We stayed not far from Goat Island when we were on holiday here last year, but never even thought to pay a visit. We missed out, and it’s lucky that this place is now on our doorstep! About 40 minutes drive from our home, up through Matakana we ended up here by chance today as we were on our way to Pakiri beach.

I’m so glad we stopped. It’s a beautiful marine reserve, the fish are huge and we clear in our drone video from 30m up high. I’d love to head back here with a snorkel to have a proper look around under the sea.

It was a really beautiful place, crystal clear water that was vibrant teal!