Cruises from Kawau Island
The island has a small population of permanent residents and many holiday dwellings, and is a popular destination for pleasure craft cruising the Hauraki Gulf. Most of the land is privately owned and covered in forest. Kawau is believed to have been the base for seaborne raiding Maori in the early 18th century and was used as a fishing base by Maori when gathering seafood. Manganese and copper were mined in the first years of European ownership until the island was bought by Sir George Grey, Governor of New Zealand, in 1862 as a private retreat. Read more
He extended the original copper mine manager's house (built 1845) to create the Mansion House, which still stands, and made the surrounding land into a botanical and zoological park, importing many plants and animals.