Leigh is a small town in the Auckland Region, north of metropolitan Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. The nearest sizable town is Warkworth. The Goat Island marine reserve, formally called Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, half an hour drive from Warkworth, was created in 1975 and was New Zealand's first marine reserve.

Get in

The road to Leigh departs from State Highway 1 just north of Warkworth and runs via Matakana.

See

• Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre, Goat Island Road (near the beach). Summer holiday period, every day 10AM-4PM (check website for other periods). Run by the University of Auckland and associated with its Leigh Marine Laboratory. Adult $10, child $5. 

Do

Glass bottom boat in Goat Island marine reserve

• Goat Island marine reserve. Go diving or snorkeling. Various providers hire out gear for snorkeling and some provide trips: 
  • Goat Island Camping and Accommodation, 123 Goat Island Road. Hire charges: snorkel, mask and fins $16; spring wetsuit $15, full suit $20. 
  • Goat Island Dive & Snorkel, 142 Pakiri Road. Leigh (700 metres from the Leigh General Store). Hire charges: fins (flippers) $10; mask & snorkel $15; mask, snorkel & fins $22; mask, snorkel, fins & shorty 3mm wetsuit $30; mask, snorkel, fins & full length 3mm wetsuit $35. 
  • Seafriends, 7 Goat Island Road. Hire charges: snorkel $2; mask and snorkel $9; flippers/fins $8; 'summer' unisuit, full length, hood $18. 
• Glass Bottom Boat. Goat Island marine reserve. Around the Island trip (45 minutes), adult $25, child $13; Inner Island trip (30 minutes) adult $20, child $10. 
• Beach activities and horseback riding at Pakiri Beach.

Eat

• Leigh Sawmill Café, 142 Pakiri Rd, ☏ +64 9 422 6019, info@sawmillcafe.co.nz. Restaurant, bar, music venue and accommodation. 

Sleep

• Goat Island Camping and Accommodation, 123 Goat Island Road, Goat Island Bay, ☏ +64 9 422 6185, goatiscamp@xtra.co.nz. Camp sites, on-site caravans and cabins. Hire gear for snorkeling in the marine reserve. 

Go next

If you have your own boat, you could sail to Great Barrier Island.