Child friendly rating: 5 stars

Distance: On land, around 1km

Signposted time: 15 minutes once you're on land

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable in Winter? Yes

Camping Available? No

4wd required? No

Parking:

Ferry departs from Auckland CBD or Gulf Harbour.

If paddling, Te Haruhi Bay is your best option.

The Track:

If paddling, you'll need to be experienced with reading the conditions. This is an 8km paddle in a not that sheltered part.

Be aware, if you're taking your time to the hut, this can still take around 2 hours to walk to the hut listening to and watching the birdlife. So if you have overnight packs, you can run them ahead, or leave them behind to return for them later if the kids are happy walking slowly with the ferry crowd.

Hut:

The hut is a full on lodge with power, running water, all cutlery crockery, hot showers etc.

Recommendations:

This is a great one that's easy with kids as you basically ferry the whole way there, and the hut is fully equipped with everything including power. Great for an easy getaway from Auckland, even in winter.