The Gulf's oldest island, joined to Rangitoto by a causeway. Rolling farmland, WWII history, takahē and a DOC campsite at Home Bay. Here's how to plan your visit on a Daily boat.
Updated October 2026 · By the Daily Boats team
About 11 nautical miles from Westhaven to Home Bay, or 9 from Pine Harbour
About 35 minutes at 20 knots from Westhaven
Home Bay and Islington Bay
No fishing or taking seafood in the High Protection Area
DOC campsite, farm tracks and takahē. No shop
Motutapu covers about 1,510 hectares directly behind Rangitoto. At around 178 million years old it's the oldest island in the Hauraki Gulf, and about 600 years ago it was showered with ash when its young neighbour erupted. It's a DOC recreation reserve, co-managed with mana whenua, and has been pest-free since 2011.
From Westhaven, head out past North Head and through the Motuihe Channel, then round the southern end of Motutapu to Home Bay on the east coast. It's about 11 nautical miles, or roughly 35 minutes at 20 knots. From Pine Harbour it's closer: about 9 nautical miles, or under 30 minutes. For Islington Bay, turn in between Rangitoto and Motutapu instead, about 9 nautical miles from Westhaven. Allow longer in real conditions: at 20 knots, sea state matters more than wind direction for comfort.
The waters around both islands are part of the Rangitoto and Motutapu High Protection Area. You can motor through and anchor, but you can't fish or take anything. Watch for ferries and shipping in the Rangitoto Channel, and for ferries using Islington Bay wharf when they're diverted from Rangitoto Wharf.
On the east coast, looking across to Waiheke, Home Bay is one of two anchorages DOC lists as safe for visiting boats. There's a sandy beach, toilets, the DOC campsite and a wharf, but private boats can only use the wharf to load and unload. The bay faces east, so it suits westerly winds. Check the chart and forecast before staying in an easterly.
Between Rangitoto and Motutapu, Islington Bay is the other DOC-listed anchorage and the usual fallback. It's sheltered from the prevailing south-westerlies, though gusts can come over the top. The holding is notoriously poor, a thin layer of mud over a hard bottom, so let out plenty of scope and make sure the anchor has set. See our Rangitoto guide for more.
There are no other recognised anchorages on Motutapu. Keep to 5 knots within 200 metres of the shore, and within 50 metres of other boats and swimmers.
There's no shop on Motutapu. The Reid Homestead visitor centre opens at times and may sell drinks and snacks, but bring everything you need. There are no rubbish bins, so take all your rubbish home.
Highlights ashore:
About 1½–1¾ hours one way on the coastal walkway and over the causeway to Rangitoto.
Motutapu has the largest takahē population of any sanctuary site, plus tīeke (saddleback) and kiwi. Keep clear of nesting birds from September to March.
A DOC campsite with toilets and untreated water. Bookings are required all year.
Some WWII sites, including the gun emplacements and Howitzer Camp, are closed for safety, and the road from the south is closed. No dogs or other animals, and there's a total fire ban: no fires or portable barbecues.
About 372 archaeological sites have been recorded on Motutapu, including 13 pā. At the Sunde Site, human and dog footprints are preserved in ash from the Rangitoto eruption. The Reid family farmed the island from 1869 to 1943, and from 1936 it became a WWII coastal defence base.
Walk the causeway from Islington Bay and climb to the summit for views over the whole Gulf. Read our Rangitoto Island guide, or carry on to Rākino, just north-east of Motutapu.
Check, clean and close: check the boat and bags for rats, mice, ants, skinks and seeds, and keep food sealed. Report pests to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
No fishing or taking seafood of any kind, including by hand, in the Rangitoto and Motutapu High Protection Area. Fines start at $600. Check the boundaries on the MarineMate app.
Check the MetService marine forecast for the Hauraki Gulf before you leave and again during the day. Log a trip report with Coastguard on the app, by calling *500 or on VHF. In an emergency, call Maritime Radio on VHF channel 16.
Plan your fuel for the round trip, including any side trips, and keep a reserve.
Morning: check the forecast, log your trip and head out.
Midday: anchor in Home Bay, swim, then walk the farm tracks and look for takahē.
Afternoon: head home in daylight.
Saturday: cruise to Home Bay and walk over to Islington Bay.
Evening: recheck the forecast. If an easterly is coming, move round to Islington Bay.
Sunday: climb Rangitoto from Islington Bay, then head home.
This is a longer trip than a typical Daily day out. Talk to the Daily team before planning it.
Daily bookings are full days, so at about 35 minutes each way from Westhaven, and less from Pine Harbour, Motutapu leaves plenty of time ashore.
Daily members boat on Buccaneer 635 HT hardtops kept in their own berths at Westhaven, Pine Harbour and Gulf Harbour. New members do a sea trial when they join, so you'll know the boat before your first day out.
See how Daily works and more destinations, including Rangitoto Island, Rākino Island and Motuihe Island.
Planning note: distances and motoring times are approximate and assume an average of 20 knots. They vary with the boat, load, sea state and wind. Always check charts, the MetService marine forecast, tide times and local notices, including the High Protection Area boundaries and Biosecurity New Zealand's caulerpa rules, before you set out.
Photos: Motutapu, Rākino and the Noises from Rangitoto by Avenue (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0); Rangitoto and Motutapu from the air by Ingolfson (Wikimedia Commons, public domain); Home Bay, Motutapu, c1910 by Henry Winkelmann (Auckland Museum, public domain).
Daily members boat from Westhaven, Pine Harbour and Gulf Harbour on fully maintained Buccaneer 635 HTs, without the cost of owning one. Plans from $470 a month.