Motu Kaikoura Track or Man O War Passage
The Motu Kaikoura Track is a 4km one way, medium walk on Great Barrier Island. It took me around 2 hours to walk there and back. Only accessible by boat.
Walk Author: Sandra from Freewalks.nz
Sandra personally reviewed, documented, photographed and walked the Motu Kaikoura Track on Great Barrier Island on 27 Dec 2022.
Sign posted "Man O War Passage" but on Motu Kaikoura Island, this is a medium level walk with great views and a wide track. Located at Great Barrier - boat access only
We arrived in Man O War Passage, anchored the yacht, jumped into the dingy and arrived on the little beach on Motu Kaikoura Island at 11.45am. The tide was very high making the beach non-existent.
After drying our feet and putting on walking shoes we headed off, nice to be on land for a good walk. The walk starts directly from the beach, it’s signposted “Road to Man O War Passage” 2 hours return. This is bang on as that’s exactly how long it took us.
Uphill for 10 mins to the airstrip and views
It’s straight uphill from the start of the walk and is a bit of a slog up the hill. At the top is a working airstrip and some great views. You could of course turn back here after taking a few pics. We carried on following track for a gentle walk down hill walk through the pine trees giving us great shade from the sun.
It’s a nice mixed hike of dirt road and bush with views here and there. We arrived at Motu Kaikoura lodge 53 minutes after we set off. This is the end of the walk, now you’ll need to double back.
Quick Facts about this walk
- Location: Motu Kaikoura Island, Great Barrier, North Island, New Zealand
- Distance: 3.7 km one way
- Time needed: 2 hours return
- Difficulty: Medium
- Wheelchair access: No
- Route: One way then double back the same way
- Elevation: 144m at its highest point
- Wet Feet: Dry feet the whole way
- Toilets: There seems to be an abundance of toilets along the track – 3 in total. Long drops of course.
- Dogs: There was no signage to say you couldn’t take your dog
- Mobile Coverage: Yes on Vodafone, not much on Spark
- Last Updated: 27 Dec 2022
Summary points about this walk
More photos of my walk on the Motu Kaikoura Track - Man O War Passage walk at Great Barrier Island
- Glenfern Sanctuary - 3 or 5 bed house - Located in Port Fitzroy, 6.7 km from Okiwi and 26 km from Great Barrier Airport
- Boho Hill Apartment - 1 bed apartment - Located in Port Fitzroy, 9.3 km from Okiwi and 26 km from Great Barrier Airport
- Tipi and Bobs Waterfront Lodge - 6 units, lots of beds - Located in Tryphena
- The Lazy Fish - 2 bed house - Located in Tryphena
- Frosty's Retreat - Great Barrier Island Holiday Home - 4 bed house - Located in Tryphena
- Mulberry Grove Retreat - 2 bed house - Located in Tryphena
- Aotea Lodge Great Barrier - Big house ,2 bed + studio + more - Located in Tryphena
- Whalers Cottage - 2 bed house - Superbly located on Harpoon Hill, Whangaparapara and 15min from Claris Village and Airport
- Awesome View Cottage - 2 bed house - 2.5 km from Tryphena, 8.5 km from Medlands, as well as 18 km from Okupu
- Earthwings - 1 bed house - Medlands is 1.2 km from the chalet, while Tryphena is 7.7 km from the property. The nearest airport is Great Barrier Airport at Claris, 5 km from Earthwings.
- Great Barrier Oasis Lodge - 2 bed house - Medlands is 5.2 km from Great Barrier Oasis Lodge, while Okupu is 15 km from the property. The nearest airport is Great Barrier Aerodrome Airport, 9 km from the accommodation.
More walks on Great Barrier Island
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Glenfern Loop Track Walk
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Mt Hobson Summit Walk
Starting in Kaiarara Bay to Mt Hobson Summit is a 15.5km loop walk on Great Barrier Island. It took me 5 hours to complete including stops.
Bridle Track
The Bridle Track is a 1km one way, easy walk from Port Fitzroy on Great Barrier Island. It took me around 13 mins to walk. Pretty bush on a very good track.
Motu Kaikoura Track
The Motu Kaikoura Track is a 4km one way, medium walk on Great Barrier Island. It took me around 2 hours to walk there and back. Only accessible by boat.
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