Which island, which month, which side — and the catch.

Island holidays from New Zealand, rated month by month from decades of weather and sea records. Where to stay, and the downside the brochures skip.

Find your island See when to go
New Zealand’s islandsTongaFijiVanuatuNiueSamoaCook IslandsFrenchPolynesiaBaliHawaiʻiHauraki GulfKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongaFijiVanuatuNiueSamoaCook IslandsFrenchPolynesiaBaliHawaiʻiHauraki GulfKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongaFijiVanuatuNiueSamoaCookIslandsFrenchPolynesiaBaliHawaiʻiHauraki GulfKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongatapuViti LevuMamanuca IslandsYasawa IslandsTaveuniEfateVavaʻuNiueSavaiʻiUpoluRarotongaAitutakiBora BoraMoʻoreaTahitiBaliOʻahuMauiRangitoto25 kmWaiheke35 kmTiritiri Matangi46 kmKawau65 kmAotea Great Barrier106 kmKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongatapuViti LevuMamanucaIslandsYasawa IslandsEfateTaveuniVavaʻuNiueSavaiʻiUpoluRarotongaAitutakiBora BoraMoʻoreaTahitiBaliOʻahuMaui
Rings show straight-line distance from Auckland; flight times are approximate. Map data: Natural Earth
All 26 islands by distance
  1. Rangitoto Island25 kmFerry · about 30 min
  2. Waiheke Island35 kmFerry · about 45 min
  3. Tiritiri Matangi46 kmFerry · about 1 h 15 min
  4. Kawau Island65 kmDrive and ferry · about 1 h 45 min
  5. Aotea Great Barrier Island106 kmDirect flight · about 30 min
  6. Kāpiti Island427 kmFly to Wellington, then drive and ferry · about 2 h 30 min
  7. Chatham Islands1,060 kmDirect flight, Dec–Feb · about 2 h 15 min
  8. Rakiura Stewart Island1,250 kmVia Invercargill · about 3 h 15 min
  9. Tongatapu2,010 kmDirect flight · about 3 h
  10. Viti Levu2,160 kmDirect flight · about 3 h
  11. Mamanuca Islands2,160 kmFly to Nadi, then ferry · about 4 h 45 min
  12. Yasawa Islands2,240 kmFly to Nadi, then ferry · about 6 h 45 min
  13. Efate2,240 kmDirect flight · about 3 h 15 min
  14. Taveuni2,300 kmVia Nadi · about 5 h 15 min
  15. Vavaʻu2,320 kmVia Tongatapu · about 5 h
  16. Niue2,490 kmDirect flight · about 3 h 30 min
  17. Savaiʻi2,890 kmFly to Apia, then ferry · about 6 h 15 min
  18. Upolu2,890 kmDirect flight · about 4 h
  19. Rarotonga3,010 kmDirect flight · about 4 h
  20. Aitutaki3,190 kmVia Rarotonga · about 5 h 45 min
  21. Bora Bora4,000 kmVia Papeʻete · about 6 h 45 min
  22. Moʻorea4,080 kmFly to Papeʻete, then ferry · about 6 h 45 min
  23. Tahiti4,100 kmDirect flight · about 5 h
  24. Bali6,760 kmDirect flight, seasonal · about 9 h 30 min
  25. Oʻahu7,100 kmDirect flight · about 8 h 30 min
  26. Maui7,110 kmVia Honolulu · about 10 h 30 min

Good in October

Rated from decades of weather, sea and cyclone records: warmth, sea temperature, rain, sunshine and storms. How the score works

October 23 of 26 islands rate good or better in October. The top six:

  1. 95Excellent

    Viti Levu

    About 3 h from Auckland, direct

    For families, Fiji’s easiest resort trip from NZ: pick Denarau for short transfers or the Coral Coast for reef, and book July early.

    Fiji · Best Jun–Oct

  2. 94Excellent

    Oʻahu

    About 8 h 30 min from Auckland, direct

    The Hawaiʻi most Kiwis picture, one non-stop flight from Auckland. Plenty to do, but US prices and an ESTA to sort before you book.

    Hawaiʻi · Good all but Sep

  3. 94Excellent

    Mamanuca Islands

    About 4 h 45 min from Auckland

    Reef-sheltered resorts a short boat ride from Nadi: Fiji’s easiest island escape, priced like resorts and sometimes reached with wet feet.

    Fiji · Best May–Oct

  4. 92Excellent

    Aitutaki

    About 5 h 45 min from Auckland

    Best for couples: the Cook Islands’ lagoon island, a short hop from Rarotonga, with an extra flight to pay for.

    Cook Islands · Best Jun–Nov

  5. 92Excellent

    Moʻorea

    About 6 h 45 min from Auckland

    A reef-ringed island a short ferry from Tahiti, with sharks and rays to snorkel beside. Great for couples, though not a cheap week.

    French Polynesia · Best May–Nov

  6. 92Excellent

    Tahiti

    About 5 h from Auckland, direct

    The five-hour gateway to French Polynesia: no visa for Kiwis, waterfalls, surf and culture, but mixed beaches and one-way fares from NZ$493.

    French Polynesia · Best May–Nov

Every island in October, ranked

Islands by region

Nearest first, by the quickest trip from Auckland.

  1. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    New Zealand’s islands

    Waiheke Island, Rangitoto Island, Aotea Great Barrier Island, Rakiura Stewart Island, Tiritiri Matangi, Kawau Island, the Chatham Islands and Kāpiti Island

    Rangitoto Island: about 30 min by ferry from Auckland All eight best Jan–Feb

  2. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Fiji

    Viti Levu, the Mamanuca Islands, the Yasawa Islands and Taveuni

    Viti Levu: about 3 h from Auckland, direct All four best Jun–Oct

  3. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Tonga

    Tongatapu and Vavaʻu

    Tongatapu: about 3 h from Auckland, direct Both best May–Oct

  4. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Efate

    About 3 h 15 min from Auckland, direct Best Jul–Oct

  5. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Niue

    About 3 h 30 min from Auckland, direct Best May–Oct

  6. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Cook Islands

    Rarotonga and Aitutaki

    Rarotonga: about 4 h from Auckland, direct Both best Jun–Nov

  7. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Samoa

    Upolu and Savaiʻi

    Upolu: about 4 h from Auckland, direct Both best Jun–Sep

  8. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    French Polynesia

    Tahiti, Moʻorea and Bora Bora

    Tahiti: about 5 h from Auckland, direct All three best May–Oct

  9. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Hawaiʻi

    Oʻahu and Maui

    Oʻahu: about 8 h 30 min from Auckland, direct Both good all but Aug–Sep

  10. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth

    Bali

    About 9 h 30 min from Auckland, direct, seasonal Best May–Oct

Island outlines © OpenStreetMap contributors. Surrounding land: Natural Earth.

Next ferries to Waiheke and Rangitoto

From the Downtown Ferry Terminal, by Auckland Transport’s timetable. These are planned times, so check with the operator on the day.

The full ferry board

Timetable data: Auckland Transport (CC BY 4.0), as of 14 October 2026.

How we work

  • Real data, refreshed

    Climate from Meteostat weather stations and NASA POWER, sea temperatures from NOAA, 30 seasons of cyclone tracks from IBTrACS, ferry times from Auckland Transport and exchange rates from the European Central Bank. Last fetched 13 October 2026.

  • AI-assisted, fact-checked

    AI tools help us gather sources and draft. Every fact is then checked against a primary source, listed on the page with the date we checked it.

  • No paid placements

    Some links are partner links and may earn us a commission. Nobody pays to be listed, ranked or rated, and the scores come from published methods.