Mātiu/Somes Island reopening November 2024.
We are pleased to announce that Mātiu/Some Island is officially open to the public from 22nd November 2024.
Bookings are required for trips to Mātiu/Somes Island and the booking system will be opened by Monday 11th November.
Education groups or any group with more than 20 people should get in touch with us to book directly.
About Mātiu/Somes Island
Mātiu/Somes Island, in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington Harbour, is owned by local Māori, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and offers a tranquil retreat for visitors and wildlife. For centuries, successive Māori tribes have occupied Mātiu/ Somes as an island sanctuary, establishing pā sites and maintaining their mana whenua role ever since. In more recent times, it has functioned as a quarantine station, internment camp, and military site. It has since become a refuge for wildlife and cultural heritage, opening to the public as a DOC reserve in 1995. Ownership of the island was transferred in 2009 as part of a Treaty settlement, marking a new era for mana whenua involvement. Today, the Harbour Islands Kaitiaki Board administers the island, focusing on enhancing the mouri (essential life force or energy that sustains life) of the harbour islands.
All trips to Mātiu/Somes Island depart Queens Wharf and travel via Days Bay before heading out to Mātiu/Somes Island. The trip takes approx. 50 minutes from Queens Wharf and 15 minutes from Days Bay.
Please note there is no food or drink available on the island so please bring everything you need with you.
Biosecurity
All passengers will undertake their own bag checks onboard the ferry after departing Days Bay and then will go through the Whare Manuhiri (bio-security hut) before being allowed to explore the island. This involves:
- Checking your own bags and pockets for any pests or plant material that may be harmful to the island. This process will happen onboard once we have departed Days Bay.
- Scrubbing shoes and standing on a sterigen mat to ensure you don't bring any soil or bacteria through the island.
- Checking prams/strollers and cleaning the wheels of these with the cleaning solution provided on the island.
More information will be provided to you in your booking confirmation, please make sure you read this carefully before your trip.
Prices (including visitor fee)
Valid from 22 November 2024
These prices include a $6 Mātiu/Somes visitor fee, which is passed onto DOC and the island’s Kaitiaki Board, and used for the revitalisation of infrastructure and cultural assets on Mātiu/Somes.
Valid ID / credentials (SuperGold, community services, total mobility cards, or high school ID) should be presented onboard for any of these discounted fares, or the Adult fare will be charged at time of boarding.
**Under 5s are free but still need a booked ticket.
^Connect Concession: Applies to those with community services card / total mobility cards (1 carer travels free with any person carrying total mobility card)
#Supergold card holders do not pay a public transport fare to the island as trips are off peak, but do need to pay the visitor fee.
FAQs
When will the island be open?
The public will be able to visit the island from Friday 22nd November.
Why do I have to book when the island is reopened?
Before the island closed in February 2024, we were seeing more demand for trips to the island than we were able to carry, especially on certain days - this resulted in people waiting hours for the next available ferry to visit the island or missing out altogether. We also need to ensure that we do not breach visitation limits that have been set for the island, or our own ferry capacity limits. To make visiting the island easier and more enjoyable for passengers, and to ensure we maintain compliance with visitor/passenger limitations, we have decided to reopen the island with a booking system.
Why do I have to pay a visitor fee?
Every trip to Mātiu/Somes includes a public transport fare, and a $6 visitor fee. The visitor fee is separate to, but collected alongside the public transport fare and is passed directly onto DOC and Mātiu/Somes island’s Kaitiaki Board. The visitor fee is used for the maintenance and revitalisation of infrastructure and cultural assets on Mātiu/Somes Island.
Why does it take longer to get to the island from Queens Wharf than Days Bay?
We have designed our timetable so every trip to Mātiu/Somes Island travels from Queens Wharf to Days Bay and then picks up Days Bay passengers for a single drop off at the island. This ensures that we can comply with the visitation limits set for the island.
If you would like to spend less time onboard the ferry, we recommend travelling from Days Bay Wharf as this is a direct trip to the island.
Can I come back on a ferry of my choosing?
To manage passenger flows and limitations of numbers on the island, you need to return on the specified departure time on your booking confirmation. This allows you 2 – 2.5 hours on the island, depending on the tie you travel. Note biosecurity is a quicker process on the island than it used to be as part of this is completed onboard the ferry.
We may allow options for longer visits to the island at some stage and will look at this after the peak season and once the booking system has been in place for a few months.
What happens if I book but the weather is bad?
If East by West Ferries cancels ferries due to weather, you will receive a full refund. Customers can also rebook their trip up until 12 hours before the departure time, so if the forecast doesn’t look ideal, you’re able to change your travel date or cancel the booking for a full refund.
Can I stop at both Mātiu/Somes Island and Days Bay from Queens Wharf?
Yes, you’re able to do this. Purchase a return fare from Queens Wharf to the island through the booking system and get off on the way back when it stops to drop Days Bay passengers (your departure time off the island is the same as if you were travelling back to Queens Wharf). Please note you will need to purchase an additional one-way fare from Days Bay to Queens Wharf if you’re intending to travel back to Queens Wharf later (tickets for this are sold onboard with cash, EFTPOS and credit card – no need to book for this part of the journey).
Can I buy a ticket on the day?
All tickets need to be purchased through the booking system. If there is space on the day you may be able to purchase tickets on a first come first served basis however, we do not recommend this as you may miss out.
Where does the ferry depart from?
Queens Wharf – We have three ferry berths on Queens Wharf, in Wellington City (opposite FoxGlove restaurant). When you arrive at the ticket office (55 Lady Elizabeth Lane), we will advise which berth your ferry is departing from.
Days Bay – Our ferry departs from Days Bay Wharf, right opposite The Pavilion café. Please queue on the wharf next to the shelter and wait for crews’ instructions to begin boarding.
