Sailing into Mansion House Bay. Kawau Island was owned in the 1890's by Gov. George Grey. He used it as a retreat and planted an extensive garden and populated it with many exotic species. In the 1980's the Department of Conservation took over his property as a martime park and restored the mansion to how it had been in the 1890's. One of the bonuses for camp cruising in this area is that there are toliets and a cafe that makes good coffee.