Great Barrier Island, Auckland

New Zealand by plane: Britten Norman Trislander



Flying Britten Norman Trilander to / from Great Barrier Island in New Zealand.

Great Barrier Island (often colloquially just The Barrier) is a large island of New Zealand, situated 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the north-east of central Auckland in the outer Hauraki Gulf. With an area of 285 square kilometres (110 sq mi) it is the fourth-largest island of New Zealand's main chain of islands, with its highest point, Mount Hobson, rising 621 metres (2,037 ft).

The remote island was initially exploited for its minerals and kauri trees and saw only some limited agriculture. It is now inhabited by a small population of 852 people,mostly living from farming and tourism.

The majority of the diverse environments of the island (around 60% of the total area) is administered as nature reserve by the Department of Conservation, with the local authority being the Auckland Council. Recently, the island atmosphere has also been described as being "life in New Zealand many decades back", not without some positive emphasis.

The island received its European name from Captain Cook because it acts as a barrier between the Pacific Ocean and Gulf. The Māori name is Aotea.