There are only two airlines flying from downtown to Great Barrier – Fly My Sky and Barrier Air.
The flight is in tiny airplanes that only seat 8 people. The pilot looked very tired, and on top of that, he also flew us back. Is there really only one pilot? That’s why he was tired – to fly 6 times a day back and forth.
Before the flight they give you headphones and slam the door firmly shut. The whole time in the air (which is half an hour) you can take photos and videos and enjoy the views.
We fly very low over the Earth: Auckland, Waiheke Island and other small islands of the Hauraki Gulf pass quickly below us.
Great Barriere Island looks ominous from above. But it actually looks a lot like one of those tropical islands in the Pacific – Tonga, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, or Moorea.
The temperature is consistently as much as 4 degrees higher than Auckland. And after all, the island is only about a hundred kilometers from the main landmass.
How much does it cost to live and where to find food
Like everywhere else in New Zealand, there are hostels, campgrounds, and more expensive places.
- A bed in a hostel 40-45 NZD;
- A place for a tent on a camping site 20-25 NZD;
- Rent a car 60 NZD per day.
As I’ve already written, food is hard to find. It is important to get the time right, because every cafe has its own schedule and on weekdays almost all places are closed.
On the island there are 3-4 stores and 2 gas stations.
The main towns on the island are:
Claris – where the airport is located. It is about in the center of the island. Nearby there is a gas station with a store and one coffee shop.
Trifina is the “largest” island town. It is located in the south of the island. It even has the island’s only Irish Currach bar. It’s also where most of the stores and eating places are concentrated.
Port Fitzroy is a lonely village on the west of the island. Diving tours and boat trips, fishing, etc are organized from here. There is 1 mini store there and a place that sometimes sells burgers.