Kawau Island is in the Hauraki Gulf, close to the north-eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. At its closest point it lies 1.4 km off the coast of the North Auckland Peninsula, just south of Tawharanui Peninsula, and about 8 km by sea journey from Sandspit Wharf, and shelters Kawau Bay to the north-east of Warkworth. It is 40 km north of Auckland. Mansion House in the Kawau Island Historic Reserve is an important historic tourist attraction. 

There are many native birds on the Island and as you wander around you will hear and see Tui, Fantail, Kereru, Kingfisher, Silver-eye, Grey warblers, the cheeky flightless Weka and many different sea birds. The Kawau shag nest in mighty Pohutukawa in the bays and little blue penguins are occasionally spotted around the shoreline. You may also see and hear bright-coloured Rosella and Kookaburras, native to Australia but settled on the Island. As dusk approaches the sound of Morepork can be heard in the bush and if you are lucky, you may even hear or see a Kiwi, as sightings are becoming more frequent as the population grows on the Island.

You usually arrive into Mansion Bay, from there you can walk over to the oldcopper mine and  smelting house. A manganese mine was established on the island in the 1840s; shortly after, copper was discovered by accident. Fascinating ruins of the underground seashore copper mine, a pumping engine house and a small smelter remain today. See the copper mine from the lookout at Lady’s Bay or the more active can relive history by following the Miners Track from the Mansion House through the bush and along the foreshore to the copper mine itself (fun for the kids).