Kawau Island Historic Reserve
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in the valley. All that remains of these today is the mine manager’s wing of Mansion House, once the superintendent's house. superintendent's the once House, Mansion of wing manager’s mine the is today these of remains that All valley. the in arranged along a central street which ran down the line of the present footpath. An 1848 map shows 19 buildings or structures structures or buildings 19 shows map 1848 An footpath. present the of line the down ran which street central a along arranged their families, company offices, stables, an assay house and houses for the mine superintendent and company surgeon, all neatly neatly all surgeon, company and superintendent mine the for houses and house assay an stables, offices, company families, their established at other sites like Miners Bay and Dispute Cove. The completed village included cottages for about 80 miners and and miners 80 about for cottages included village completed The Cove. Dispute and Bay Miners like sites other at established Mansion House Valley was chosen for the main mining settlement during Kawau's copper mining days. Smaller villages were were villages Smaller days. mining copper Kawau's during settlement mining main the for chosen was Valley House Mansion Mansion House Valley Mining Village Mining Valley House Mansion information. for island the on staff DOC contact please year, the Mansion House is open to the public the to open is House Mansion , opening hours vary over over vary hours opening , era. Grey's of style It is now protected as a historic building and is furnished in the the in furnished is and building historic a as protected now is It has been in public ownership it has been extensively restored. restored. extensively been has it ownership public in been has House Mansion Since century. last the over modifications and Subsequent owners of Mansion House made further alterations alterations further made House Mansion of owners Subsequent families. their and staff his for dwellings and school original building. Grey also built a complex of farm buildings, a a buildings, farm of complex a built also Grey building. original bought Kawau Island. He substantially enlarged and altered the the altered and enlarged substantially He Island. Kawau bought present day appearance after 1862 when Sir George Grey Grey George Sir when 1862 after appearance day present Kawau's copper mining days, Mansion House took on its its on took House Mansion days, mining copper Kawau's First built as the residence of the mine superintendent during during superintendent mine the of residence the as built First Mansion House Mansion many exotic and native animal species, and planted the the planted and species, animal native and exotic many developed orchards and a 13-acre olive grove, introduced introduced grove, olive 13-acre a and orchards developed Valley, House Mansion in plants and trees different of of wealthy Victorian gentlemen. He planted hundreds hundreds planted He gentlemen. Victorian wealthy of an enthusiastic collector of plants and animals in the tradition tradition the in animals and plants of collector enthusiastic an serving his second term as Governor of New Zealand. He was was He Zealand. New of Governor as term second his serving all legacies of Sir George Grey. George Sir of legacies all Sir George Grey bought Kawau Island in 1862 when he was was he when 1862 in Island Kawau bought Grey George Sir wekas and wallabies seen in Mansion House Valley today are are today Valley House Mansion in seen wallabies and wekas gardens. The pines and other exotic tree species, peacocks, peacocks, species, tree exotic other and pines The gardens. slopes with conifers to create a setting for his house and and house his for setting a create to conifers with slopes Mansion House Valley House Mansion Visiting the island Welcome to Kawau Kawau Island lies north of Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf. Kawau Island Conservation Code Rich in history, the island was once a busy mining settlement, and later became the home of New Zealand Governor Sir Historic Please: George Grey, who developed the stately Mansion House and • Do not bring dogs or other pets onto its exotic gardens. Reserve the reserve or foreshore. They are a threat Today about ten percent of the island is protected as publicly to the protected kiwi and weka and other owned historic reserves managed by the Department of Hauraki Gulf Marine Park wildlife. Conservation. The remainder of the island is privately owned, • Do not light fires. They get out of control with a small resident population. Walks and Visitor Information easily and could devastate Mansion House and the reserve. No fireworks or candles. Getting there Gas barbeques permitted. • Take your rubbish off the island with you Ferries and water taxis travel to Kawau Island daily from -" Pack in - Pack Out ". There are no Sandspit Wharf, near Warkworth, which is about one hour's rubbish disposal facilities on Kawau. drive north of Auckland. Contact the ferry companies for • Bicycles and vehicles are not permitted in timetables and more information. the reserve Regular services from Sandspit: Kawau Cruises and Water Taxis • Do not camp in the historic reserve. Ph 0800 111 616 or 09-425 8006 Bookings essential • Do not remove or disturb any historic remains. They are an important record of the history of this area and Further information are protected by law. DOC Warkworth Great Barrier Island Area Office Mansion House, Kawau Island General information Ph 09-422 8882, 09-425 7812 (office hours) Email: [email protected] • An electric barbecue is available free of charge in Mansion DOC Visitor Centre, Corner Princess Wharf House Bay. 137 Quay St, Downtown Auckland Ph 09-379 6476 fax 09-307 2614 • There is no public transport once on Kawau Island. • There are many safe anchorages for private boats in and Email: [email protected] Website: www.doc.govt.nz close to Mansion House Bay. • Mansion House Cafe is open during summer months. Mansion House Bay Please phone 09-422 8903 for more information Published by Photo: Craig Potton Department of Conservation Private Bag 68 908, Newton Auckland 1145, New Zealand April 2011 April 2011 April Auckland 1145, New Zealand Zealand New 1145, Auckland Newton 908, 68 Bag Private Conservation of Department Please phone 09-422 8903 for more information more for 8903 09-422 phone Please by Published Photo: Craig Potton Craig Photo: months. summer during open is Cafe House Mansion • Bay House Mansion close to Mansion House Bay. House Mansion to close Website: www.doc.govt.nz Website: There are many safe anchorages for private boats in and and in boats private for anchorages safe many are There • [email protected] Email: There is no public transport once on Kawau Island. Kawau on once transport public no is There • Ph 09-379 6476 fax 09-307 2614 09-307 fax 6476 09-379 Ph Bay. House Auckland Downtown St, Quay 137 Wharf Princess Corner Centre, Visitor DOC An electric barbecue is available free of charge in Mansion Mansion in charge of free available is barbecue electric An • Email: [email protected] Email: hours) (office 7812 09-425 8882, 09-422 Ph General information General Island Kawau House, Mansion Office Area Island Barrier Great Warkworth DOC are protected by law. by protected are and area this of history the of record important an are Further information Further They remains. historic any disturb or remove not • Do reserve. historic the in camp not • Do Bookings essential Bookings Ph 0800 111 616 or 09-425 8006 8006 09-425 or 616 111 0800 Ph Taxis Water and Cruises Kawau the reserve reserve the Regular services from Sandspit: from services Regular in permitted not are vehicles and • Bicycles timetables and more information. more and timetables rubbish disposal facilities on Kawau. on facilities disposal rubbish drive north of Auckland. Contact the ferry companies for for companies ferry the Contact Auckland. of north drive no are There ". Out Pack - in Pack -" Sandspit Wharf, near Warkworth, which is about one hour's hour's one about is which Warkworth, near Wharf, Sandspit you with island the off rubbish your • Take Ferries and water taxis travel to Kawau Island daily from from daily Island Kawau to travel taxis water and Ferries Gas barbeques permitted. barbeques Gas Getting there Getting candles. or fireworks No reserve. the and House Mansion devastate could and easily control of out get They fires. light not • Do Walks and Visitor Information Visitor and Walks with a small resident population. resident small a with wildlife. Conservation. The remainder of the island is privately owned, owned, privately is island the of remainder The Conservation. Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Marine Gulf Hauraki other and weka and kiwi protected the to owned historic reserves managed by the Department of of Department the by managed reserves historic owned threat a are They foreshore. or reserve the Today about ten percent of the island is protected as publicly publicly as protected is island the of percent ten about Today Reserve onto pets other or dogs bring not • Do its exotic gardens. exotic its Please: George Grey, who developed the stately Mansion House and and House Mansion stately the developed who Grey, George Historic Historic and later became the home of New Zealand Governor Sir Sir Governor Zealand New of home the became later and Rich in history, the island was once a busy mining settlement, settlement, mining busy a once was island the history, in Rich Conservation Code Conservation Kawau Island lies north of Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf. Gulf. Hauraki the in Auckland of north lies Island Kawau Kawau Island Island Kawau Welcome to Kawau to Welcome island the Visiting Mansion House Valley slopes with conifers to create a setting for his house and gardens.