WAIHEKE ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

My favorite thing about Auckland it that is surrounded by so many gorgeous islands! All of the islands are so much different from one another and they are all so easily accessible from Auckland! Of all the islands, my boyfriend, Max and I enjoyed Waiheke Island in particular.

Waiheke Island is known as the island of wine in New Zealand! There are a number of amazing wineries scattered throughout the island. Being wine lovers, we planned a half day trip to Waiheke to explore the wineries. When we first planned on going to Waiheke, we didn’t realize how much there was to do there! After spending time on the island, I wish we had carved out more time to explore it.

While this post will mostly focus on how to master the wineries on Waiheke, I am also going to highlight a few things I wish we did while in Waiheke!

Like most islands off the coast of Auckland, Waiheke Island is super easy to get to! The ferry ride is approximately 40 minutes from the ferry terminal in Auckland. Since Waiheke Island is one of the largest islands in New Zealand, ferries from Auckland to Waiheke (& back) run pretty regularly. Click here for the Fullers Group Ferry timetable. Luckily, the last ferry from Waiheke to Auckland is after midnight giving you plenty of time on the island! Tickets with return are about $26 USD. You’re able to buy your tickets upon arrival; we purchased our tickets about 15 minutes before the ferry left.

Since the island is pretty large, we got the Waiheke Island Explorer hop on hop off bus tour. There are a total of 15 stops on the hop on hop off bus. The bus runs from roughly 9:45 am to 7:00 pm. Be sure to grab a map for the hop on hop off bus. The map is super helpful! It will show you where each of the bus stops are as well as a few things to do at each stop. There is also a time schedule on the map showing when the bus will be at each stop making the hop on hop off bus really easy to use! It is about $28 USD for the hop on hop off however, if you combine the bus and the ferry it is roughly $42 USD total.

Wine tasting on Waiheke is so easy! There are literally over 30 wineries on the island so you will have plenty of wineries to choose from! That being said, it is hard to choose which wineries to check out because there are so many options. The hop on hop off bus stops at a number of these wineries! Most of the wineries close between 4 and 6 so I recommend heading to Waiheke relatively early in the day!

While it is inexpensive to get to Waiheke, wine tasting can be quite pricey! I am a red wine drinker and pretty much stuck to the cheapest option on the menu. I was able to find a few wines that were about $9-$12 USD a glass at each of the wineries. Below is a list of my favs!

Batch Winery has the absolute best location! It is located at one of the highest points in Waiheke giving you the most epic view of the island! Their rosé fizz is on point! If you are a champagne drinker, you will love it. We also got a cheese plate at the winery and it was delicious! We enjoyed soaking in the view with our rosé and cheese plate.

Tantalus was one of my favorite wineries on the island! The winery is super spacious and has a ton of indoor/outdoor space. We went wine tasting on a Saturday and had a hard time finding a seat at the first two wineries we visited, so this was a major plus! The food is good and there are a number of beers on the menu so if you are more of a beer person, you’re in luck! If you are looking for beer, the beer cave is downstairs.

If you are looking for a winery that is open late, be sure to check out Mudbrick Vineyard! It is close to the ferry (if you’re a walker) making it a super convenient last stop. The hop on hop off bus ends around 7 pm, so if you end your night in this area you don’t have to worry about missing the bus as it is within walking distance to the ferry. The winery has really cool vibes and offers some pretty incredible views! I will warn you, this winery is a little pricier than the first two wineries I listed.

If you are not into the wine scene, there is still plenty to do on Waiheke! As I mentioned before, Max and I were both kinda bummed we didn’t plan a full day in Waiheke. We would have loved to rent paddle boards or kayaks and spend a little time on the water. There are some great beaches in the area, Oneroa Bay is supposed to be spectacular! There are a number of tours offered as well, including zip-lining and horseback riding

Here are a few things I wish I knew before heading to Waiheke. Alright so we went to Waiheke in the middle of summer and it was HOT and HUMID! The first few wineries we went to had absolutely NO shade… Needless to say, we were HOT! I highly, highly recommend wearing clothes that breathe, we didn’t and the struggle was so real – haha. Make sure to pack sunscreen as again, there was not too much shade and the sun is strong in New Zealand. I also wish we would have gone earlier in the day because there is so much to do and see on the island. If your itinerary allows, head to Waiheke as early as you can – you won’t regret it!

I absolutely loved exploring Waiheke Island! It is absolutely gorgeous and has so much to offer. It has totally different vibes from Auckland and is just such a cool place with so much to do. I can’t wait to explore more of Waiheke! If you are looking for What to do in Auckland, click here!

Safe Travels,

Sarah :)

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