Is waiheke island new zealand worth a visit??

Hi fellow cruisers.

Going to visit Auckland soon on a cruise and wondering what to do there. Just read an article about waiheke island and it sounds great. Anyone out there that has been, is it worth the trip than say hoho bus around Auckland.

Thanks for any advice.

I organised a private wine tour for a group of 8 friends about a two years ago. We loved Waiheke Island and enjoyed the ferry ride there and back. If we did another cruise starting in Auckland I would try to stay in Waiheke for a few days prior to the cruise. Lovely scenery, beaches, multiple wineries and good food. What's not to love.

Julie

It's a place to go if you like drinking. TiriTiri Matangi is another island you could go to - here you'd be looking at wildlife. It depends on what you like to do.

I organised a private wine tour for a group of 8 friends about a two years ago. We loved Waiheke Island and enjoyed the ferry ride there and back. If we did another cruise starting in Auckland I would try to stay in Waiheke for a few days prior to the cruise. Lovely scenery, beaches, multiple wineries and good food. What's not to love.

Julie

I agree. A beautiful island for a few days. Check out the architecture and relax.

Another vote for Waiheke. Would go back again if in Auckland and stay longer. Did a wine tour for a day with Fuller's, the company that runs the ferry. Wineries were all upscale and the tour included lunch at one and tastings at two others. The island is very scenic with hillsides covered by vineyards and awesome sea views.

Hi, absolutely I'd recommend Waiheke over mainland Auckland. We took the ferry there (about 40 to 45 minutes) then walked to town & rented e bikes. Road from winery to winery, great day, amazing vistas! Most of the wineries have little cafes or even very nice restaurants to enjoy a meal or snack in. The E bikes made for easy peddling up the steep hills that make up the island. You can also do the winery hop on hop off buses. Could have easily spent a couple of days on this gorgeous island. :)

A few shots of some wineries:

Time on Waiheke Island is time well spent! While we were in Auckland in February last year for a few days prior to embarking on a cruise, my husband and I visited Waiheke Island. We took the ferry from Auckland about noon. Using the island’s hop-on-hop-off bus we toured around a number of wineries and other sights. The highlight was dinner at the Mudbrick Restaurant and Winery (made an on-line reservation about two weeks ahead). A cab took us back to the ferry dock and we were back in Auckland about 11pm. Spectacular day!

There is also a zipline place on the island if you have any interest in that. We too will be there for a day on a cruise soon and thought Waiheke looked like the best way to spend our time.

I am so excited. I booked a private day tour on Waiheke pre-cruise for 2 weeks from today. This thread was perfectly timed. Thanks for all the tips and photos.

We absolutely love the island. We took the ferry over then hiked to a couple of the wineries, had lunch, hiked some more, then caught the HOHO bus back to the ferry terminal

Is the ferry dock near the ship's dock (Royal Caribbean)? And do you know the ferry cost? Thanks

Is the ferry dock near the ship's dock (Royal Caribbean)? And do you know the ferry cost? Thanks

The ferry is next door to where you dock.Here is their web page

https://www.fullers.co.nz/destinations/waiheke-island/

Curious how the wines tasted? What varietals?

The ferry is next door to where you dock.Here is their web page

https://www.fullers.co.nz/destinations/waiheke-island/

Perfect - thanks :)