Masked booby (Tasman booby)
Lying some 1000 kilometres northeast of New Zealand, the Kermadec Islands Nature Reserve is the most remote conservation area managed by the Department of Conservation.
All islands of the Kermadec group are part of a specially protected nature reserve. You can only visit the islands with a landing permit from the Department of Conservation.
The waters surrounding the Kermadec Islands are also protected in the Kermadec Marine Reserve, which at 745,000ha is New Zealand's largest. Visitors are free to explore and enjoy the marine reserve.
The subtropical Kermadecs Islands, 1000 km north east of New Zealand, are home to many unique species found nowhere else in the world.
Should you be fortunate enough to visit Raoul Island, popular activities include bird watching, photography and diving and snorkelling in the marine reserve.
There is no camping or visitor facilities available on the Kermadec Islands.
The Kermadec Islands are remote and can only be accessed by private boat or charter vessel. All the islands of the Kermadec group are part of a specially protected nature reserve and can only be visited with a landing permit from the Department of Conservation.
An intrepid, 20-day expedition to find new species of animal and plant life set sail to the Kermadec Islands on 10 May 2011.
New Zealand's largest marine reserve, Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve, extends 12 nautical miles from the cliffs and boulder beaches of the various Kermadec Islands and rocks out to the edge of the territorial sea.
Read what it's like to live and work on Raoul Island from some of the DOC workers stationed there.
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New Zealand topographic maps are available from DOC Visitor Centres
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Check, Clean, Dry all items before entering, and when moving between, waterways.
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Follow the Outdoor Safety Code: 1. Plan your trip 2. Tell someone 3. Be aware of the weather 4. Know your limits 5. Take sufficient supplies
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