QANTAS TRAVEL WRITER COMPETITION “GREAT BARRIER”
I entered this competition today with the following article:
http://travelwritercomp.typepad.com/enter/2008/12/great-barrier-by-princey.html
Chances are when you saw the above title you immediately thought of the Great Barrier Reef. Did you? The words Great Barrier are synonymous with the Great Barrier Reef, a world heritage listed coral reef system that lies along the east coast of Australia.
However, the Great Barrier I am writing about is Great Barrier Island, New Zealand’s 4th largest offshore island approximately 80km off Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf.
Great Barrier was aptly named by Captain James Cook as it forms a natural barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Hauraki Gulf. New Zealand’s indigenous people for generations have called it “Motu Aotea” which means island of the white cloud.
Locally it is simply referred to as “The Barrier”
The Barrier is 285sq kilometres in area and is home to roughly 850 people who mainly make their living from farming and tourism.
The island boasts unspoilt forests, natural hot springs, surf beaches, sheltered bays and anchorages. One of the attractions of the island is its isolation. The Barrier is only accessible by boat or light aircraft. Ask people in the street, on the mainland, most will have heard of it, and perhaps even know how to get there, but very few have ever made the journey.
This year in late February I finally made the trip aboard the Island Navigator, a 4 1/2 hour journey from downtown Auckland. Four wonderful days traveling by bicycle, four nights enjoying backpacker and resort accommodation, sumptuous food and meeting fantastic people.
On board the Island Navigator
CJ Crossing the stream
Awana Bay
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