-
|Junction Islands
|{{Coord|36.230|S|175.318|E}}
|-
|Kaikōura Island / Selwyn Island
|{{Coord|36.177|S|175.324|E}}
|-
|Moturako Island
|{{Coord|36.180|S|175.297|E}}
|-
|Motuhaku Island
|{{Coord|36.163|S|175.289|E}}
|-
|Nelson Island / Peter Island
|{{Coord|36.166|S|175.299|E}}
|-
|Palmers Island
|{{Coord|36.224|S|175.486|E}}
|-
|Pitokuku Island
|{{Coord|36.253|S|175.492|E}}
|-
|Little Mahuki Island
|{{Coord|36.228|S|175.307|E}}
|-
|Lion Rock
|{{Coord|36.220|S|175.493|E}}
|-
|Mahuki Island / Anvil Island
|{{Coord|36.233|S|175.302|E}}
|-
|Motutaiko Island
|{{Coord|36.217|S|175.289|E}}
|-
|Okokewa Island / Green Island
|{{Coord|36.143|S|175.309|E}}
|-
|Opakau Island
|{{Coord|36.202|S|175.299|E}}
|-
|Oyster Island
|{{Coord|36.142|S|175.325|E}}
|-
|Papakuri Island
|{{Coord|36.220|S|175.289|E}}
|-
|Rabbit Island
|{{Coord|36.147|S|175.314|E}}
|-
|Rakitu Island (Arid Island)
|{{Coord|36.128|S|175.496|E}}
|-
|Rangiahua Island (Flat Island)
|{{Coord|36.221|S|175.302|E}}
|-
|The Pigeons / Piroque Rocks
|{{Coord|36.274|S|175.331|E}}
|-
|Wood Island
|{{Coord|36.152|S|175.334|E}}
|-
|Whangara Island (Cliff Island)
|{{Coord|36.255|S|175.371|E}}
|-
|Quoin Island / Graves Island
|{{Coord|36.172|S|175.357|E}}
|}

===Climate===

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
|location = Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–2003)
| Jan record high C = 28.7
| Feb record high C = 29.9
| Mar record high C = 27.5
| Apr record high C = 25.9
| May record high C = 22.8
| Jun record high C = 22.5
| Jul record high C = 19.5
| Aug record high C = 20.2
| Sep record high C = 21.5
| Oct record high C = 23.4
| Nov record high C = 24.3
| Dec record high C = 27.1
| year record high C = 
|Jan record low C  = 7.0
|Feb record low C  = 6.2
|Mar record low C  = 5.6
|Apr record low C  = 4.5
|May record low C  =  1.7
|Jun record low C  = 0.2
|Jul record low C  = 0.4
|Aug record low C  = 1.3
|Sep record low C  = 2.3
|Oct record low C  = 1.9
|Nov record low C  = 3.3
|Dec record low C  = 7.3
|year record low C = 
|Jan high C = 	23.9
|Feb high C = 	24.0
|Mar high C = 	22.8
|Apr high C = 	20.9
|May high C = 	18.5
|Jun high C = 	16.5
|Jul high C = 	15.7
|Aug high C = 	15.9
|Sep high C = 	17.2
|Oct high C = 	18.5
|Nov high C = 	20.3
|Dec high C = 	22.4
| year high C = 	
|Jan mean C = 	19.7
|Feb mean C = 	20.1
|Mar mean C = 	18.9
|Apr mean C = 	16.9
|May mean C = 	15.0
|Jun mean C = 	13.1
|Jul mean C = 	12.2
|Aug mean C = 	12.4
|Sep mean C = 	13.4
|Oct mean C = 	14.8
|Nov mean C = 	16.4
|Dec mean C = 	18.5
| year mean C = 	
|Jan low C = 	15.4
|Feb low C = 	16.2
|Mar low C = 	15.0
|Apr low C = 	13.0
|May low C = 	11.4
|Jun low C = 	9.7
|Jul low C = 	8.8
|Aug low C = 	8.9
|Sep low C = 	9.7
|Oct low C = 	11.1
|Nov low C = 	12.5
|Dec low C = 	14.6
| year low C = 	
|rain colour = green	
|Jan rain mm = 	92.3
|Feb rain mm = 	120.0
|Mar rain mm = 	134.1
|Apr rain mm = 	115.1
|May rain mm = 	159.0
|Jun rain mm = 	165.8
|Jul rain mm = 	245.6
|Aug rain mm = 	178.2
|Sep rain mm = 	132.0
|Oct rain mm = 	99.8
|Nov rain mm = 	102.7
|Dec rain mm = 	127.6
|year rain mm = 	
|source 1 = NIWA<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/
|title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent number: 1485)
|publisher = NIWA
|access-date = 13 Sep 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Geology and natural history==
{{#tag:mapframe|{{Wikipedia:Map data/Northern North Island Volcanics}}
| frameless =1
| align =right
|text=Great Barrier Island surface volcanics map with [[andesite]] in red shading and [[rhyolite]] in violet shading.{{Wikipedia:Map data/Northern North Island Volcanics/key}}
|width=250 
|height=250 
|latitude=-36.16
|longitude=175.46
|icon=no
|zoom=9
}}
Much of Great Barrier Island is formed from remnants of volcanoes associated with the [[Coromandel Volcanic Zone]]. The North Great Barrier Volcano, which was centred to the north of the modern island from Whangapoua Bay northwards, formed through events between 18 and 17 million years ago; some of the earliest vulcanism which occurred in the zone. The Great Barrier Volcano formed to the west of the modern island between 15 and 12 million years ago. Much of the modern island is this volcano's eroded eastern flanks. The third volcano, [[Mount Hobson (Great Barrier Island)|Mount Hobson]], is the caldera of a complex [[rhyolite]] [[dome volcano]], which was active between 12 and 8 million years ago.<ref name="OceanFire">{{cite book|title=Out of the Ocean, Into the Fire |last1=Hayward |first1=Bruce W. |author-link1=Bruce Hayward |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-473-39596-4 |publisher=Geoscience Society of New Zealand |pages=134–147}}</ref>

Great Barrier Island has been linked to the North Island for most of the last 18 million years, by a land bridge to the south along the [[Colville Channel]].<ref name="FieldGuide2008">{{cite book |last1=Cameron |first1=Ewen |last2=Hayward |first2= Bruce |author-link2=Bruce Hayward |last3=Murdoch |first3= Graeme |title=A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage |isbn=978-1-86962-1513 |publisher=Random House New Zealand |year=2008 |pages=298–299 |edition=Revised}}</ref> Approximately 17,000 years ago during the [[Last Glacial Maximum]], the Hauraki Gulf was a low-lying coastal plain as sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels.<ref name="Niwa">{{Cite web| title = Estuary origins| url = https://niwa.co.nz/te-kuwaha/tools-and-resources/ng%C4%81-waihotanga-iho-the-estuary-monitoring-toolkit-for-iwi/estuary-origins| publisher = [[National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research]]| access-date = 3 November 2021| archive-date = 2 November 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211102223327/https://niwa.co.nz/te-kuwaha/tools-and-resources/ng%C4%81-waihotanga-iho-the-estuary-monitoring-toolkit-for-iwi/estuary-origins| url-status = live}}</ref> During this period, Great Barrier Island was bordered by the two major river systems that flowed on the plain.<ref name="Niwa"/> Over the past two million years, Great Barrier has periodically been an island and a peninsula.<ref name="FieldGuide2008"/>

==History and culture==
[[File:Kauri Dam on Great Barrier Island 1966.jpg|thumb|right|A kauri driving [[dam]] on Great Barrier Island, 1967. Logging was one of the early industries on the island, and this dam provided enough water to drive kauri logs {{convert|16|km|0|abbr=on}} to the sea.]]

Great Barrier Island (Aotea) is the ancestral land of [[Ngāti Rehua]] Ngātiwai ki Aotea who are the [[tangata whenua|mana whenua]] (territorial land rights holders) of Aotea. Ngāti Rehua have occupied Aotea since the 17th century after conquering Aotea from people of Ngāti Manaia and Kawerau descent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ko Wai : Who We Are |url=https://ngatirehua.com/who-we-are/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea |language=en-US}}</ref> In the mid-19th century during the early [[Colony of New Zealand|Colonial era of New Zealand]], extensive private and crown land purchases meant only two areas of the Hauraki Gulf remained in Māori ownership: Te Huruhi ([[Surfdale]]) on [[Waiheke Island]] (2100 acres) on Waiheke and a 3,510 acre parcel of land at Katherine Bay on Great Barrier Island.<ref name="Auckland Council District Plan">{{Cite web| date=2013 | title = Auckland Council District Plan - Hauraki Gulf Islands Section - Operative 2013: The history of human settlement of the islands |url=http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/hgidecision/docs/hgiAnn01a.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130081424/http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/hgidecision/docs/hgiAnn01a.pdf |archive-date=2018-01-30 |url-status=live | publisher = [[Auckland City Council]]| access-date = 15 April 2022}}</ref>

===Local industries===

==== Mining ====
Early European interest followed discovery of copper in the remote north, where New Zealand's earliest mines were established at Miners Head in 1842. Traces of these mines remain, largely accessible only by boat. Later, gold and silver were found in the Okupu / Whangaparapara area in the 1890s, and the remains of a [[Stamp mill|stamping battery]] on the Whangaparapara Road are a remainder of this time. The sound of the battery working was reputedly audible from the [[Coromandel Peninsula]], 20&nbsp;km away.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/><ref name="ODDS"/>

In early 2010, a government proposal to remove 705 ha of land on the Te Ahumatā Plateau (called "White Cliffs" by the locals) from Schedule 4 of the [[Crown Minerals Act 1991|Crown Minerals Act]], which gives protection from the mining of public land, was widely criticised. Concerns were that mining for the suspected $4.3 billion in mineral worth in the area would damage both the conservation land as well as the island's tourism economy. Locals were split on the project, some hoping for new jobs.<ref name="ODDS">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10633842|title=Great Barrier locals at odds over mining plan|date=23 March 2010|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|access-date=24 March 2010|first=Michael|last=Dickison|archive-date=24 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024185634/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10633842|url-status=live}}</ref> If restarted, mining at White Cliffs would occur in the same area it originally proliferated on Great Barrier. The area's regenerating bushland still holds numerous semi-collapsed or open mining shafts where silver and gold had been mined.<ref name="ODDS"/>

====Kauri logging====

[[File:Whangaparapara Great Barrier.jpg|thumb|right|The sawmill at Whangaparapara, c. 1910]]
The [[Agathis australis|kauri]] logging industry was profitable in early European days and up to the mid-20th century. Forests were well inland, with no easy way to get the logs to the sea or to sawmills. Kauri logs were dragged to a convenient stream bed with steep sides and a driving dam was constructed of wood, with a lifting gate near the bottom large enough for the logs to pass through. When the dam had filled, which might take up to a year, the gate was opened and the logs above the dam were pushed out through the hole and swept down to the sea.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/bush-trams-and-other-log-transport/6|title=Bush trams and other log transport - Moving kauri: dams and rafting|last1=Mahoney|first1=Paul|date=1 March 2009|encyclopedia=[[Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=24 October 2010|archive-date=28 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628134605/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/bush-trams-and-other-log-transport/6|url-status=live}}</ref> The logging industry cut down large amounts of old growth, and most of the current growth is younger native forest (around 150,000 kauri seedlings were planted by the [[New Zealand Forest Service]] in the 1970s and 1980s) as well as some remaining kauri in the far north of the island.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/><ref name="ACC"/> Much of the island is covered with regenerating bush dominated by [[Kunzea ericoides|kanuka]] and kauri.<ref name="DOCBOOK2"/>

====Other industries====
Great Barrier Island was the site of New Zealand's last [[whaling]] station, at [[Whangaparapara]], which opened in 1956, over a century after the whaling industry peaked in New Zealand, and closed due to depletion of whaling stocks and increasing protection of whales by 1962.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/>

Another small-scale industry was [[kauri gum]] digging, while dairy farming and sheep farming have tended to play a small role compared to the usual New Zealand practice. A fishing industry collapsed when international fish prices dropped.<ref name="ODDS"/> Islanders are generally occupied in tourism, farming or service-related industries when not working off-island.<ref name="ODDS"/>

===Shipwrecks===
[[File:Great Barrier Island Pigeon-Gram stamp 1899.jpg|thumb|right|Great Barrier Island [[pigeon post]] stamp]]
The remote north was the site of the sinking of the [[SS Wairarapa|SS ''Wairarapa'']] around midnight of 29 October 1894. This was one of New Zealand's worst shipwrecks, with about 140 lives lost, some of them buried in two beach grave sites in the far north.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/> As a result, a Great Barrier Island [[pigeon post]] service was set up, the first message being flown on 14 May 1897. Special postage stamps were issued from October 1898 until 1908, when a new communications cable was laid to the mainland, which made the pigeon post redundant.<ref>[http://stamps.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-NZ/Stamps/StampsHistoricalIssues/1997/Centenary+of+Pigeon+Post.htm Centenary of Pigeon Post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043400/http://stamps.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-NZ/Stamps/StampsHistoricalIssues/1997/Centenary+of+Pigeon+Post.htm |date=27 September 2007 }} (from the [[New Zealand Post]] website. Accessed 2008-06-04.)</ref> Another major wreck lies in the far southeast, the ''[[SS Wiltshire]]''.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/>

===Nature reserves===
Over time, more and more of the island came under the stewardship of the Department of Conservation (DOC) or its predecessors. Partly this was land that had belonged to the Crown since the 1800s, while other parts were sold or donated like the more than 10% of the island (located in the northern bush area, with some of the largest remaining kauri forests) that was gifted to the Crown by farmer Max Burrill in 1984.<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/> DOC has created a large number of walking tracks through the island, some of which are also open for mountain biking.<ref name="DOCBOOK2"/> The [[Aotea Conservation Park]] has the only multi-day wilderness walk in the Auckland region, boasting two DOC huts and numerous campsites. The Park spreads over more than 12,000 hectares and offers multiple walking tracks for novice and experienced walkers.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The island is free of some of the more troublesome introduced pests that plague the native ecosystems of other parts of New Zealand. While it does have wild cats, feral pigs, [[black rat]]s (''R. rattus''), [[Polynesian rat]]s (''R. exulans''), mice and rabbits, there are no [[common brushtail possum|possum]]s,<!-- NOT "opossums"! --> [[Mustelidae|mustelid]]s (weasels, stoats or ferrets), hedgehogs, [[brown rat]]s (''R. norvegicus''), deer or (since 2006)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/OurAuckland/mediareleases/Pages/FeralgoatstobeeradicatedonWaiheke.aspx |title=Feral goats to be eradicated on Waiheke |date=26 November 2010 |publisher=Auckland Council |access-date=7 March 2013 |archive-date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116101619/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/OurAuckland/mediareleases/Pages/FeralgoatstobeeradicatedonWaiheke.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> feral goats,<ref>{{cite book |title=Pests of Aotea Great Barrier Island – a local guide |url= https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/local-boards/all-local-boards/great-barrier-local-board/Documents/pests-aotea-great-barrier-island-local-guide.pdf |date=2017 |publisher=[[Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board|Great Barrier Island Local Board]], Auckland Council |access-date=2 March 2024}}</ref> thus being a relative haven for native bird and plant populations. Rare birds found on the island include [[brown teal]] ducks, [[Parkinson's petrel|black petrel]]s and [[New Zealand kaka|kākā]].<ref name="DOCBOOK1"/><ref name="DOCBOOK2">[http://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/great-barrier-brochure.pdf Great Barrier Island Aotea brochure, Front] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208201117/http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/great-barrier-brochure.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/great-barrier-brochure.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |date=8 February 2013 }} (from the [[New Zealand Department of Conservation|DOC]]. Accessed 2008-06-04.)</ref>

===Marae===

Great Barrier Island has two [[marae]] affiliated with the local [[iwi]] of [[Ngāti Rehua]] and [[Ngātiwai]]: the Kawa Marae and its Rehua meeting house, and Motairehe Marae and its Whakaruruhau meeting house.<ref name="tkmentry">{{cite web|title=Te Kāhui Māngai directory|url=http://www.tkm.govt.nz/|website=tkm.govt.nz|publisher=[[Te Puni Kōkiri]]|access-date=19 February 2019|archive-date=18 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118064630/http://www.tkm.govt.nz/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="maorimaps">{{cite web |title=Māori Maps |url=https://maorimaps.com/map |website=maorimaps.com |publisher=Te Potiki National Trust |access-date=19 February 2019 |archive-date=22 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122131749/https://maorimaps.com/map |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2020, the Government committed $313,007 from the [[Provincial Growth Fund]] to upgrade Kawa Marae, creating 6 jobs.<ref name="maraepgf">{{cite web |title=Marae Announcements |url=https://www.growregions.govt.nz/assets/funding-announcements/marae-announcements.xlsx |website=growregions.govt.nz |publisher=[[Provincial Growth Fund]] |format=Excel |date=9 October 2020 |access-date=14 October 2020 |archive-date=15 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015005718/https://www.growregions.govt.nz/assets/funding-announcements/marae-announcements.xlsx |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Dark Sky Sanctuary===
In 2017, Aotea / Great Barrier Island was accredited as a Dark Sky Sanctuary by the [[International Dark-Sky Association]].  This designation is given for sites in very remote locations to increase awareness of their dark sky characteristics and promote long term conservation.  At the time, it was the third International Dark Sky Sanctuary to be designated, and the first island sanctuary.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/116554864/nzs-dark-sky-sanctuaries-sights-worth-travelling-for| title=NZ's dark sky sanctuaries sights worth travelling for| work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] | date=19 October 2019| first=Naomi| last=Arnold| access-date=28 April 2021| archive-date=28 April 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428075328/https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/116554864/nzs-dark-sky-sanctuaries-sights-worth-travelling-for| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/sanctuaries/aotea-great-barrier-island/| title=Aotea / Great Barrier Island (New Zealand)| publisher=International Dark-Sky Association| access-date=2 May 2021| archive-date=2 May 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502134529/https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/sanctuaries/aotea-great-barrier-island/| url-status=live}}</ref>

==Population==
[[File:Great Barrier - Port Fitzroy from top of Selwyn Island 1967.jpg|thumb|[[Port Fitzroy]] from the top of [[Kaikoura Island]] (previously Selwyn Island), 1967]]
Barrier Islands statistical area, which includes [[Little Barrier Island]] and [[Mokohinau Islands]] although they have no permanent inhabitants, covers {{Convert|320.28|km2||abbr=on}}<ref name="Area">{{Cite web|title=Stats NZ Geographic Data Service|url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/data/|at=Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised)|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref> and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Barrier Islands|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Barrier Islands|y}}|R}}/320.28|1}} people per km<sup>2</sup>.

{{Historical populations|2006|867|2013|933|2018|936|2023|1,239|percentages=pagr|align=left|source=<ref name="Census 2018">{{NZ census 2018|Barrier Islands (111800)|barrier-islands|Barrier Islands}}</ref><ref name="Census 2023"/>}}
Barrier Islands had a population of 1,239 in the [[2023 New Zealand census]], an increase of 303 people (32.4%) since the [[2018 New Zealand census|2018 census]], and an increase of 306 people (32.8%) since the [[2013 New Zealand census|2013 census]]. There were 660 males, 573 females and 6 people of [[non-binary gender|other genders]] in 681 dwellings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.111801.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses}}</ref> 3.6% of people identified as [[LGBTQ|LGBTIQ+]]. The median age was 51.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 162 people (13.1%) aged under 15 years, 153 (12.3%) aged 15 to 29, 603 (48.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 324 (26.2%) aged 65 or older.<ref name="Census 2023"/>

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 89.8% [[European New Zealanders|European]] ([[Pākehā]]); 23.0% [[Māori people|Māori]]; 2.2% [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pasifika]]; 1.7% [[Asian New Zealanders|Asian]]; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.8%, Māori language by 3.6%, and other languages by 8.0%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk). [[New Zealand Sign Language]] was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 18.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 18.9% [[Christianity in New Zealand|Christian]], 0.2% [[Hinduism in New Zealand|Hindu]], 1.5% [[Māori religious beliefs]], 0.7% [[Buddhism in New Zealand|Buddhist]], 1.2% [[New Age]], 0.2% [[Judaism in New Zealand|Jewish]], and 1.5% other religions. People who answered that they had [[Irreligion in New Zealand|no religion]] were 67.6%, and 9.0% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 162 (15.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 579 (53.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 267 (24.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $28,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 57 people (5.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 402 (37.3%) people were employed full-time, 222 (20.6%) were part-time, and 33 (3.1%) were unemployed.<ref name="Census 2023">{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.111801.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Barrier Islands (111801)}}</ref>

==Settlements==
The population lives mostly in coastal settlements. [[Tryphena, New Zealand|Tryphena]], in Tryphena Harbour at the southern end, is the largest settlement. Other communities are [[Okupu]] and [[Whangaparapara]] in the south-west, [[Port Fitzroy]] and [[Ōkiwi]] in the north, and [[Claris, New Zealand|Claris]] and [[Medlands Beach|Medlands]] in the south-east. The population swells substantially from October to May. The island has become a favourite holiday destination in the darker months, due its superbly dark sky and the astrophotography and stargazing opportunities this offers. In 2017 the island was given [https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/sanctuaries/aotea-great-barrier-island/ Dark Sky Sanctuary status] by the IDA. Its relative remoteness offers solitude, and the sustainable off-grid lifestyle of its inhabitants is something many visitors like to experience.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Without reticulated electricity, most houses use solar panels and a battery bank to generate and store power. Wind and water turbines and solar water heaters are also used. Diesel generators, which used to be the main power source, are now mostly used as back-up.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/reaping-the-wind/ |title=Reaping the wind |first=Veronika |last=Meduna |date=May–June 2002 |journal=New Zealand Geographic |issue=57 |access-date=30 January 2021 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128150140/https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/reaping-the-wind/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.greatbarrier.co.nz/travel-essentials/getting-offgrid/power/ |title=Power |work=Aotea Great Barrier Island – A World of its Own |publisher=Destination Great Barrier Island Trust |access-date=30 January 2021 |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127215701/https://www.greatbarrier.co.nz/travel-essentials/getting-offgrid/power/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

From the end of February 2007, the island was seen around the world as the setting for the BBC One reality show ''[[Castaway 2007|Castaway]]'', which was filmed there for three months.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/castaway/about_us/the_location.shtml Castaway, About the location] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816064603/http://www.bbc.co.uk/castaway/about_us/the_location.shtml |date=16 August 2007 }}, ''BBC''</ref>

[[File:Port Fitzroy Ferry At The Wharf.jpg|thumb|right|A ferry tying up at the Port Fitzroy wharf in about 1910]]
[[File:Great Barrier Ferry Auckland.jpg|right|thumb|The ''Island Navigator'' vehicle ferry from [[Western Reclamation|Wynyard Wharf]], [[Auckland]]. It takes about 4.5 hours, and transports tourists and locals working off-island.]]

==Transport==
There are two airfields on the island, [[Great Barrier Aerodrome]] at Claris and [[Okiwi Airfield]]. [[Barrier Air]] operates services from [[Auckland Airport]], [[North Shore Aerodrome]], and [[Tauranga]] to Claris.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-09 |title=Barrier Air. Routes |url=https://www.barrierair.kiwi/routes/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509053455/https://www.barrierair.kiwi/routes/ |archive-date=2024-05-09 |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Barrier Air |language=en}}</ref> Flight time is approximately 30 minutes from Auckland Airport.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanderson |first=Lauren |date=2022-02-22 |title=The Ultimate First Timer’s Guide To Great Barrier Island |url=https://www.theurbanlist.com/nz/a-list/great-barrier-island |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607133059/https://www.theurbanlist.com/nz/a-list/great-barrier-island |archive-date=2023-06-07 |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=www.theurbanlist.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Sunair]] operates between Claris and [[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]], [[Tauranga]], [[Whangārei]] and [[Whitianga]].

[[SeaLink New Zealand|SeaLink]] operates a passenger, car and freight ferry. This ferry operates from [[Wynyard Quarter|Wynyard Wharf]] in [[Auckland City]] to Tryphena (several times weekly). Sailing time is approximately four and a half hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Great Barrier Island Timetable {{!}} Passenger & Car Ferry - SeaLink |url=https://www.sealink.co.nz/timetables-fares/great-barrier-island-timetables-fares/auckland-great-barrier-island |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518045803/https://www.sealink.co.nz/timetables-fares/great-barrier-island-timetables-fares/auckland-great-barrier-island |archive-date=2024-05-18 |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=www.sealink.co.nz}}</ref>

Other ways to access the island include by [[seaplane]] or [[water taxi]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guide to getting to Aotea Great Barrier Island |url=https://www.greatbarrier.co.nz/transport/guide-to-getting-here/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520063052/https://www.greatbarrier.co.nz/transport/guide-to-getting-here/ |archive-date=2024-05-20 |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Aotea Great Barrier Island |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

==Civic institutions==
Institutions and services are primarily provided by the [[Auckland Council]], the local authority. Services and infrastructure like roads and the wharves at Tryphena and Whangaparapara are subsidised, with the island receiving about $4 in services for every $1 in rates.<ref name="ODDS"/> The Port FitzRoy wharf is owned by the North Barrier Residents and Ratepayers Association.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Biederman |first=Bree |date=2024-06-19 |title=Port Fitzroy Wharf Gets an Upgrade |url=https://www.greatbarrier.co.nz/port-fitzroy-wharf-gets-an-upgrade/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Aotea Great Barrier Island |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

There are three primary schools: Mulberry Grove School at Tryphena, Kaitoke School at Claris, and Okiwi School. There is no secondary school, but there is a learning hub to assist students who learn through the [[The Correspondence School|New Zealand Correspondence School]]. Many children leave the island when they reach secondary school age to attend boarding school on the mainland. Previously, the lack of secondary schooling was cited as one of the reasons for a slow exodus of long-term resident families.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10618484">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10618484 |title=Great Barrier: Barrier break away |author=Rush, Paul |date=6 January 2010 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=2 October 2011 |archive-date=25 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025034136/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10618484 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As part of Auckland the rules governing daily activities and applicable standards for civic works and services exists, shared with some of the other inhabited islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Driving rules are the same as for the rest of NZ and registration and a Warrant of Fitness are required for all vehicles. For example, every transport service operated solely on the island, the [[Chatham Islands]], or [[Stewart Island/Rakiura]] is exempt from section 70C of the Transport Act 1962, the requirements for drivers to maintain driving-hours logbooks. Drivers subject to section 70B must nevertheless keep records of their driving hours in some form.<ref>Unknown article name - ''New Zealand Gazette'', Thursday 14 August 2003</ref>

Rules governing dog control are the same as for Auckland. Dogs must be kept on a lead in all public places.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

==Notable residents==
*[[Fanny Osborne]] (1852–1934), artist<ref>{{DNZB|last=Mackle|first=Tony|id=2o10|title=Fanny Osborne|access-date=23 April 2017}}</ref>
*[[Jamison Gibson-Park]], rugby union player
*{{Annotated link|Jenni Ogden}}
*[[Paul Silva (woodchopper)|Paul Silva]] (1897–1974), soldier, timber worker, axeman and bridge builder

==See also==
{{Portal|Islands|New Zealand}}
*[[Harataonga]], a beach
*[[Dark sky movement in New Zealand]]
*[[List of islands of New Zealand]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Great Barrier Island}}
*[http://www.thebarrier.co.nz/articles.htm] Articles/Stories of Great Barrier Island history, locals, issues, lifestyle
*[http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=SEE_ALSO&QF0=Subjects&QI0==%22Great+Barrier+Island%22&XC=/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2Fheritageimages%2Findex.htm&TN=heritageimages&SN=AUTO2939&SE=431&RN=0&MR=20&TR=0&TX=1000&ES=0&CS=1&XP=&RF=HIOReport&EF=&DF=HIORecord&RL=0&EL=0&DL=0&NP=2&ID=&MF=WPEngMsg.ini&MQ=&TI=0&DT=&ST=0&IR=13684&NR=1&NB=0&SV=0&SS=1&BG=&FG=&QS=index&OEX=ISO-8859-1&OEH=ISO-8859-1 Photographs of Great Barrier Island] held in [[Auckland Libraries|Auckland Libraries']] heritage collections
* The official visitors [https://www.greatbarrier.co.nz/ website] for the island

{{Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board Area}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Great Barrier Island| ]]
[[Category:Islands of the Auckland Region]]
[[Category:Dark-sky preserves in New Zealand]]