Another island that can easily be visited from Auckland is the beautiful Waiheke Island, second largest island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand that is a haven of vineyards, olive groves, and beaches with turquoise water. The island has a population of around 9,420 and is just a short 40-minute ferry journey across the water.
Once you have crossed over to the island, getting around is easy: you can hire a car, cycle, walk, or even take a bus. I decided that once across the island, it would be nice to take a walk to the nearest small village of Oneroa that was lovely and scenic and only took around 30 minutes. The village is only small, but it’s by the beach and there are a few quaint places to eat and drink. So, I eventually stopped off at the perfect café with a great view out to sea, and even the sun was shining to complete the perfect scenery.
After some refreshments, it was time to explore around the little village before getting a bus up to my pre-booked wine tasting experience. Wine tasting is one of the most popular things to do on Waiheke and therefore places at the wineries can get booked up quite quickly – so, it is recommended to book your winery visit online beforehand to avoid any disappointment.
I had booked at the Tantalus Estate winery which was only a short ride on the bus. It was beautiful inside and out and the wine tasting experience was exquisite. The staff certainly know their wines there and everything about the experience was professional. You could choose from a selection of tasting packages, and nibbles could also be ordered to complement the wines. I didn’t choose to have any food, as I was going to sample some local food in one of the restaurants just up the road from the winery to ensure that I had a varied experience of the island. So, after my winery experience, I settled on the Heke Kitchen, Brewery and Distillery which was a great choice and not far to go. The views across from the restaurant were equally as stunning as those surrounding the winery. I ordered a selection of dishes that were all wonderful!
After watching the sun begin to set, it was time to wander back down the driveway to catch the bus on the main road. It is worth noting that you will need to purchase a pre-loaded Auckland Transport HOP card that can be purchased at ticket offices in Auckland, the ferry terminal and in the island village. The buses run to all the tourist spots on the island and are scheduled to meet the arrival and departure of ferries, so everything on the island is well organised. The whole day was a great and relaxing experience and comes well recommended as one of your must-do excursions while visiting Auckland.
