What to do on Waiheke Island: A guide for wine, beach & nature lovers

Jan 27

Waiheke Island is famous for wine, beaches, and elegant accommodation. Here are the top activities on Auckland’s island of wine.

The first time I went to Waiheke Island was for a raucous wine tour with a hen’s party. That trip was a tipsy blur of vineyards, hot tubs, and an overwhelming awe at how pretty the island is.

The second time was a nature escape with a group of friends. I’ve been back solo, to hike around the island, and for more hen’s parties, festivals, and girls’ getaways.

All it takes is a 45-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland to be whisked off to an island of wine, sun, and boutique brunches.

White sand beaches, aquamarine water, sun-kissed vineyards and upmarket restaurants make Waiheke a special place. The island is one of the best overnight or day trip destinations from Auckland.

Plan on visiting Waiheke Island for at least a full day, which will give you time to visit some wineries, have a nice lunch, and explore some of the beaches. If you’d like to experience the laid-back lifestyle, stay for a night.

Most people head to Waiheke for the picturesque vineyards, but there’s more to the island than sipping syrah. After exploring some of the local wineries, check out the many other wonderful things to do on Waiheke Island.

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Waiheke Island at a glance

GETTING THERE: I recommend booking the Island Direct ferry instead of Fullers — the boats are smaller and with a guaranteed spot you can skip the lengthy queues for Fullers.

You can also get a direct ferry across to Man O War, the only beachfront winery on Waiheke. Just make lunch reservations in advance.

You can also combine your ferry ticket with a hop on, hop off bus, which is perfect if you’re going over to do a little vineyard crawl.

GETTING AROUND: It’s easy to get around on public buses, which leave from the ferry terminal (you can just tap on with a debit/credit card).

To get to the more remote parts of Waiheke, a rental car is the only option — bikes are a popular way to get around the centre of the island, but note that Waiheke has a few hills and it’s hot work pedalling in the summer sun.

Go Rentals offers Waiheke rental cars — you can check prices on Discover Cars.

BOOKING AHEAD: As a popular destination for Aucklanders, Waiheke gets busy on weekends. If you want to eat, make sure you call and make a booking in advance. Tables are at a premium on weekends, especially if you’re in a group.

WHEN TO GO: Many of Waiheke’s smaller vineyards are only open from Thursday or Friday through to Sunday. Check the opening times online before you go.

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How to spend your time on Waiheke

What is there to do on Waiheke? Take your pick — you can be social or secluded, high end or low key, fashionable or laid-back.

Here are a few of my favourite Waiheke Island activities.

Visit Waiheke’s vineyards

*Obsidian winery, a nice laid back option*

The first and undoubtedly most popular thing to do on Waiheke is visit one of the island’s boutique vineyards.

I prefer the smaller vineyards over the flashier numbers like Cable Bay, or the beer-garden-and-games vibe of Wild on Waiheke.

My favourite vineyard spots are Casita Miro, which lays out bean bags and blankets under olive trees in their garden in the summer months, and Awaroa Winery, which completely won me over with a laid back setting and delicious Pinot Gris.

You can take a tour around several of the vineyards, or choose just one for a long and lazy lunch.

Mudbrick is a popular choice for this, with outdoor seating at the Bistro overlooking lavender scented gardens and views of Auckland city. But Te Motu or Tantalus also have stellar restaurants.

Just be sure to book ahead — come the weekend, people flock to the island from Auckland, looking for an end of the week escape.

BOOK A WINE TOUR:

The easiest way to get around Waiheke’s vineyards is to book a wine tour.

That way, you’ll get to see the highlights, tick off several tastings, and not have to worry about transport when you’re stumbling out to the carpark of the third vineyard you visit.

Waiheke Island Wine Tours will take you around three of the vineyards, an excellent way to see the island’s highlights.
Kiwi Connect will take you to the lesser visited eastern end of the island, which is great if you like to get beyond the well trodden path. They also use electric vans, which is great.

VISITING THE VINEYARDS ON A BUDGET:

The cheapest way to get around is via public bus.

Buses leave from right outside the ferry terminal and connect the main centres of the island, so you can get around pretty easily. Use the AT Journey Planner to see all your options.

Many of the vineyards are clustered together, so you can actually walk in between them.

From Tantalus, it’s only a five minute walk to Wild on Waiheke or a 15 minute walk to Te Motu Vineyard.

IF YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME:

The Waiheke Island Wine Centre in Oneroa has an excellent selection of wines from all over the island.

The team in store has a vast amount of local knowledge, and you can do a wine tasting in the shop — this is a great option if the vineyards are closed, or you don’t have time to visit multiple vineyards.

Eat your way around Waiheke

Second to drinking, eating is probably the top thing to do on Waiheke Island. A drag, I know.

For something special, embrace the Italian tradition of a long and sumptuous weekend lunch at Poderi Crisci.

Their Italian lunch (il pranzo) is famous Waiheke wide, with a menu that changes weekly. Lunch begins at midday and goes until 4.30pm, so wear loose fitting clothes and settle in.

Make sure you book in advance, and check out transport options before you go. Poderi Crisci is a little out of the way, on the east of the island, so you’ll probably need to organise a shuttle there and back.

Another island stalwart is the Oyster Inn in Oneroa, a bistro overlooking the main street and the water beyond. Oysters grown in the south east corner of the island are served briny and plump on the same day they’re harvested.

Then there’s the olive oil — as well as being an ideal climate for grapes, Waiheke also produces top notch olive oil. The Allpress Tasting Room and Store at Rangihoua Estate offers tastings of extra virgin olive oils crafted from hand-picked Waiheke olives.

One of the first stops I usually make on Waiheke is The Island Grocer, a family-operated deli and grocery store which is well-stocked with everything you need for a picnic. Gather a selection of spray-free fruit, bread, sandwiches or other locally-made goodies and wander down to Oneroa Beach or neighbouring Little Oneroa.

Either beach is perfect for swimming, basking in the sunshine, and picnicking on your foraged goods.

In the late afternoon, make your way to Island Gelato for a cone. Try the feijoa coconut swirl, a truly island-like flavour made from New Zealand’s beloved summer fruit — if you’ve never tried feijoa before, now’s your chance. It tastes a little like pineapples, or perfume, depending on who you ask.

Go for a walk around the island

*Walking tracks start from the ferry terminal, which makes walking around Waiheke easy*

There are plenty of things to do in Waiheke Island that don’t involve wine and food. I have visited on day trips just to walk around the island. The water views and beaches are so stunning.

The Te Ara Hura trail is a network of walking tracks that loop around the entirety of Waiheke Island. Walking sections of this trail is one of the most overlooked activities on Waiheke.

One of the easiest parts of the trail to tackle is the section from Matiatia to Oneroa.

You can start the trail as soon as you get off the ferry. Just take a left from the Matiatia ferry terminal and follow the trail. It takes around two hours to walk around the coast to Oneroa village.

The track is gorgeous, looping past quiet bays and giant mansions alike. It’s nice to see more of Waiheke outside the polished vineyards and restaurants.

From Oneroa, you can walk back to the ferry terminal via the Oneroa Forest Path in around 40 minutes, so this walking trail makes a great option for a day trip from Auckland.

Whakanewha Regional Park is another of Waiheke’s hidden gems, and a great destination for a walk.

Although it’s located on the western side of the island, so the beaches aren’t as pretty as the white sand bays of the east coast, the regional park is an excellent spot for bird watching.

Waiheke Island is possum free, which means native bird and plantlife can thrive.

While walking through Whakanewha park, keep an eye out for endangered dotterels on the seashore, as well as tui, kereru, and other birds flitting through the trees.

A five kilometre walk — the Park Walk — loops around the park through coastal forest, past a stream with small waterfalls, and along the coast. It takes around 2.5 hours.

There are other options for walks around Waiheke, too:

From the ferry terminal, you can also turn right and follow a coastal path around the Matiatia Headland. This is a one and a half hour walk with views back towards Auckland city and the islands of Motuihe, Rangitoto, and Motutapu.
The Fisherman’s Rock path starts from Little Oneroa Beach and follows a coastal route past rocky coves and picnic spots.

Sink your toes into white sand at one of Waiheke’s beaches

One of my favourite things to do on Waiheke Island is head to the bach.

The northern edge of the island is lined with white-sand bays. Calm, still waters make these beaches perfect for swimming, and the soft sand is ideal for lounging.

Oneroa is one of my top beaches in the whole Auckland region. The water is like blue glass and the sand as soft and white as vanilla gelato.

Little Oneroa Beach, a small bay at the eastern end of Oneroa Beach, is a secluded spot to spend a few hours.

Onetangi Beach is also beautiful. It’s a longer stretch of sand, so a good place for beach walks.

If you’re brave, you can make your beach visit a nude one.

Waiheke Island wasn’t always a luxury getaway. The island used to be the domain of hippies before fancy vineyards and swarms of hen’s parties took over the island.

The unofficial nudist beach at Little Palm Beach feels like a slice of the old Waiheke Island. You can catch a glimpse of a more bohemian way of life here.

This small bay is tucked away from the larger Palm Beach, so it has a lovely private feel. The beach is a pretty spot to swim and sunbathe. I came here with a group of friends unaware that people like to hang out here nude.

We slowly realised we were the most dressed people on the beach.

After a couple of hours of building up the courage, we finally stripped off and went for a swim. It was fun!

Although that was a surprise to realise, t’s not at all creepy and you’ll see people of all ages (and shapes and sizes) stripping off and enjoying the sunshine.

Going beyond wine: More places to get a drink on Waiheke

Waiheke Distilling Co might be one of New Zealand’s most scenic distilleries, set on the ridge above Cowes Bay.

It’s a little out of the way, but worth the trip. Plus it’s only a 10-minute drive from Man O’War, so you can easily combine the two.

The craft distillery has a garden bar where you can enjoy a gin and tonic with a view. And what a view it is, looking out across other islands studding the bright blue water of the Hauraki Gulf.

You can also take home a bottle as a Waiheke souvenir — try the Spirit of Waiheke gin, which is crafted from dried New Zealand kelp.

The Heke is a super fun bar, with lots of outdoor seating and games to get stuck into.

Food is prepared over a wood fire. It’s a great place to park up for the afternoon and enjoy a long island Waiheke iced tea (or four).

It also makes a nice change of pace from fancy vineyards, if you’re with a family or group.

If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy some live music with a view, check out Aperitivo in Oneroa.

Getting to Waiheke Island

Catching the ferry to Waiheke Island is easy, fast, and convenient. From Auckland city to Waiheke takes around 40 minutes.

There are two passenger ferries that depart from the downtown Auckland ferry terminal:

Island Direct ($50 return) is a small, local ferry which you can book online in advance. I recommend this option as it’s far less busy onboard and you’re guaranteed to get on at your chosen time.
The Fullers passenger ferry ($55 return) also leaves from Britomart in central Auckland, but the regular ticket is walk up only (you have to pay more for a reserved time) which means queuing up at the terminal. It’s pretty busy and in peak times you might not get on the sailing you want, unless you arrive 30 minutes in advance. Ferries leave approximately every hour from 6am-midnight, and there’s no need to pre-book a ticket.

If you’d like to get around Waiheke in your own car, there is also the option of taking the Sealink car ferry across to the island.

For more details on how to get to Waiheke, and how to get around the island once you’re there, check out my tips on getting around Waiheke.

I hope this was helpful in helping you plan your Waiheke day out.

If you’re exploring the Auckland area, you might also find these articles useful: