Motuara Island, Picton

DOC-managed scenic reserve about 32 km from Picton, reached by scenic cruise, private boat or kayak. Rats were eradicated in 1992; the island is now a rearing site for rowi kiwi chicks, and where Cook proclaimed British sovereignty over the South Island in 1770.

Wildlife
Views
Lookout
On the water
Good with kids
History
Day trip

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At a glance

Distance: About 32 km from Picton, in outer Queen Charlotte Sound
Cost: Cruise or water-taxi fare
Getting there: By boat only — scenic cruise, water taxi, private boat or sea kayak
Wildlife: South Island saddleback / tīeke, South Island robin / toutouwai, yellow-crowned parakeet / kākāriki; used to rear rowi kiwi chicks
Track: A short lookout track from the jetty to the 128 m summit and its viewing tower

Motuara Island and adjacent Hippah Island viewed from the water to the south. Tom Ackroyd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Motuara Island

Motuara is the island in the outer sound that DOC turned into a bird sanctuary: rats were eradicated in 1992, and it is now home to saddleback, robin and yellow-crowned parakeet, and used as a crèche for rowi kiwi chicks before they are returned to the mainland. The birds are famously bold — robins will come to your feet on the track.

It also carries real history: Captain Cook proclaimed British sovereignty over the South Island from Motuara in January 1770, and a cairn on the island marks the visit. From the jetty a short track climbs to the 128 m summit, where a wooden viewing tower looks out over Ship Cove, Long Island and the mouth of the sound.

You can't get here without a boat. Cougar Line, Beachcomber Cruises and E-Ko Tours all run cruises that call at Motuara; kayak operators can get you there too on a longer trip.

Know before you go

Keep to the track and check your bags for pests before landing — it is a predator-free island.
Marine mammal rules apply on the way: stay at least 20 m from seals (DOC).