The ferry departs from Sandspit Wharf daily at 10:30am and returns from Mansion House at 2pm. Sandspit Wharf is located approximately 50 minutes drive north of Auckland, via Warkworth. You can book the Kawau ferry here and save up to 50% if you’re willing to go at a quieter time.
SAVE 50% on last minute deals with Kawau Island Ferry – Royal Mail Run Return Cruise
If you ever get the chance, definitely take a tour through Mansion House. It’s usually open when the Kawau ferry comes in.
Just follow the road, and you’ll see the sign for Coppermine Lookout. It’s a great walk with awesome views of the ocean and beaches along the way.
Once you get to the lookout, you can walk around the beach to the old Coppermine stack if the tide is low. Otherwise, you’ll have to take the longer track, which takes a bit more time.
The old brick stack is really impressive and definitely worth seeing up close. It’s part of the historic Coppermine, which dates back to the mid-19th century when copper was mined on Kawau Island.
The mine was operational from around 1844 to 1855 and was one of the earliest mining ventures in New Zealand. Though the venture eventually became uneconomical, the remnants of the mine, including the brick stack, still stand as a testament to the island’s industrial past.
Follow the track, and you’ll loop back if you took the low tide route like I did.
Back at Mansion House Bay, there’s a nice little café that’s worth checking out too. There is a big toilet block there too.
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