Elisabeth Easther explores the history of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, from Governor Grey's mansion on Kawau, to early Maori farms on Motutapu, to a Tiritiri Matangi lighthouse built in the 1860s.
Elisabeth meets island folk who have carved out a niche for themselves in the Hauraki Gulf: a charter fishing boat operator, a singer who is also a faith healer, and successful grape growers who knew nothing about grapes.
Elisabeth finds colourful and unusual people on the islands of the Hauraki Gulf: a walking track builder, a part-time mermaid, and a Welsh-born bird photographer.
Elisabeth visits three islands in the Hauraki Gulf that are sanctuaries for many of our endangered species: takahe, tuatara and Rua - a dog that sniffs out the burrows of endangered seabirds.