Otamatea Eco Village is situated in lower Northland, near the top of the North Island of New Zealand. Our nearest major city is Auckland, about 100km (65 miles) to our south. If you’re coming from overseas the best place to head for is Auckland – it’s New Zealand’s biggest city and the international gateway.
Please Arrange Your Visit in Advance
We welcome visitors and really enjoy exchanging ideas and learning from them, but we do like to know who is visiting and when they are coming. Please do not simply print out this page and then head directly for us. Please ring first, make contact and arrange a visit. It makes our lives so much easier and almost certainly means a more positive experience for you. Here are the eco-village contacts
Arriving by Public Transport
There are several bus companies which run the route from Auckland to Kaiwaka including Mainline, Northliner, and InterCity. The buses all leave from Auckland’s Central Business District. If you have arrived at Auckland airport you can catch a bus which takes you directly from the airport to the Central Business District.
These are the details of some bus operators:
Operator |
Contact |
Departs From |
Arrives At |
Main Line |
09 278 8070 |
Opposite Ferry Terminal, Quay Street |
4 Square Supermarket, Kaiwaka |
Northliner |
09 307 5873 |
Opposite Ferry Terminal, Quay Street |
Gateway Motel, Kaiwaka |
Naked Bus | 0900 NAKED | Opposite Ferry Terminal, Quay Street | Kaiwaka Post Office |
Intercity |
09 913 6100 |
Sky Tower |
Kaiwaka Post Office |
The fare is approximately NZ$20 one way. The different bus operators stop at different locations in Kaiwaka. The best thing to do is to telephone your contact in the eco-village when you book your ticket and arrange for them to meet you at the bus stop – make sure you tell them which bus company you are using.
Arriving By Car
To reach Otamatea Eco Village from Auckland by car follow all signs for Whangarei, which is the principal destination as you head north from Auckland on State Highway 1 North. This motorway takes you over the Auckland Harbour Bridge. From there the distance to Kaiwaka is approx. 100km.
16km after passing through Wellsford you approach Kaiwaka on a long steady descent with a wide view of the Brynderwyn hills ahead of you. Continue until the bottom of the descent. Just before you reach the Kaiwaka River bridge turn left into Oneriri Road. From there it is 3.6km along Oneriri Road to where you turn right at a sign “Otamatea Eco Village” into an unsealed road. This road will take you into the village. Please observe the 30km speed limit.