About Rangitoto

Rangitoto Island, the youngest and largest of Auckland’s 48 volcanic cones, formed around 600 years ago is located the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The 5.5 km long island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone, reaching a height of 260m. A popular travel destination via ferry, the scenic walk to the summit takes around an hour each way. As home to the world’s largest Pohutukawa forest, it’s a beautifully scenic place to spend a day surrounded by NZ native flora and fauna.

Rangitoto is Māori for 'Bloody Sky', with the name coming from the full phrase Ngā Rangi-i-totongia-a Tama-te-kapua ("The days of the bleeding of Tama-te-kapua"). Tama-te-kapua was the captain of the Arawa waka (canoe) and was badly wounded on the island, after having lost a battle with the Tainui iwi (tribe) at Islington Bay.