Rangitoto Island and the Auckland Central Masters

Rangitoto Island

Rangitoto, Tamaki Makaurau’s most recent and least altered Volcano. Formed between 600 to 700 years ago by two eruptions it makes up a collection of some 53 volcanos in the region.  Rangitoto lays claim to featuring the world's largest pōhutukawa forest and has been pest free since 2011 allowing for some of New Zealand’s wonderful wildlife a haven to regenerate.

St Heliers

Te Whanganui-o-Toi or as it has been known since the late 1800s as St Heliers sits on the main land of Tamaki Makaurau 10kms east of the cities CBD and some 4.3km directly across from Rangitoto separated by the body of water making up the Waitamata harbour. On a hot summers day, the views of the volcano while enjoying an ice cream on the golden sands of St Heliers is highly recommended.



Auckland central masters, a club formed in 1984 after a breakaway from the older (circa 1900s) Ponsonby swimming club, host the yearly swim from Rangitoto to St Heliers. Only the strongest and fittest may apply. A gruelling swim with an annual attendance of around 400 men and woman, the club host a strict policy on who can take part due to the dangers. The harbour is an international shipping lane for the nearby Port of Auckland and the many cruise liners bringing passengers on their trip of a life time to the country.

However, in the mid 1800s, the body of water was a lot quieter than it is now and the first swim was competed for by just two men, Manaia Rangi and Kenneth Erin. Manai, the son of a local Māori family and Billy Erin, a recent migrant from the British isles.


Portrait of Manaia Rangi. Artist unknown.


Billy on the right of image next to his daughter, Margaret and wife Anna Erin.

Swim time

The reason for the race or to give it what it actually was, a duel, is muddied in history. However the events that followed are written into New Zealand folklore and history for ever more.

It was the local Rangatira (tribal chief) who came up with the idea, the first man to swim from Rangitoto to the shores of Te Whanganui-o-Toi would be victorious and the loser would need to apologise for the perceived wrong doing.

At Dawn on April 18th, two Wakas set off to the volcano. 


Wakas is the Māori for canoe, ranging in size from small fishing vessels to large ornamented Wakas that could near 40ft long.

Stepping onto Rangitoto was like stepping onto the moon for billy. The lava surface was bumpy and the fauna also resembled nothing like he had seen before. Manaia on the other hand had visited several times before including taking adventure hikes to the top with his four brothers so knew what to expect. After a quick break, the Wakas left for mainland again leaving the two men essentially two choices, swim to the shore or stay on the island and starve. 

Manaia jumped first, Billy shortly after. Both men battling not only each other but the mighty Waitamata. Suddenly, Manaia stopped and shouted at the top of his lungs MANGŌ TANIWHA or as it is commonly known…SHARK.

Sharks were not common in the harbour so this was totally unexpected for the men. The sharks was nearly twenty metres in length and was similar in size to a blue whale than the sharks of today.




At this point the race was off and it became a battle of survival for the two men. They say at man’s darkest hour it is like the midday sun because there is always hope…

Manaia saved Billy’s life. As the shark sped towards the men, using sharp wits learned from hours in the water fishing and spending time with his family, Manaia pushed Billy into a tidal rip current that swept him out of the sharks reach and gave Mania time to speed to the mainland while the shark decided who or what to go after next. The rip pulled Billy more to the West than intended, with the shifting tides he was carried down to the far corner of the mainland called Okā Pā. 

Local man, Arikin Nikau, seen the distraught and terrified Billy Erin trying to get to shore when a mere twenty metres from dry land the Shark caught up with him and pulled him under.

Point Erin

After much deliberation and to pay homage to Billy, the area Okā Pā became known as Point Erin and it is here where the open air pool, Point Erin Pools now sits, Built in the 1900s the pool still has some of the original brick facade and tiles in the swimming areas.




Point Erin pool's is the summer home of the Auckland Central masters, a welcoming group who are always on the look out for new members. They picked up the hosting of the annual Rangitoto to St Heliers swim in early 90s and you can join the group on a Wednesday night to start training.

Club details can be found at: https://www.aucklandharbourswims.org.nz/







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