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5 nights
Sunday 18th of January 2026 until Friday 23rd of January 2026
The Chatham Islands is New Zealand’s eastern most outpost, with the dateline stretching around the Chathams, allowing the claim to fame of being the first permanently inhabited place in the world to welcome the new day. The isolation of the Chathams has created a unique island lifestyle and society and many locals descend from Moriori genealogy. Discover the rich Moriori history and culture during your stay on the Chatham Islands along with the Maori and European history. The remote location of the Chathams means there is endemic flora and fauna, found nowhere else in the world.
Our tour commences today with an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Chatham Islands – please refer to your departure letter and Air Tickets for flight details.
Due to changeable weather please pack your day bags for all seasons. Comfortable walking footwear is also recommended. Don’t forget your water bottle, camera, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Depart Auckland at 5.00pm to the Chatham Islands arriving at 8.00pm.
On arrival we will be transferred from the airport to the Hotel Chatham where we stay for the next 5 nights.
On this site since the 1860s, The Hotel Chatham is a big part of life on the Chatham Islands. Located in Waitangi Bay, the views from all around the hotel are spectacular all day long.
A notice board will be displayed in the Hotel Restaurant with information for your next day’s adventure.
Due to weather conditions and accessibility, your itinerary is subject to change.
After a late arrival this evening we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel Chatham (5 nights)
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant from 7am – 9am. After which meet your guide at 9.00am for today’s excursion and depart the hotel.
Today we visit the North West of the island. We start this day with a walk at the Nikau Bush Conservation Area. This19ha reserve conserves broad leaf forest with a fine stand of Nikau palms, the only palm native to the Chatham Islands and it is most impressive when flowering and bearing fruit during December and January. One hour easy terrain. Travel to Splatter Rock at the western end of Wharekauri Beach. Estimated to be around five million years old, Splatter Rock is a lava formation which was erupted into soft sediments on the sea floor and formed central tube-like shapes.
Blind Jim’s is a favourite stop to look for ancient fossilised shark’s teeth on the lagoon shore and also our stop for a BBQ Lunch. Wading birds are usually plentiful. Nunuku’s Cave is famous for its limestone Moriori rock carvings (petroglyphs) of seals and birds. The cave is named after the Moriori leader; Nunuku Whenua, who outlawed fighting amongst the warring clans of Moriori.
Visit Chatham Gold Bee Factory - the Chatham Islands house some of the world’s rarest bees. At the Henga Scenic Reserve and Nursery walking tracks pass through regenerating coastal forest to sand dune vegetation. Hidden in the bush are spectacular limestone formations. Judy’s nursery is a great place to purchase Chatham Island Native plants.
Head to the Basalt Columns located on private land at Ohira Bay. These unique geological formations were created from lava flows by the Southern Volcanics that erupted around 80 million years ago which created columns when the lava cooled. The picturesque bay of Port Hutt is in the Whangaroa Harbour. This was the landing place for the Maori in 1835 and is now the resting place of some interesting relics in the shallow waters. On the lower slopes of Maunganui lies the Stone Cottage built with mortar of burnt pipi shells and the backdrop of a striking rock face. You may get to meet the intriguing current tenant. A Historic Listed building, the Stone Cottage was built in 1866-1868 by German Moravian missionaries who had a big impact on the lifestyle of the Chatham’s. Close by is a magnificent beach with shell banks backed by high sand dunes.
At the end of the road, stunning white beaches are home to the local Chatham Island Oyster Catchers.
The remainder of the afternoon will be spent at the Admiral Gardens. These stunning sheltered gardens with water and sculpture features where established for birds, bees and butterflies by Val Snr and Lois Croon, and holds a large attractive planting of Chatham Island Lilies (the Forget Me Not). The farm also has an established relaxing walk down to the sand dunes and beach. Enjoy drinks and entrée at the gardens, then return to the hotel for the remainder of our dinner.
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant from 7am – 9am. Meet your guide at 9.00am.
Kaingaroa township located in the North East is home to a small fishing fleet. The Torotoro monument commemorates the first tragic contact between the British on HMS Chatham and Moriori in 1791.
After walking through the protected forest area, head to the Manauea Ocean Mail Scenic Reserve for a picnic lunch. This reserve covers 831 ha of peat dome and wetland as well as 4km of coastal sand dunes. This afternoon we head to the Muirson Farm to visit the relatively intact 1945 Sunderland flying boat which was salvaged to build sheds and huts but has begun to be restored by the current farm owners.
BBQ lunch at a local beach house today everyone can see a working garden - enjoy ribeye BBQ sandwiches and ice creams.
After visiting this farm, we visit Point Munning to see the resident fur seal colony lounging on the schist rock formations. In Mission Bay see the remains of a settlement used by German missionaries and American sealers from the late 1700s. The Hapupu Moriori Dendroglyphs (Tree Carvings) southeast of Kaingaroa, are part of a regenerated native forest of Kopi trees and are only accessible with your guide.
Dinner in the hotel restaurant at 6.30pm.
Owenga is a fishing village, where we find the locally owned working fish factory Chatham Island Food Co.
This morning we head out to the Kopinga Marae, where the names of 1700 ancestors are carved into the central post as a reminder of the sacrifice they made. Learn about the history of the first inhabitants of the Chatham Islands (known to Moriori as Rekohu). While here we also visit the Tommy Solomon statue who was the last known full-blooded Moriori to live and died in 1933. Make a stop at the local Waitangi Store before heading to Kopi Farm and enjoy a guided walk through dense native bush (over 100 years old).
Highlights include Rautini (Chatham Islands Christmas Tree), Kopi, Karaka, Karamu, Tarihina, Mataipo, Hoho trees and Punga. Birds are also in abundance including parea (pigeons), Chatham Island fantails, warblers and, if you’re lucky, the Chatham Islands parakeet.
Visit local artist Eva Cherie Tuck in her Owenga art studio. View the Rangaiki Cliffs with 200-250m sheer drops. On a clear day, an amazing viewing point to Pitt, Mangere and surrounding islands. Take in panoramic views across Lake Huro to Waitangi and across Te Whanga Lagoon to its entrance at Te Awapatiki. This afternoon visit the Chatham Island Museum where you will see all manner of historical and interesting artefacts, located in the Chatham Island Council buildings at Waitangi. Tikitiki Hill Conservation Area - a quick jaunt on Tikitiki Hill with great views over Petre Bay, towards the Red Bluffs. You can also look down over Waitangi township, with a bird’s-eye view of the Waitangi Wharf. 10 min (return), easy walking.
Dinner in the hotel restaurant at 6.30pm.
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant from 7am – 9am. Meet your guide at 9.00am.
Running south west of Waitangi, Tuku Road provides views of rich farmlands and shoal coastal waters. Today we begin with some birdwatching on the South Coast. The stunning Awatotara Reserve lies in the valley where the Parea (Chatham Island Wood Pigeon) as well as other bird life can be seen.
Dinner in the hotel restaurant at 6.30pm.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES TODAY:
Day tour return flights to Pitt Island on Air Chathams 6-seat Cessna aircraft.
Fully escorted tour with highlights of Pitt Island: Mt Hakepa, Glory Cottage, Flower Pott Jail, Waihere Bay, Moriori and European history. Lunch hosted at Flower Pott Lodge.
$450 per person for group of 4 to 5 people. Minimum numbers apply. Includes return airport transfers.
Fishing Charter
One of the only places in the world that guarantees a catch! 3 hours or until total allowable catch is caught. Your fish will be filleted and bagged for you to take back home with you.
$200 per person inclusive of transfers
Optional Tours Notes:
All flights and fishing charters are subject to weather conditions, so these are unable to be paid in advance.
Please book your interest with the Hotel on arrival - First bookings will take first precedence.
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant from 6.30 – 8am.
Depart the hotel at 8.30am by shuttle service for the airport.
Depart Chatham Island at 10.00am to Auckland Domestic Airport, arriving at 12.00pm. Return home with memories of an untouched paradise, wildlife, flora and spectacular landscapes.
The Chathams are exposed islands in the South Pacific Ocean at about the same altitude as South Island’s Ashburton. However, the weather is surprisingly mild across all seasons with average annual temperatures between 5 and 20 °C.
Temperatures in the late spring, summer and early autumn between October and April are very comfortable with a range between 15 and 24 °C. While summer can provide clear, warm days, our summers are slightly cooler than parts of the mainland. Winters though are not generally too cold and they only tend to have the occasional mild frost.
Rainfall at 1000mm per year is 30% less than Auckland and 60% more than Christchurch. It tends to fall as showers rather than torrential rain.
Characteristic sea breezes mean that the weather can be changeable. And it is true that it can be very windy at times. How else do you think they could produce their Akeake tree art around the islands?
You should be prepared for anything all year round, so we encourage you to pack warm and protective layers. And make sure you pack sunscreen and a hat too.
WHAT IS THE TIME ZONE?The Chatham's observe their own time, 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand time, including during periods of daylight saving time. Chatham Standard Time Zone is distinctive as one of very few that differ from others by a period other than a whole hour or half-hour.
The Chatham's are the first place in the world to see the sun rise.
HOW LONG DOES IS TAKE TO GET THERE?Flight time is 2hrs15 from Auckland to Chatham Island and 2hrs45 from Chatham Island to Auckland.
HOW BIG ARE THE ISLANDS?The Chatham Islands archipelago consists of two main islands, Chatham Island and Pitt Island and a few scattered islands. Chatham Island covers 966km². Chatham and Pitt are the only inhabited islands with a combined permanent population of 663 people (2018 census).
