Waiheke Island NZ Matiatia
New Zealand
Frequently Asked Questions
At Matiatia, the cove where tenders land. The landing adjoins the ferry terminal, from which buses, taxis and shuttles leave for every corner of the island.
In the Hauraki Gulf, less than an hour by ferry from Auckland. It is the favourite escape of Aucklanders themselves, which says plenty.
Oneroa and its beach on foot or by shuttle, then one or two wine estates on the heights. Walkers can also do the coastal loop around Matiatia headland, about two hours.
Yes. Mudbrick and Cable Bay sit on the ridge directly above the cove: about twenty minutes uphill on foot reaches their terraces, facing the gulf and, on a clear day, the distant skyline of Auckland.
Around thirty estates on the hillsides ripen syrah, chardonnay and Bordeaux-style red blends. The industry was built in just a few decades, helped by a microclimate drier and warmer than the neighbouring city.
Tastings are informal, but for a full meal it is best to book a table — especially on ship days.
The main village, a kilometre and a half from the landing, with art galleries, shops and cafes along a ridge-top street. Below it stretches a golden beach shaded by pohutukawa, calm and family-friendly.
Oneroa for proximity, Palm Beach and above all Onetangi, the island's longest at two kilometres facing the open sea. The latter two need the bus.
Yes. Painters, ceramicists and sculptors settled here long ago, and the Oneroa galleries show their work. The hills also carry olive groves whose oil, pressed on the island, has won awards well beyond the country.
Some fifty kilometres of tracks cross the hills and shoreline. The coastal loop around Matiatia headland takes about two hours, past cliffs, quiet coves and views over the sails crossing the gulf.
