Islands of the Gulf - Episode 2

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2018

In this episode of Islands of the Gulf, actor/writer Elisabeth Easther visits the smaller islands her mum explored in the 1964 documentary series of the same name. Governor George Grey's Mansion House on Kawau Island is a testament to Aotearoa's colonial past, a private 'paradise' where he nurtured exotic plants and animals. On bird sanctuary Tiritiri Matangi, she meets Ray Walter, a former lighthouse keeper who kept the lights on for 30 years. Easther also meets ex Motuihe Islander Vern Cotter, who had a cameo in the original series as a "hard-working" two-year-old. Her final stop is iconic (and volcanic) Rangitoto Island.

Our ancestors were determined to discover fertile lands for gardening, and they found a real jewel in this wonderful place called Motutapu...
– James Brown, chairman of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki iwi, on the first residents of Motutapu Island