Fifty-four years after TV pioneer Shirley Maddock presented series Islands of the Gulf, her daughter Elisabeth Easther heads to the Hauraki Gulf to see how life on the islands has changed. First up is Waiheke, by far the most popular island, and with its booming hospitality sector and vineyards, a bona fide Auckland suburb. The sparser Rākino Island attracts seekers of a simpler life. Biggest in size and attitude, Great Barrier retains its independent spirit. Midwife Adele Robertson recalles how the Barrier's 1989 absorption into Auckland Council meant more rules and less innovation. Easther writes about the Gulf here.