Image: Shaun Lee | Creative Commons
Jewel anemone
The Noises High Protection Area

Located in the Auckland region

This area is a marine conservation hotspot, and a significant seabird breeding site.

This is a high protection area (HPA). Make sure you know what you can and can’t do in this area.

Visitors to The Noises can land on the main island of Ōtata. Be aware the shore is rocky and anchoring is only possible in fine weather. The Noises are privately owned and there are no public facilities.

All of the Noises Islands are pest-free so if you do disembark, check your bags and clothes for stowaways and weed seeds before landing. Visiting pest free islands.

The Noises are 5 km from Waiheke and 24 km north east of Auckland’s mainland. You can only reach The Noises by private boat.

View a map and co-ordinates of The Noises High Protection Area.

This is a High Protection Area. 

Make sure you know Hauraki Gulf protection area rules and how you can help preserve this precious ecosystem.

What you can and can’t do in this area.

Report illegal or suspicious activity

Don't take, disturb, kill or damage anything within the protection areas. It is illegal. If you see people taking anything from the reserve, report it as soon as possible.

Call 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224) or 0800 DOCHOT (0800 362 468).

It is an offence to pollute, litter, discharge fire arms and erect structures.

Report pests

Find-A-Pest lets you report potential pest species, including marine, plant, animal and fungal species.

If you come across something out of the ordinary, upload a picture to the app and a specialist will help identify it. If it's a biosecurity threat, this will be forwarded to Biosecurity New Zealand. If possible, take photos and record the location and name of the vessel.

Or call the Ministry for Primary Industries' Pest and Diseases hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

Prevent pests from spreading

Minimise the spread of pests on land and in water by thoroughly checking and cleaning your boat and gear. Keep your favourite spots pest-free for future generations by following these guidelines:

  • clean your hull out of the water before you leave, including the propeller and anchor - see guidelines for hull cleaning
  • clean all recreational and boating gear
  • if leaving Auckland, check the marine pests website for biodiversity rules for other regions.

Check the marine pests website for more marine biosecurity information.

With so many marine habitats within a small area, shallow sponge gardens and rhodolith (a kind of red algae) beds are important for the whole of the Hauraki Gulf.

There used to be large mussel and scallop beds on the reefs around these islands. These have been largely decimated from unsustainable harvesting. Kina barrens are also becoming more expansive causing an impact to reef fish diversity. 

Around the waters of The Noises you'll see a range of reef systems and organisms including:

  • macroalgae
  • sponges
  • anemones.

The waters are also home to a shrinking range of fish species including:

  • spotties/pakirikiri
  • snapper/tāmure
  • squid/wheke.

With so many marine habitats within a small area, shallow sponge gardens and rhodolith beds are important for the whole of the Hauraki Gulf because they help to provide shelter and food sources for a healthy functioning ecosystem.

The three larger islands, Ōtata, Motuhoropapa and Ruapuke/Maria, are all covered in native vegetation that provides habitat for vulnerable species. Nesting seabirds include grey-faced petrels/ōi, white-faced storm petrels/takahikare and little penguins/kororā.

The Neureuter family are the guardians of The Noises. Over the years they have partnered with organisations to conduct research that aims to enhance and protect the marine and land environment. These projects, studies and surveys take place across land and sea along with University of Auckland, Auckland Museum, Auckland Council and Auckland Zoo. Mana whenua also take part in these projects and advocacy visits.

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park/Tīkapa Moana/Te Moananui-ā-Toi has a rich history of human settlement. It includes the earliest places settled by Māori.

The area has supported the physical and spiritual wellbeing of mana whenua for centuries. Mana whenua use tikanga/customs that care for and protect the environment when collecting kaimoana/seafood. Mana whenua is the iwi or hapū that has customary authority in an area.

Occupied by Māori since the 14th century, mana whenua refer to The Noises as the ‘net floats’ of Ngā Poitu o Taramainuku.

The name The Noises has a handful of possible origins. One includes the volume of noisy birdlife. Another attributes the name to French explorer, Durmont D’Urville who came here in 1827 and called them Les Noisettes, French for ‘The Hazelnuts’.

Mana whenua, including descendants of claimants from the 1866-67 Crown hearings, work on several of the projects taking places on The Noises.

Cared for by one family since the 1930s, The Noises are privately owned and managed by a trust for the purpose of their long-term protection. There are no public facilities on the island and all buildings and infrastructure are private.

Protection areas

These protection areas began in 2025. They were initiated from the Government response to the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan. Sea Change was developed collaboratively by tangata whenua, environmental groups, and the fishing, aquaculture and agriculture sectors of the Hauraki Gulf between 2013 to 2017.