[1] The island is a popular stopover point for tour boats to the Hole in the Rock and is also serviced by ferries for day trips from Paihia and Russell.

[2] In 1839, William Brind, a whaling captain, claimed to have purchased 150 acres of Urupukapuka from Rewa, a chief of the Ngāpuhi tribe, for one mare valued at 45 English pounds.

[3] In the later 1800s, two Europeans leased some of the land on Urupukapuka for grazing and began to clear the island and build a fenceline.

The waters around the island are clear and diving is particularly good on the east coast where there is plentiful reef life.

Indico and Paradise Bays are popular sheltered anchorages and ideal for most forms of water sports.