star trek great barrier island

Capturing the essence of life on remote Aotea, Great Barrier Island

Family owned and operated, our local guides share their stories of the people, land, forest and sea.

Star Treks was created by husband and wife team, Benny and Eve to promote the life they love; walking in the forest, meeting new people and sharing this magical island. As well as offering guided day treks, they offer walks with a difference. As night falls trekkers experience native bush and this Dark Sky Sanctuary in a remote setting.

Benny Bellerby

Walking guide & dark sky ambassador.

Benny was born and bred on Aotea, Great Barrier Island. He loves to show others why he considers the island to be paradise – the ocean, the land and its inhabitants. He is excited to share his appreciation for our geography, history, people, flora and fauna. He has been walking these treks all his life, for leisure, track and tree work, and as a guide. Discovering the endless mysteries of our glorious dark skies is his newfound passion.

Russell Scott

Walking guide.

Russell has lived and breathed Aotea, Great Barrier Island life for more than 40 years. He initially settled deep in the native bush, where he learned about living a sustainable life on a remote off grid island. He has walked to the end of every road and track through his work as a contractor. He lives with the seasons and has entertaining true tales of characters and events he has experienced along the way.

Jacob de Beurs

Jacob is the latest member to the Star Treks guiding team, becoming the Kaitoke Hot Springs Twilight Trek lead guide in 2020.  

Jacob comes from Nga Iwi o Muri Whenua. His passion for the skies, particularly through the lens of Mātauranga Māori and traditional navigation by the stars began in his early life. When he was in his teenage years he became interested in weather patterns through surfing. Jacob has been sailing and working yachts professionally since 2009 and spent many moons gaining skills and studying the knowledge passed down by his uncle, Hector Busby, recognised as a leading figure in the revival of traditional Polynesian navigation and ocean voyaging using wayfinding techniques. Jacob was part of the Waka Tapu voyage to Rapanui (Easter Island) from Aotearoa in 2012. Returning to Tahiti Nui and Aotearoa in 2013, working on board in communications and medic capacity.

Jacob loves to explore the island with his family, gathering kai moana, observing Nga Atua interactions with the physical world, the ocean and the skies, their movements and connections.  

Phoebe Ngawaka

Phoebe Ngawaka is of Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea decent (local iwi). She was raised in the north of the island at Motairehe and Kawa, attending Te Kura o Okiwi.  

 While completing her diploma of Rongoa Maori (Traditional Maori Medicine), she was reintroduced to the purakau (stories) that connect us to the stars. Recently she spent time in wānanga with Papa Rangi Mataamua, a prominent Maori astrologer, where she has deepened her astronomical knowledge and desire to live in harmony with the Maramataka, lunar calendar.

 Phoebe is excited to share her learnings as a Star Treks guide. Offering to recount the navigational stories of her whānau who lived as local fishermen, whalers, and crayfishermen, as well as her extensive understanding of our beautiful forests and plant medicines.  

“More than just a tour…”

“one of a kind…”, “magical experience…”.

Go Great Barrier Island

Holiday accommodation, flights, ferry travel and car rental booking agency

We've put it all together for your convenience - The Aotea Track Hikers Package includes:

Fully Flexible return flights from Auckland, return track transfers and DOC hut booking fees... Grab a free copy of the Aotea Track map on arrival and you're off !

The 25km Aotea Track loops the central mountainous area of Great Barrier Island and is a manageable 3 day circuit for reasonably fit beginner or experienced trampers. The track offers a combination of easy walking trails, steep climbs, stairways and bridges. You will travel over a range of spectacular landscapes... streams with beautiful native bush, tranquil wetlands and forests of kauri, rimu, kahikatea and more. Discover the historical remains of the early Kauri industry...  and the kauri tramline track remnants.

Two well positioned huts allow for manageable walks of 3 to 4 hours over the 3 days.

Mt. Heale Hut was opened in 2012 and provides spectacular views over the Hauraki Gulf & Hauturu/Little Barrier Island. Located on a central ridge, 30 minutes from Hirakimata/ Mt Hobson (Great Barrier Islands highest point 621m). This 20-bed hut has excellent sleeping and gas cooking facilities. Kaiaraara Hut is near sea level on the western side of the island. This is a 28 bed hut with a wood burner and gas cooking facilities. It is situated near the Kaiaraara stream beside the Forest Road.

What to expect:

• To walk 25 to 30 km carrying your pack
• Some fairly steep climbs
• Lots of steps and stairways
• Hot sun and high UV
• Rain and colder temperatures
• Possible slippery conditions
• Spectacular panoramas
• Stunning bush, mountain and stream views

What to bring:

• A good strong pack suitable for carrying:
• Clothing for hot, wet & cold weather
• Food ~ cooking & eating utensils
• First aid kit ~ sunscreen
• Torch/batteries ~ light
• Tramping boots
• Sleeping bag
• Drink bottle

What's Included:

• Return flights from Auckland Airport
• Transfers to and from the Aotea Track
• Hut booking fees
• Aotea Track map & info book
• Optional before and after photo 🙂

What it costs:

Per Person - Solo Standard & Reverse route Adult $525

Alternative via Windy Canyon Adult $566

Per Person - Groups up to 3 Standard & Reverse route Adult $501 Youth (13-17 yrs)  $480 Child (5-12 yrs) $467 Child (2-4 yrs) $438

Alternative via Windy Canyon Adult $524 Youth (13-17 yrs) $499 Child (5-12 yrs) $486 Child (2-4 yrs) $461

Per Person - Groups of 4 or more Standard & Reverse route Adult $486 Youth (13-17 yrs) $463 Child (5-12 yrs) $450 Child (2-4 yrs) $425

Alternative via Windy Canyon Adult $506 Youth (13-17 yrs) $481 Child (5-12 yrs) $467 Child (2-4 yrs) $443

Aotea Track - standard route

Day 1:  Hot Springs to Mt Heale Hut 3~3.5 hrs, 10km

Starting from Whangaparapara Road, the Kaitoke Springs Track begins flat & easy, following an ancient shoreline. Follow the boardwalks across the unique kauri wetlands and listen for the call of the fernbird or spotless crake. Enjoy the hot pools but take care - they might be too hot in places. After a brief steep climb and descent, join the Tramline Track North and then Peachtree Track on your left. Climb steadily through the regenerating forest to reach Mt Heale hut. Drop your bags and take a35 minute steep hike up to Mt Hobson - Hirakimata - the highest point on the island.

Day 2: Mt Heale Hut to Kaiaraara Hut 2.5 hrs one way

*Kaiaraara Track is currently closed due to damage sustained in Cyclone Gabrielle. Aotea Track hikers are offered South Fork Track as an alternative route between Kaiaraara Hut and Mt Heale Hut.

The South Fork track from Mt Heale culminates approximately 1 km south of the Kaiaraara Hut on the Forest Road. The track follows an old bridle track that was used by gum diggers and forestry workers. After passing the Peach Tree junction there is a long steady descent down a central ridge. Nearer the bottom there are two stream crossings.

Day 3: Kaiaraara Hut to Whangaparapara 4 hrs, 11km

The last day you'll find an easier grade with no major climbs following Forest Road. Enjoy beautiful bush and mountain views including Maungapiko Lookout, Kauri Tree Route (a small stand of impressive large kauri trees) and extensive views of the bays to the west. From Forest Road, take a right turn onto the Tramline Track and follow this down to Whangaparapara. On the way, a 5 minute detour to Kauri Falls takes you to the falls and swimming hole. At the bottom of the Tramline Track take the path to the left which leads out onto the Whangaparapara Road. Your driver will pick you up there and transfer you back to Claris.

You may prefer to walk the track in reverse to the above sequence, ending your 3 days with a soak in the hot pools.

Aotea Track - alternative routes - via Windy Canyon

There are a few different options when taking the alternative route through the Windy Canyon. Dept of Conservation recommend staying at Mt Heale on the 1st night...  Kaiaraara Hut for the 2nd night - Then Forest Road to Whangaparapara on day 3... You'll note that this itinerary doesn't include visiting the Kaitoke hot springs.

Some hikers that want to include a visit to Kaitoke hot springs choose to head down past Mt Heale Hut to Kaiaraara Hut for the 1st night. Then back-track up the South Fork Track to Mt Heale Hut for the 2nd night the following day. Mt Heale Hut to Kaitoke hot springs car park on day 3 - via Peachtree Tack, Tramline Track and Hot Springs Track. This itinerary bypasses the Forest Road component.

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• Claris – Okupu
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• Track Overview
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Stargaze in AOTEA’s Dark Sky Sanctuary

On Aotea, we enjoy the trifecta of pristine ngahere, clear moana and the darkest rangi. Stunning beaches stretch between the bush and the sea stretch and these wide-open beaches provide a superb setting for observations of our Dark Sky Sanctuary skies. 

Our community values the protection of our land, sea and skies: 60% of the island is conservation park, there is a rahui around the island which is the ancient Maori way to protect some of our food sources and our sky is protected under a Dark Sky Sanctuary. We feel that preservation of our skies is particularly important to the health and wellbeing of our community, visitors and also for the night-time protection of our natural environment which teems with endemic flora and fauna, many protected species.

Elsewhere on the planet, many of these endangered species are affected by light pollution and to a lesser extent, elsewhere in New Zealand as well. Aotea, for instance, is a haven to the tokoketai black petrel and to long and short tailed bat species. Under Aotea’s dark skies, they are not distracted by light at night. On Aotea the population density if very low. We generate our own limited power, so are frugal with lights, and as there are no streetlights and definitely no bill boards, there is no light glow. So, when islanders have gone to bed, the island rests in wholesome, blissful darkness. 

There a many other Dark Sky Places in the world, see  here , but Aotea Great Barrier Island is unique, because it is so easily accessible from a large international airport (Auckland), and you don’t have to forego your creature comforts, as you can stay within the sanctuary,  in comfortable accommodation .

Some people may be drawn to bright lights for their holidays but more and more are recognising that dark skies are a precious and scarce resource, and are choosing to holiday is dark sky reserves, parks or sanctuaries like Aotea. The island also has a wonderful subtropical climate and seaside stargazing is different level. Try it!

Did you know?

*Light pollution, the excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light, is affecting human health, wildlife behavior, and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects. 

*An increased amount of light at night lowers melatonin production, which results in sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress, anxiety, and other health problems. 

*More than 80 percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live under sky glow. It sounds pretty, but sky glow caused by anthropogenic activities is one of the most pervasive forms of light pollution. 

*Some of the most light-polluted countries in the world are Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait, 

…but Europe and the United States are very much affected my light pollution too, see this  map .

*Because of light pollution, sea turtles and birds guided by moonlight during migration get confused, lose their way, and often die.

*Large numbers of insects, a primary food source for birds and other animals, are drawn to artificial lights and are instantly killed upon contact with light sources.

Find more light pollution facts here .

FAQ’s about our Dark Sky Sanctuary

Aotea’s skies are exceptionally clear and dark. It is one of the darkest places to view the night sky in the world.

Aotea Great Barrier Island is a Dark Sky Sanctuary. An IDA Dark Sky Sanctuary is public or private land that has an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights, with a magnitude per square arc second over 21.5 (around Bortle 1 or 2) and a nocturnal environment that is protected for its scientific, natural, or educational value, its cultural heritage and/or public enjoyment. The darkness of the sky on Aotea is monitored yearly to ensure the island remains within the range specified by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA).

Guided experiences:

Good Heavens ‘ friendly local guides provide comfortable chairs and blankets, and an 8” telescope. They entertain with interesting facts and fascinating stories of this magical night-time world. Discover our place in the universe, while looking up and getting lost in the stars. Private and group experiences available.  

Star Treks craft day and twilight treks – the Kaitoke hot pools twilight trek includes star gazing through binoculars, where one of their local guides, who is a dark sky ambassador will guide you through the dark sky sanctuary.

Carol Comer offers bespoke astrophotographers adventures for who want to learn more about astrophotography and photography some of the clearest night skies in the world.

The Milky Way traverses the evening sky throughout the year, with several thousand stars visible to the naked eye plus numerous binocular and telescopic deep sky objects such as star clusters.

In the Southern Hemisphere sky that we see, large and small Magellanic Cloud, our nearest galaxies, are also easily visible to the naked eye. The Crux, Southern Cross and Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye year round.

On Aotea, with a Bortle scale between 1 and 2, there is a lot of detail to be observed in the sky with the naked eye. Have a look at the Orion Nebula  here  and use the slider to the left of the image to see how much difference true darkness makes.

Bring binoculars to have a close look at open clusters, such as Matariki, the five of diamonds, Ptolemy’s cluster and the Beehive cluster and see how they sparkle.

Or grab a telescope, ask if your accommodation has one for you to use or book a stargazing tour with the Good Heavens team to observe deep sky objects with lots of definition and detail. 

The best stargazing on Aotea happens when there are no clouds and no Moon in the night sky. We love it when the centre of the Milky Way is high up in the sky, in July/August, but it’s a bit cooler than in the summer months, say from October to the end of April. 

It does always cool down after dark, though, and a down jacket, a blanket and a chair or a dune pan heated up by the sun in summer, make stargazing so much more comfortable. 

The time of Matariki, when the Matariki/Pleiades cluster reappears in the pre-dawn sky, is special to New Zealanders and there is now a holiday that celebrates this special event. Check if there is a pre-dawn ceremony that you may be able to join in with. 

But whether you come in summer, winter or in between, there is always something interesting to see in the sky, provided it is at least partially clear. 

There are several free stargazing apps available, and they are a great way to get you bearings. If you want to make fast progress on your stargazing journey, consider a guided stargazing experience. 

What about the moon?

If you like you the moon, you will love the moon above Aotea. As our night sky is so dark, once the moon is more than 50% illuminated, it plays a large role in the nighttime environment. For the evening sky, this is the case around 1/3 of the month. 

Our moon is stunning to view at this time! You may like to bring binoculars, if you want to have a close-up look. This time is less suitable for astrophotography and if you would like to see the Milky Way in all its glory, come at another time. When the moon is a waxing crescent for instance, or not in the evening sky. Use this  moon phase  link to help you plan your visit.

Matariki is the Maori name for an open star cluster, also known as the Pleiades, Subaru, the Seven Sisters and by other names. It’s also the name of the brightest star within this cluster. And in Maori tradition, Matariki is the Maori New Year, at the heliacal rising of Matariki. It’s a time to remember the dead and to release their spirits to become stars. It is also a time to reflect, to be thankful to the gods for the harvest, to feast and to share the bounty of the harvest with family and friends. 

Traditionally, Matariki festivities included lighting ritual fires, making offerings and various celebrations to farewell the dead, honour ancestors and celebrate life. This ancient tradition has seen a revival, and Matariki has become a national holiday in 2022. Now people across Aotearoa come together to remember their ancestors, share kai (food), sing waiata (songs), korero (tell stories) and to play music. If you have the chance to attend a hautapu ceremony and don’t mind getting up early, we would recommend this. Ask your host.

When is Matariki?

The celebration of the rising of the Matariki cluster in the sky is depending on when this cluster is clearly visible, and that depends on the Maori lunar calendar, but roughly the celebrations take place between mid June and mid July.

What are the dates of the Matariki public holiday?

The Matariki public holiday is based on the winter heliacal rising of the Matariki cluster in the early morning sky during the Tangaroa period of the lunar month of Pipiri.

The dates for the Matariki public holiday fall on the closest Friday to the Tangaroa lunar period during the lunar month of Pipiri. Tangaroa is not a single phase of the moon but rather the last quarter period of the lunar calendar. Because of this, the dates to celebrate Matariki differ from year to year. Read more on  this Te Papa website .

Bioluminescence is  the production and emission of light by a living organism . Bioluminescent creatures are found throughout marine habitats, from the ocean surface to the deep seafloor.

On Aotea bioluminescence in the water mainly seems to happen on calm, warm days, and if you want to see it in along the beach, there has to be some swell. It’s a magical appearance that we have mostly observed in February. 

All of our island is a Dark Sky Sanctuary. This means that on a clear night, our night sky is amazing wherever you are on the island. So, if the place you are staying at has a deck/veranda or a lawn, and not a lot of trees around, this is a great place for stargazing once you turn the lights off. In summer, you can just lie back and look up, in winter you may want to put on a warm jacket and grab a blanket.

Aotea is a hilly, bushy place. And trees and hills can hinder stargazing efforts. To get around this, we recommend heading for the beach. Beaches are plentiful on the island, and usually after dark, it will just be you and the stars. If you can, plan for the tides, see  here . If the beach is narrow, go on a low tide. If the tide is high, stay above the high tide mark. You may like to scope your nighttime terrain while it’s light, because after dark, it does get very dark on Aotea, and even if you use a torch, your vision is limited to the beam of your torch. 

So, bring a torch (a red torch is best to protect your night vision). Be careful not to stumble into a stargazing tour. These take place most nights, usually at Twin Pines at Medlands. There are many other places along Medlands Beach and elsewhere, to enjoy the stars.

Self-directed viewing

If you are new to stargazing and would like to have some basic guidance, you may find a phone app sufficient. The team at Good Heavens Stargazing Experiences recommend Sky Safari and Universe2Go. Both have free options. Good Heavens also have a  web page  with more FAQ that you may find helpful. 

All of our island is a Dark Sky Sanctuary. This means that on a clear moonless night, our night sky is amazing wherever you are on the island. 

The selection of the landscape for astro (landscape) photography is often part of the creative process, and Aotea has the most wonderful landscapes galore. Our beaches are fantastic, as they offer the sky, and some stunning landscape features, usually puhutakawa trees. Long shots with a few lonely dwellings in the far hills can be captivating, and there are a few interesting old buildings, such as the church in Medlands and the old school house next to the community hall in Tryphena. 

If you need a level surface for deep sky photography, check with your host for recommendations before you book. 

Consider a bespoke  astrophotography workshop  with Carol Comer photography if you are a newby in the field, if you want to learn some new tricks, or if you like to be guided to Carol’s favourite landscape astrophotography spots on the island.

When you look at the sky from down under there are a few things that are very different:

You can’t see northern circumpolar constellations and objects, such as Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco and Polaris, the Pole star, they are beyond the northern horizon for us.  But! you can see deep into the southern sky, and the Southern Cross and amazing celestial objects like the Magellenic Clouds (naked eye), open clusters like Ptolemy’s cluster (binoculars) and the largest globular clusters (telescope) become visible. 

As a generalisation, the Southern Hemisphere sky is also darker than the sky in the Northern Hemisphere. This makes New Zealand, and specifically the darkest places in New Zealand, such as Aotea, so amazing for stargazing.

You can help protect our night skies in one minute.  Here’s  how.

Guided Experiences

Five shocking facts from the International Dark Sky Association

• Exposure to light pollution at night puts your health at risk
• Light pollution kills millions of birds a year
• Light pollution contributes to climate change
• Artificial light at night disrupts the seasonal cycles of trees
• The sky glow of cities like Los Angeles are visible from an aeroplane 200 miles away!

Find out more from the IDA here

Upcoming dark sky events you may be interested in:

Read more about aotea’s dark sky sanctuary here….

Navigating Our Night Skies in Autumn

Celebrating International Dark Sky Week

Wonder Women

A Guide to Aotea’s Nightlife

Dark Sky Escape to Great Barrier Island

Dark Sky Sanctuary

Interviews with local dark sky ambassadors:, looking for the latest local travel tips, sign up to our aotea/great barrier island visitor newsletter.

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Great Barrier Island is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary -

A certified magnificent place for stargazing in new zealand., this secluded paradise , lies only 90 kilometres, by plane or ferry from auckland., here , good heavens guides take you stargazing.

On top of a sand dune in one of the most pristine island environments,

Possibly the best location for stargazing in New Zealand

Lean back into your comfortable moon chair and listen to the sounds of the waves below

Become aware of the universe above and the tiny part you play within and wonder...

Could there be a better place to appreciate our own planet

Then this sustainable, off-grid, low-waste island on it's way back to the future?

Experience the darkest of all Great Barrier Island Tours!

In one of the most amazing spots for stargazing in New Zealand.

Friendly local guides look after you and entertain you with interesting facts and fascinating stories

That our ancestors used to make sense of this magical night time world throughout the ages

While you gain an insight into our place in the universe, looking up and getting lost in the stars

A magical night-time journey

A Good Heavens stargazing experience of 1.5-2 hours will take you on a comfortable and entertaining journey through our universe,

while you learn to use constellations and stars to orientate yourself and listen to ancient myths.

Look deep into space through our telescope, and wonder at the magnificence of this nocturnal environment

during one of our magical Great Barrier Island tours

arguably one of the most perfect opportunities for stargazing in New Zealand

Learn more about us

Booking information.

For more info about our Experiences, including the role our moon plays , please visit our FAQ page.

Read what others have said about us on Tripadvisor and in the media

and why Tripzilla chose us as the number 1. stargazing location in New Zealand.

Plan you visit to Aotea Great Barrier Island

Note that you will need to stay overnight on Aotea Great Barrier Island to come stargazing with us.

We recommend you stay at least two nights, to increase your chances of a clear sky,

and to enjoy more of what our beautiful island has to offer in the daytime, too.

Check out these YouTube videos for insights and tips from Deb!

You will receive a full refund for your stargazing experience if it can't go ahead because of cloud.

So don't hesitate to book your stargazing experience with us!

Please note that at certain times of the year availability may be limited. Book early.

Ring us on +64 (0) 27 4290877 if you have any remaining questions or if you prefer to book via the phone.

How to spend a week on Great Barrier Island

How to spend a week on Great Barrier Island. Photo / Aucklandnz

The ultimate guide to a week on Great Barrier Island for outdoor enthusiasts, by Eleanor Hughes

No street lights, no traffic lights, cellphone coverage is patchy. Reliant on generators and solar power for electricity; little open after 5.30pm … Four and a half hours from Auckland by ferry, or 30 minutes by plane, slow-paced Great Barrier Island - home to about 1000 people - could be another world away.

Ensure that your pre-planning includes organising a shuttle before arriving by ferry at Tryphena Wharf at the island’s southern end (and road end). Or hire a car, hitch a lift, or walk ...

READ MORE: ‘Dark delights’ of Great Barrier Island

Walking Tryphena

Stay in Tryphena, a stretch of tiny settlements scattered around Tryphena Harbour. From Tryphena Wharf to Stonewall Village it’s a pleasant, 5km-ish walk overlooking (and alongside) sandy beaches on bush-lined, quiet Shoal Bay Road. Most spectacular in summer, pōhutukawa and sporadic homes dot the way.

Stop for a bite at Mulberry General Store and Café on the walk northwards. At the rear of Gooseberry Flat Cemetery discover some of the settler’s weathered headstones.

Opposite Pah Beach, Stonewall Village’s general store is next door to the intimate Currach Irish Pub, housed within a 120-year-old villa. Once a Blackwell family homestead (one of the 1840s pioneering families), early photos line the walls.

Further along the waterfront, find 1800s stone walls and an old waterwheel used to power a mill to grind wheat, a lathe for woodturning, and a wood milling saw. Over the bridge is an 1880s-built white, wooden schoolhouse.

Cape Barrier Road

Spend a day walking tracks off Cape Barrier Road, not far from Tryphena Wharf. Dolphin Bay Walkway is a three-hour return excursion among mānuka and nīkau palms to Dolphin and Ross Bays. There are steep descents to Ross Bay, which has no easy beach access but grants views of Coromandel Peninsula and bush-covered, rocky coastline towards Tryphena. Retracing your steps upwards and follow another steep descent, this leads to rocky Dolphin Bay, which is good for snorkelling and fishing on a calm day.

Top tip: Whalers Lookout is an hour’s walk with a chance of spotting Brydes Whales.

Aotea Track over 3 days

The 25km Aotea Track can be walked from either of its Whangaparapa Road ends. Enjoy a soak in Kaitoke Hot Springs on the last day by starting from DoC’s Green Campsite end.

Tramline Track South, once used to transport timber from the island’s interior to coastal Whangaparapara, traverses verdant native bush and bridged, rock-bottomed creeks before turning steep-ish to gravel, mānuka-lined Forest Road. Scramble up the 10-minute trail to 280m-high Maungapiko. Panoramic views take in densely forested ridges, Little Barrier Island and Port FitzRoy’s island-dotted harbour. Shadeless Forest Road ascends further, providing more views, to reach Kaiaraara Hut after about six hours. It’s 20m from boulder-bottomed Kaiaraara Stream, perfect for washing away the sweat.

It’s only three hours to Mt Heale Hut so spend time crossing Kaiaraara Stream swingbridge and walking to unsealed Kaiaraara Bay Road to look over Rarohara Bay and out to Kaikōura Island, the Hauraki Gulf’s seventh largest island. Perhaps continue on to swim at Akapoua DoC Campsite on the Akapoua Bay’s shoreline, or walk a further 20 minutes to Port FitzRoy.

Return to Kaiaraara Hut, where picturesque Kaiaraara Kauri Dams Track follows nīkau palm and fern-lined Kaiaraara Stream littered with car-sized boulders. Ascend, to view the 1927-constructed, Lower Kauri Dam remains, one of seven which drove logs downstream to Kaiaraara Bay. Karst-like rocks and sheer cliffs are stunning further on, across a densely forested valley. More than 1000 stairs are ascended, crossing an endangered black petrel nesting site and giving peeks of Port FitzRoy and Little Barrier Island. At South Fork Track junction a two-minute side track to Harikamata/Mount Hobson summit, the island’s 627m high point, provides breathtaking 360-degree views.

It’s downhill now, with jagged Mt Heale ahead, to cross the rocky saddle between Mt Hobson and Mt Heale, reaching Mt Heale Hut where sunsets can streak orange beyond green-coated ridges and volcano-like Little Barrier.

A four-hour walk from Mt Hutt to the track end follows a ridgeline winding between ferns, moss and low-growing vegetation to descend into taller bush. Tramline Track North, where a logging camp was sited, follows Kaitoke Creek, before one final ascent to look over Kaitoke Wetlands, the east coast, and to the jutting peaks of Mt Hobson, The Pinnacle and Windy Canyon. Sulphur smells pervade, descending to Kaitoke Hot Springs where there are likely numerous day-walkers. It’s blissful soaking in narrow Kaitoke Stream’s hot spots below overhanging bush. Whangaparapara Road is a flat, 40-minute walk away, passing head-height reeds around Kaitoke Swamp. Shuttles can be pre-booked for pick-ups.

Head for Claris, dotted with baches and homes, and location of the airfield, as well as a general store, Barrier Burga Shak, My Fat Puku Café, and a gallery. Gray House Museum, housed within an early 1900s homestead, displays pioneering artefacts and island history. GBI Milk, Honey, and Grain Museum is quirky, crammed with photos, artefacts and information on everything from the island’s whaling to hippydom.

White sand Kaitoke Beach is a 1km walk away.

Motubike the Island

Hiring an electric bike for the day from Motubikes in Claris, allows a 10am return the following day. Take a morning Startrek Tour by Motubike 25km northwards to Port FitzRoy hearing island stories before exploring independently later.

Visit Pinnacle Lookout where steep-sided, bush-covered peaks jut spectacularly across the skyline. A 15-minute return walk to Windy Canyon, between dwarfing, sheer rocks cloaked in greenery framing distant, bush-topped rock cliffs, gives views over the green-hued north, curving, whitish-gold Whangapoua Beach and Whangapoua Estuary stretching inland. Pass scenic sandy bays and DoC campsites on the bush-lined, undulating road winding to sheltered Port FitzRoy and its General Store. Returning to Claris there are multiple scenic beaches, including Awana Bay, popular with surfers, to look out over or explore.

Drive partially-gravelled Whangaparapara Road passing the 1900-built Oreville stamping battery’s concrete foundations, from gold and silver mining days that ended in 1920. Whangaparapara Harbour, 13km from Claris, is home to Great Barrier Lodge, established 1922. Whangaparapara Road ends at the wharf where a shed features material on Great Barrier’s mining and whaling industries and the whales which were hunted until 1962. On the return drive, stop and walk the two-hour trail to The Green Camp and on to a bay where the early 1900s Kauri Timber Company sawmill operated. Foundations, a steam tractor and chimney stack remain. At low tide, Whangaparapara whaling station slipways and buildings can be reached … Or drive to the golden sands of pohutukawa-shaded Okupu on Blind Bay Road and relax.

Stargazing Experience

While “motubiking”, head to Medlands Beach, 6.8km south of Claris, for Good Heavens’ stargazing experience; Great Barrier is a Dark Sky Sanctuary. Arrive before dusk to enjoy the curving, white sand beach hemmed by headlands at either end.

Learn about nebula, galaxies, constellations, planets and stars, viewing through binoculars and telescope. Hear of Te Waka o Rangi, the waka of the sky and its journey across it, and the Southern Hemisphere’s white, misty Magellanic Clouds, once used to navigate the southern seas. It’s magical viewing the sparkling sky, the sea only metres away.

Glenfern Sanctuary

Shuttle to predator-controlled Glenfern Sanctuary, and perhaps stay in one of the island’s oldest homesteads - the 1901-built Fitzroy House. The two-hour, scenic Glenfern Loop track crosses streams, short bridges, and a suspension bridge to a platform above the bush canopy surrounding a 600-year old kauri with views of Port FitzRoy. Sunset Rock also provides stunning views over the harbour.

Of course, you could just ignore the above and lie on the beach for a week!

GREAT BARRIER ISLAND

GETTING THERE

Fly from Auckland Domestic Terminal to Claris Airport on Great Barrier Island in 30 minutes. Alternatively, the ferry from Wynyard Quarter takes approx. 4.5 hours.

greatbarrier.co.nz

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Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Faces The Frontier In “The Galactic Barrier”

| February 24, 2022 | By: Anthony Pascale 136 comments so far

“The Galactic Barrier”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 10 – Debuted Thursday, February 24, 2022 Written by Anne Cofell Saunders Directed by Deborah Kampmeier

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

With a lot of flash and filler, “The Galactic Barrier” is more of a setup for what comes next than a fulfilling standalone episode. Ostensibly focused on galactic sci-fi action, the episode’s true strength turned out to be a more personal exploration of some of the lingering character arcs of the season.

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Frontiers are always cool”

Book and Tarka blowing up the DMA has rushed the first contact mission, so Dr. Kovich brings some universal translator props along to a bigwig meeting to make the point they don’t even know where to start when it comes to communicating with Species 10-C. He wishes the mission luck as he is going to stay behind to remain mysterious, introducing quirky communication specialist Dr. Hirai to go in his stead. The new DMA is more DMA-y than the last, giving them just 12 hours before it moves on. President Rillak volunteers herself for the mission, deciding her authority and skills are needed, with an ominously touching goodbye with Admiral Vance. Gulp. Suru has an equally ominous goodbye with Bryce. Double gulp. With the Disco loaded up and upgraded with Galactic Barrier shielding, Captain Burnham and the Prez negotiate divided responsibilities with Michael handling the ship and Rillak in charge of diplomacy.

With a nice little speech complete with some classic callbacks and her new catchphrase, off they go to the actual final frontier, finding the barrier in its roiling awesome and terrifying beauty. The new programmable antimatter shielding will prevent everyone from going all silver-eyed crazy , but they find getting through harder than expected. Thankfully, Stamets has a brand-new plan for the ship to ride through, protected inside a giant technobabble space bubble, requiring this finely tuned crew to work together in an impressive bridge ballet. While they await the crossing, Vance sends word to Burnham and Rillak that time is running out, the DMA is on the move—and, naturally, headed straight to Earth and Ni’Var (née Vulcan). As the leaders debate telling the crew the news, right on cue, their space bubble gets caught in an epic “traffic jam”… one that could take weeks.

“That’s who you are dealing with ”

After epically screwing up the destroy-the-DMA plan last week, Book is set to dump Tarka off on some random pre-industrial planet, but the wily scientist worms his way back, arguing he can get them through the barrier to take down the DMA from the source. He even knows where they can find a “stash” of that programmable antimatter for the shielding—and that location is a former Emerald Chain work camp. Sure, let’s keep trusting this “a—hole” (hey, he said it). Turns out this was the camp where Tarka was held prisoner and forced by Osyraa to work on a dilithium alternative warp drive, paired up with another alien scientist. Oros is that friend Tarka talked about a few episodes ago, the one he wants to reunite with.

Over a couple of years, Oros and Tarka bonded over math and grew close… apparently very close. They hid programmable antimatter as they secretly worked on an interdimensional transporter that could take them to “Kayalise,” a mythical parallel universe that turns out to be a real “paradise.” But of course, Tarka had a backup plan, betraying his friend to The Chain. When their escape attempt failed, they got separated. Oros forgave Ruon, who has been returning every year to this alien world in hopes of  a reunion, convinced his old companion made it to that paradise. And with the power of the DMA, he can too. Now re-shielded and re-bonded, the pair is ready to head out of the galaxy.

“I cannot envision any situation more awkward”

Even with all the sci-fi action and backstory revelations, the episode found some time for some character catchups. Saru and T’Rina’s budding romance had an awkward moment as the Kelpien got Vulcan-blocked by some aide after trying for his own ominous goodbye, only later to find T’Rina on the mission, as her delegate didn’t make it to HQ in time for departure… oh boy. Good thing he has his new wingman Culber around to advise him that “beginnings can be messy” and it’s all going to work out, just like it did with Paul.

Speaking of Stamets, he is creating his own awkward moments, being the overly proud dad, boasting to the Captain about his returned adopted kid Adira, back from their time away on Trill (with Gray left behind). As Paul beams, Adira is ready to puke from embarrassment in front of the Captain. Later, Stamets admits he lays on the enthusiasm a bit thick as his way to help Adira cope with leaving Gray behind, which turns out is not a biggie. But the cuddly curmudgeon admits his dad wasn’t there for him, so he is going to be “extra” there for them… aww.

“We have to support each other”

The bubble holdup solution is to find another faster bubble, but getting there isn’t going to be easy on the bridge’s flame throwers and spark generators. As systems fail one by one and shields dwindle, the crew shares some on-the-nose stories about what they want to do when they get back home to Earth, that planet they don’t know is in peril. With some impressive flourishes by the crew and the visual effects team, they make it with a whole six seconds to spare. In another calm in the storm, Captain and POTUFP have yet another mid-mission sidebar in the ready room. Michael argues for the truth, showing how her connection to both threatened worlds only keeps her focused. Rillak reveals her own personal connections to Earth, including the news that her partner is currently on the Moon.

The Disco eventually makes it past the barrier, and with the crew elated to venture where few have tread, the President decides it’s time to tell them the truth. The DMA is days away from the home systems, and she feels their pain. Things wrap up with Saru consoling T’Rina, who really needs his special brand of “comforting presence.” Burnham and Rillak also have a moment, where these two powerful women finally bond in their shared determination and trust. Together they all face the uncertainty that lies before them.

Let’s talk

“The Great Barrier” is another one of those mid-season Discovery episodes where a lot of things are going on, but much of the action is in service of what comes next. After much setup, it appears the show is once again leaving the big reveals to the end, spending much of this episode just getting through that titular barrier. It took the time to set up even more for the final three episodes with intriguing mysteries like Kovich’s more important project, Bryce’s unfinished communication project, and the mention of a new extragalactic planet with potential Species 10-C clues.

While some of this can get frustrating, the episode shined through a focus on the characters, which has always been a strength of writer Anne Cofell Saunders. Perhaps the real “Great Barrier” was the one of communication, which was finally broken through in a number of storylines, like Rillak and Burnham moving past their conflict to shared respect, Saru finally making that connection with T’Rina, and Tarka revealing what truly motivates him. This recurring theme was set up at the start with Kovich’s show-and-tell of the various translator devices, then driven home at the end by the on-the-nose comment by Michael, “If we can’t communicate with each other, what chance do we have with them?”

And Culber talking Saru through his insecurities sends a nice message to all those who ever felt awkward knowing they are not alone, which has always been an important message built into Star Trek. The season theme of uncertainty (mentioned out loud twice during this episode) had some political allegory woven into it this week with Burham’s message about how leaders (like the President) need to show how they are “not rattled by uncertainty or overwhelming odds.” But the mention of confirmation bias (even in a sci-fi context) seemed out of place. All of this is a reminder this season was written early on in the pandemic, which is this season’s muse.

Going home again

“The Galactic Barrier” didn’t do much in terms of worldbuilding, but we did learn a lot more about Tarka, making him a bit more sympathetic. It turns out the “home” he keeps talking about is just another name for Kayalise, the paradise universe where he hopes to find his friend Oros. Even Tarka’s bad people skills were explained; turns out he was held in isolation for years by the Emerald Chain. Reconnecting with Oros, perhaps the only real connection he has ever had, is what drives him. Although why he needs the super-massive power of the DMA is now even less clear as apparently Oros’ transporter was powered through geothermal energy and a warp drive. Perhaps, although Tarka might not admit it, he lacks the same scientific skill as Oros.

We learned the spore drive is limited to work within the galaxy as the mycelial network “thins out” at the edge. This makes the USS Discovery just another ship out there beyond the edge. And this episode did seem to make a big deal out of crossing that line with a number of moments highlighting the risk they were taking and telegraphing that not everyone may be coming back. We get some nice added dimensions to the bridge crew as they share what they will do once they get back home; however, such declarations are often ominous signs. And in this case, the whole segment was a bit hammy coming right after Michael’s talk about the crew’s connection to their home planet.

Final thoughts

Strong performances, especially Shawn Doyle (Tarka) and Chelah Horsdal (Rillak), and outstanding visual effects elevate this tenth episode just enough to recommend it. But after four seasons, it’s clear Discovery may work better with their arcs playing out over shorter seasons, and this will actually be the case for season five, which will have ten episodes. “The Great Barrier” will probably play very well as part of a binge-watch; unfortunately, for now, we have to wait to see how the final three episodes of season four play out.

Random bits

• This is the fourth Discovery screenwriting credit for co-executive producer Anne Cofell Saunders, who joined the series in season three.
• This is the first Star Trek credit for director Deborah Kampmeier, who was mostly known for writing, producing, and directing independent films before starting to direct for television in 2019.
• The titular Galactic Barrier was first encountered in the second Star Trek pilot, “ Where No Man Has Gone Before .”
• There is another reference to that episode (and Star Trek’s opening narration ) in Captain Burnam’s speech, saying “When I was a child, I like many of you, dreamed of going where no one has gone before.”
• Vance says that the Discovery is “leaving the galaxy,” adding “we have never done that.” The USS Enterprise did so in “By Any Other Name,” and there have been some other examples of extragalactic travel in Star Trek, however, he may have just been speaking about more recent history with the 32nd century Starfleet.
• Main cast member Blu del Barrio returns as Adira after being absent for two episodes.
• Book said he got the coordinates for the 10-C system from Haz Mazaro , from the episode “All In.”
• President Rillak was an ambassador for 20 years.
• Stamets told Captain Burnham she should “thank Heisenberg” for his plan to use get through the Galactic Barrier, referring to German physicist Werner Heisenberg and science of Quantum Fluctuation derived from Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle.
• The golden ratio discussed by Oros and Tarka is the mathematical ratio defined as “the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities.” The Greek letter phi (as seen in the episode) symbolizes the golden ratio.
• Dr. Hirai is a specialist in astrolinguistics , xenophonology , and theoretical semiotics , all of which are real disciplines; however, xenophonology currently is related to “ conlangs ,” or created languages (like Klingon).
• Michael’s mother Gabrielle Burnham is not in danger, as she is still on the monastic world Pijar with J’Vini, who is serving her sentence of rehabilitative meditation.
• The alien planet Book and Tarka visited was shot at The Lafarge Quarry outside of Toronto, which the series has now used multiple times .
• Do traffic jams still exist in the 32nd century (or 23rd)?
• Kovich mentions Vulcans studied humans for “almost a century” before making First Contact, which tracks with the story told in Enterprise’s “Carbon Creek” set in 1957, almost a century before First Contact in 2063.
• Kovich says leaving the galaxy for members of the First Contact Committee will be like a “three-hour tour,” indicating Gilligan’s Island reruns continue into the 32nd century.
• In addition to Ni’Var President T’Rina (Tara Rosling) and Earth General Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole), the Committee delegation included an uncredited Ferengi, with no lines of dialogue.
• A collection of universal translators/communicators featured on Star Trek: The Original Series , The Next Generation , Voyager / Deep Space Nine , Enterprise , and Picard were arrayed on the table for the committee.

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

New episodes of  Star Trek: Discovery premiere on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on Fridays where Paramount+ is available around the world. In Canada, it airs on CTV Sci-Fi Channel on Thursdays, and streams on Crave on Fridays. Starting November 26, Discovery also streams on Pluto TV in select countries in Europe and is available as a digital download in additional international territories .

Keep up with all the news and reviews from the new Star Trek Universe on TV at TrekMovie.com .

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• Shapley Center at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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Star Trek Officially Brands a Surprising Deep Space Nine Hero as a War Criminal

I’m glad voyager’s tom and b’elanna are no longer star trek's only successful romance, star trek isn’t supposed to have money: what is latinum.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 7 - "...But To Connect".

The USS Discovery is poised to break through the Galactic Barrier in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 and this event could have big ramifications for the Star Trek franchise. Ever since Book's (David Ajala) home planet of Kwejian was destroyed by the Dark Matter Anomaly AKA DMA in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 4 premiere, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew have been trying to unravel this massive new threat to the United Federation of Planets. After many attempts to learn what the DMA is, Discovery's best minds determined that the anomaly originated from outside of the galaxy and beyond the Galactic Barrier.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 7, "...But To Connect," Zora (Annabelle Wallis), the USS Discovery's sentient artificial intelligence, successfully calculated the coordinates of the DMA's origin point. Zora initially refused to disclose the coordinates to Discovery's crew because of the imminent danger traveling across the Galactic Barrier would place them in. Meanwhile, Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) called an assembly to debate and vote on the best course of action against the Dark Matter Anomaly and its mysterious creators, Unknown Species 10C. Although Roun Tarka (Shawn Doyle) created a weapon that could destroy the DMA and Book argued for immediately eliminating the threat, Captain Burnham urged the Federation to vote for a diplomatic response instead. Diplomacy won out, but Tarka and Book went rogue and left Discovery to deploy their weapon against the DMA on the other side of the Galactic Barrier.

Related: Discovery Confirms What Happened To Q Is Star Trek's 32nd Century

With this new twist in Star Trek: Discovery season 4's DMA storyline, Burnham and her crew will travel someplace completely new for the first time, which fulfills Star Trek's core mandate of exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations. Although Star Trek: The Original Series has depicted Captain James T. Kirk 's (William Shatner) Starship Enterprise crossing the Galactic Barrier before, each sojourn was brief and neither Kirk nor Star Trek has explored what, exactly, was on the other side of the Galactic Barrier. For Star Trek: Discovery , what lies beyond the Great Barrier is truly the great unknown for season 4.

Star Trek's Galactic Barrier Explained

The Galactic Barrier was introduced in the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The Galactic Barrier is an energy field surrounding the rim of the Milky Way Galaxy. It's invisible to sensors and to the naked eye but up close, the barrier emits a purple-to-pinkish wave of negative energy. Although no known transmission can pass through the Barrier, Starfleet ships powerful enough have been able to cross it at great risk. The first known instance of an Earth vessel breaching the Galactic Barrier was the SS Valiant, which was swept into the energy field by a magnetic storm in 2065. Although it is only occasionally seen or referenced in Star Trek, the Galactic Barrier has been an important part of Trek canon since the very beginning.

The Galactic Barrier shouldn't be confused with the Great Barrier, which is located at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Great Barrier is a similar energy field to the Galactic Barrier. Beyond the Great Barrier lies the fabled world of Sha-Ka-Ree, which is where Spock's older brother Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill) believed God resided in   Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ,  However, "God" was revealed to be a malevolent alien being that needed a starship to escape Sha-Ka-Ree so it could conquer the galaxy, and it was destroyed by Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

All 3 Times Kirk's Enterprise Crossed The Galactic Barrier In TOS

Captain Kirk's Starship Enterprise penetrated the Galactic Barrier in Star Trek: TOS ' second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The strange energies of the Galactic Barrier transformed Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (Sally Kellerman), who both had heightened ESP capabilities. Mitchell and Dehner developed powerful psychic abilities and became a threat to Kirk's Enterprise. After exiting the Galactic Barrier and returning to the Alpha Quadrant, Kirk confronted Lockwood and Dehner on the planet Delta Vega, where both psychics died after a battle with the Enterprise's Captain.

Related: Discovery's Janeway Tribute Hints At How Her Star Trek Story Ended

Kirk's Enterprise ended up crossing the Galactic Barrier in every season of Star Trek . In the TOS season 2 episode "By Any Other Name," Kirk and the Enterprise  encountered Kelvans from the Andromeda Galaxy, who crossed the Galactic Barrier and became stranded in the Alpha Quadrant. Kirk's crew eventually foiled the Kelvans' plan to hijack the Enterprise and cross the Galactic Barrier back to the Andromeda Galaxy. In the Star Trek: TOS season 3 episode "Is There No Truth In Beauty," Federation engineer Larry Marvick (David Frankham) was driven mad by glimpsing a Medusan, and he stranded the Enterprise in a space-time continuum void deep within the Galactic Barrier.

Picard Season 1's Villain Is From Beyond The Galactic Barrier

Star Trek: Picard season 1's synthetic villains, who were deathly feared by the Romulan Zhat Vash, originated from another galaxy beyond the Galactic Barrier. Briefly glimpsed in Star Trek: Picard season 1's finale , the synthetic beings have tentacled arms and they intended to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. However, the synthetic villains used a wormhole to enter the Alpha Quadrant that Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his ragtag crew managed to close, rather than cross through the Galactic Barrier into Federation space.

There have been other Star Trek villains who have come from another galaxy, such as the robot planet killer in the Star Trek: TOS episode "The Doomsday Machine." Spock determined the Doomsday Machine's trajectory originated from outside our galaxy. This means the planet-killer likely crossed the Galactic Barrier to enter the Alpha Quadrant, and it's possible the Doomsay Machine's origins may even have ties to the Dark Matter Anomaly and Unknown Species 10C.

What Crossing The Galactic Barrier Means For Discovery

Unlike the Starship Enterprise, the USS Discovery doesn't actually have to cross the Galactic Barrier to get to the other side. The Discovery's spore displacement hub drive will let Captain Burnham's ship instantaneously jump to the coordinates Zora provided, although Tarka and Book have a head start thanks to the next generation spore drive the mad scientist installed on Book's ship. It sets up an interesting conflict since Burnham, who is mandated to wave the flag of peace towards Unknown Species 10C, now has to simultaneously stop Book and Tarka from potentially instigating an extragalactic war if they successfully destroy the DMA.

Related: Star Trek Discovery Theory: The Federation Is Unknown Species 10C

Star Trek: Discovery 's one-way time jump to the 32nd century afforded the series the unique opportunity to trailblaze new canon for the franchise since so much of Star Trek's 23rd and 24th century has already been definitively established. While The Burn storyline of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 reintroduced the broken Federation and alien species, familiar and new, to Michael Burnham and Discovery's crew, Star Trek: Discovery season 4's DMA story is a long-awaited opportunity for Starfleet and the audience to finally see what lies on the other side of the Galactic Barrier. It's a chance for Star Trek to hopefully introduce new concepts and ideas that aren't limited by what's already been defined in the Alpha Quadrant. Trekkers' fingers are crossed Star Trek: Discovery delivers something new and genuinely fascinating when Burnham and her crew come face-to-face with Unknown Species 10C.

Next: Discovery's 32nd Century Enterprise Reveal Changes Star Trek Canon

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

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