Kawau Island Super Cruise - Royal Mail Run Return Cruise

4.6
483

Escape for a day to beautiful Kawau Island on a stunning scenic cruise and discover a pristine wildlife reserve surrounded by the calm clear waters of the Hauraki Gulf...

Escape for a day to beautiful Kawau Island on a stunning scenic cruise and discover a pristine wildlife reserve surrounded by the calm clear waters of the Hauraki Gulf...

Highlights

  • Take in spectacular views Kawau Island's Bays from a unique perspective
  • Spot main landmarks and learn all about the Island's history from your skipper
  • Look out for dolphins, penguins and other interesting sea creatures
  • Visit the Mansion House* and explore the surrounding gardens and walking tracks
  • Discover fascinating local cultural and historic sites
  • A fantastic idea for all ages!

Kawau Island Super Cruise takes you from Sandspit, just a short drive North of Auckland city, to follow the Royal Mail delivery route around Kawau - the longest mail run by watercraft in the Southern Hemisphere.

This is the perfect way to take in the Island's many stunning bays and gain insight into what life is like for the 70 or so permanent residents who call the road-less Island home. Learn about the history of the Island and take in amazing views while your experienced skipper points out significant landmarks and sights of interest.

Watch Gannets and other seabirds on the hunt for their lunch. Don't forget to keep a close eye out for Dolphins, Penguins and other interesting sea creatures that might show up for a visit.

Arriving ashore at Mansion House Bay there is plenty of time to explore your beautiful surroundings. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy, visit the historic Mansion House* and stroll through the stunning subtropical gardens alive with native birds such as Tui, Kereru and the cheeky Weka. Proud Peacocks and shy Wallabies call the gardens their home so keep your camera on hand to catch a unique photo opportunity.

Enjoy the numerous walking tracks that beckon you to beautiful beaches. Along the way, discover and explore ancient Maori Pa sites and the ruins of a seashore copper mine once worked by early settlers. Pack your swimwear and some snorkeling gear in summer to explore the crystal clear waters teeming with marine life.

Adult $128.00
Child $67.00
Under 5s $0.00 (Children under the age of 5 travel Free)
Family $297.00 (2 Adults + 2 Children)
Senior $100.00

Location

  • Departs Sandspit Wharf 10:30 am daily - Returns from Mansion House 2pm. Sandspit Wharf is located approximately 50 minutes drive north of Auckland
  • via Warkworth. (Or 2 hours drive South from Whangarei).

Child Friendly

  • This experience welcomes families with children.

Notes

  • *The Mansion House Cafe ***Closed Mondays and Tuesdays and from May - October ***

    The Mansion House Cafe is open on the island at weekends and most days during the summer season for brunch and lunches. Please check directly with the Mansion house (+64 9 445 9142) for opening times / days as they are subject to change throughout the year.

    Please note: The Department of Conservation charges a small fee on the day for entry to the historic Mansion House - 16+ years old: $10.00 per person. Children free with a paying adult, with a maximum of 4x children per paying adult.

    Please check with Department of Conservation for opening hours of the Museum and track maintenance www.doc.govt.nz or phone (09) 422 8882 (We have 2 tracks closed at the moment but tracks to Lookout, Coppermine, School House bay and Lady's bay are open).


  • ***** Mandatory Fuel Surcharge: *****

    $10.00 per adult / $5.00 per child (5-15 years old). Paid directly to operator

    Unfortunately due to the conflict in the Middle East and the rising fuel costs, we have no choice but to add a surcharge to all travel to Kawau and the outer islands, starting 14th March until further notice.

    Kawau Cruises reserves the right to alter prices, apply a fuel surcharge, cancel departures, arrange alternative transport, and vary itineraries and services if necessary. This is in addition to Bookme's T&C's


    Prices are for a return ticket.


    Onboard BBQ:You can enjoy a traditional Kiwi BBQ cooked and served while we cruise - please book upon check-out. Price is per adult / child.

    Picnicking: Packing a picnic to enjoy on the reserve is a great idea; there are plenty of picnic tables at strategic points throughout the reserve and a free gas BBQ available in Mansion House Bay.


    Important Legal Obligations:

    The reserve has no rubbish disposal facilities so you will need to take all rubbish you bring onto the island back with you

    To protect the unique wildlife on Kawau Island there are strictly no Dogs or animals of any kind allowed

    Fire Ban - the lighting of fires is prohibited on the island

    No Camping in the reserve

    No removing or disturbing artifacts or other historical remains

    Non-compliance with these rules of the reserve could lead to prosecution .

Available Bookings from26 Jul to 8 Aug 2026

All prices are shown inNZD ($)

Change Dates
Sun 26 Jul
Mon 27 Jul
Tue 28 Jul
Wed 29 Jul
Thu 30 Jul
Fri 31 Jul
Sat 1 Aug
Sun 2 Aug
Mon 3 Aug
Tue 4 Aug
Wed 5 Aug
Thu 6 Aug
Fri 7 Aug
Sat 8 Aug

Bookings close in 8 hours...

  • Adult$85.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$85.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$85.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$85.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$85.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$85.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00

  • Adult$64.00
  • Child$67.00
  • Under 5s Free of Charge
  • Family$297.00
  • Senior$100.00
Lovely scenic island A must-do visit to a spectacular location beautiful and peaceful Island experience a stones throw from Auckland. Kawau Is excursion
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Authenticated Reviews

Real highlights, tips, and the helpful advice straight from Bookme customers who’ve actually done this experience, summarised with AI support

  • emergencyStunning scenery and beautiful views of Kawau Island (25 people said this).
  • emergencyInformative commentary from the crew, sharing interesting history and personal stories (20 people said this).
  • emergencyComfortable seating with both indoor and outdoor options (15 people said this).
  • emergencyGreat day out with plenty of time to explore the island (18 people said this).
  • emergencyFriendly and helpful staff, making the experience enjoyable for everyone (22 people said this).
  • emergencyGood value for money, especially with discounts available (10 people said this).
  • star_shineConsider bringing a picnic lunch to enjoy on the island.
    Check the weather beforehand to make the most of your day out.

4.6

483 reviews

Showing all 483 authenticated Bookme reviews

Norma from New Zealand wrote on 22 June 2026

Great Day Out

We had a perfect day for the Mail Run Cruise, visiting the Mansion House and enjoying one of the walking tracks. The captain gave us a very informative commentary as we cruised around the bays.

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Bethny Uptegrove from New Zealand wrote on 21 June 2026

A Very Pleasant Day

Good commentary by the skipper, room to move around on the boat, scenic NZ, interesting mansion, pleasant walk, seals on rocks on the way back. Well worth the cost of the ticket.

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Carol MERRIFIELD from Australia wrote on 12 June 2026

Lovely scenic island

The boat trip was excellent. Calm waters and a gorgeous clear day. We did the mail drop drop, but only trouble was we didn't have enough time to explore. Ferry arrived 30minutes late which didn't leave sufficient time to walk to the copper mine before return departure.

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Jenny Hoffman from New Zealand wrote on 10 June 2026

Family holiday

This trip was one of those ‘I must go there sometime !’ Trips . We were 4 siblings away together. This cruise was the highlight. The waters calm, the scenery glorious, the staff competent and lovely abs the Captain an informwdx joy.

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Elizabeth Becroft from New Zealand wrote on 25 May 2026

Island magic

Great day out, beautiful scenery, crew are amazing. Will go again. Peacocks are friendly, great views from the track walks.

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Booking

10:00 a.m.Thursday 13 July

12

Adult

Child

Under 5s Children under the age of 5 travel Free

Family 2 Adults + 2 Children

Senior

*This option must be made together with another price type.
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