Goat Island is a tiny island (approximately one hectare ) north of Auckland.

Known for centuries as Motu Hawere by the indigenous Māori, the island is spiritually significant to the local tangata whenua iwi, Ngati Manuhiri, because their ancestral waka (canoe), Moe Karaka, landed nearby.

The island gives its name to and forms part of the Goat Island Marine Reserve, a 524 ha reserve spanning from Cape Rodney to Okakari Point, the first marine reserve established in the country (gazetted in 1975). With around 314,525 visitors per year, it is a popular spot for snorkelers and scuba-divers, due to the large number of fish now living there.

The marine reserve offers excellent snorkelling and diving with snapper, blue maomao, parore, red moki and eagle rays commonly seen close to the beach. The rock pools of Goat Island’s Echinoderm Reef are home to a huge variety of crabs, seashells, sea stars and other marine life that can be discovered at low tide.