The annual Waiheke Walking Festival is on from 19-27 November. Now in its 7th year, the festival is going from strength to strength.
With 50 walks covering a wide variety of themes, the festival has something for everyone, so we expect Waiheke Island will be buzzing!
I am looking forward to volunteering on some of the walks, getting into nature, meeting new people and helping them enjoy their experience on the island.
All the walks are free. Registrations are essential.
Seeing art works on Waiheke Island - It was an extraordinary tour. Gabrielle made me feel like she was showing me her own island and the artworks and artists on it. I have traveled to many... read more countries, and this was one of the most memorable tours I’ve ever had. Thank you Gabrielle for giving me such a special day.
This was such a great tour and hike of the island!!! It was such a beautiful day and our guides were awesome!! They were super friendly and knowledgeable and made... read more it such a fun day!! I cannot say enough positive things!!! Highlight of our trip!!!
Nature and wine - We, a couple, had a nice walk with Cindy. She explained a lot of interesting facts about the plants, birds and the Māori culture. After the walk we got a... read more very tasty lunch sandwich and tasted different wines at 2 wineries. We had a nice group and a good laugh.
Fabulous private tour with vineyard lunch - Our day with Nicky was wonderful! We were excited to find out it was a private tour! Nicky drove us all around the island and showed us so much in... read more a day!
We stopped at a vineyard for lunch which was superb and enjoyed a wine tasting at another vineyard! After the tour she gave us some recommendations to stay on the island for a drink so we did and took a later ferry back to Auckland. We loved the island. Nicky was friendly and informative. We couldn’t have had a better start to our time in Auckland.
A great day out - I really enjoyed my day out. Lucie was a great guide, offering lots of information about the history of the island and the flora and fauna. The meet and greet... read more worked smoothly. The walks provided some lovely views and we ended with a quick trip to a high point with 360 degree aspect over the surrounding islands and coastline. There was a tasty packed lunch enjoyed in a shady cove.
Great walk - We took the vineyards and bush walk around Waiheke. I don't really like bus tours and this was a nice option. A little longer walk than advertised but... read more very slow easy
pace. Great views and 2 winery stops. Good guide.
Fantastic day out on a catamaran - We took a catamaran out with Bruce to Tiritiri Matangi Island. Not only was the island itself an incredible experience but Bruce was an outstanding and informative host. He let... read more us try our hand at sailing, provided excellent food, and was a fantastic companion overall. Had a great time and couldn't recommend this enough!
Really knowledgable local guide and beautiful walk. Local history, geography, flora, fauna and current regeneration projects. Well worth it.
A rewarding hike. - We really appreciated the knowlege of Gabrielle about the island, its history and the flora and fauna of the area. We learned so much about the positve steps NZ... read more is taking to restore the natural habitat, the history and the efforts to protect the ecological system of Waiheke. All with a personal touch, The two hour plus hike was at a pace that provided good exercise for the day, Bruce and Ann, San Diego CA.
Amazing, informative, and breathtaking! - This was our first stop on our honeymoon in New Zealand and our guide was Maria. I had done a lot of research on New Zealand and was really wanting... read more to know more about the island of Waiheke. Maria was incredibly knowledgeable about all the animal and plant life and the conservation efforts for the island. This tour was a true highlight and she truly made this a magical experience as our introduction for New Zealand and it's ecology. It was truly unforgettable!
Perfect boat trip - We had the best tour. We started sailing and went to a beautiful island and hiked around and then had lunch and sailed back. It was just wonderful and we... read more loved it
Sailing Waiheke with Blue Penguins - My husband and I had such a lovely time touring the islands around Waiheke for our honeymoon! Bruce and Gabrielle were such lovely hosts and we had an amazing time... read more learning about New Zealand wild life on our hike and seeing the ocean. They had a paddle board and kayak, which were fun to use in the Bay Area. We even saw blue penguins! Gabrielle made a fantastic lunch and charcuterie and we felt very much at home on the catamaran. Thank you for the hospitality and we look forward to coming back to New Zealand!
Relaxed Day - Gabrielle"s wealth of knowledge of the flora and fauna of the island was amazing. Even though the weather meant plans had to change it was a most enjoyable day hiking... read more on Waiheke Island. I got to test my wet weather gear! The day was relaxed and informative.
Sailing - Fab journey, Bruce and Gabrielle great hosts
Anchored up and swam, not much wind but all good, great food :)
Waiheke wonderland - My husband and I had splendid tour with Nicky who really did show us the best of Waiheke Island. We had several wine tastings, a super lunch and enjoyed many... read more incredible vistas.
Waiheke is a very unique and beautiful place that I can understand why it’s such a popular destination. Nicky looked after us very well and was a very informative and interesting guide and she helped make our visit such a success.
Perfect day away from the Hustle and Bustle - We really enjoyed the stunning views and bays of Waiheke isl. Tyler guided us during the walk and shared her great knowledge about the beautiful nature. Towards the end of... read more the hike Tyler got us a nice lunch so we got our energy boosted for the last hills to a beautiful 360* view of the island.
We'll certainly come back for another adventure.....
Optimal tour for a meaningful overview of Waiheke Island and NZ in general - The Waiheke Island History and Heritage Tour was a fabulous way to start our vacation. Gabrielle and team are extremely knowledgable about all aspects of NZ and Waiheke Island... read more in particular. We learned a ton about the history, people and culture. And in particular, I found the information on the environmental conservation aspects fascinating. It was such a pleasure to have a guide that was both knowledgeable and passionate. I highly recommend a visit to Waiheke Island and a tour with Gabrielle and Terra & Tide!
The perfect way to explore the Hauraki Gulf - We had a fabulous day out on board Pacific Star with skipper Bruce and walking guide Lucie. Can’t think of a better way to explore and learn about the history... read more and wildlife of the Hauraki Gulf. We dropped anchor in a lovely bay for a spot of kayaking and swimming and then enjoyed a delicious platter in the sunshine. Later we landed on one of the islands and Lucie took us on a short hike where she shared plenty of insights about the local flora and fauna and Māori culture. If you want to learn a bit about sailing Bruce is happy to show you - my dad enjoyed taking the helm for a while and his dream of owning his own Cat has been reignited! Thanks again!
A fun way to meet some nice people and enjoy the lovely island.
So much beautiful and creative art to see!
A great way to tour around some different areas... read more of the island as well. Would recommend!
Beautiful Day on Waiheke - I had the best day touring Waiheke Island with Maria of Terra & Tide. We discussed my interests when we met and she tailored the day to fit... read more my interests. We visited wineries, an art gallery (and i bought a piece of art), a couple of beaches (I am a beach person) and did an olive oil tasting when i noticed and mentioned all of the olive trees on the island. Things I liked best about Maria include: she grew up and has lived and worked on the island, has a deep knowledge of the island and its history and can provide great stories of the island as you tour around the island from place to place; she often offered to take my photo when i was taking pictures and since i was traveling solo i truly appreciated that as most guides do not offer and you need to ask. I ended up loving Waiheke and thought i could easily live there and i think that's due, in part anyway as i was able to view the island through Maria's eyes.
Great Tour of Waiheke Island! - We had most of a day to devote to touring Waiheke island and Gabrielle was an EXCELLENT guide! Very accommodating to our schedule, very knowledgeable about the island, a... read more good driver in a new car...took us to spectacular views. A terrific day!
Nikki was fantastic- her knowledge of the island & her delightful personality made the day very enjoyable. We were blessed with stunning weather & Nikki showed off the best of... read more Waiheke, a very special place
What an amazing experience exploring the beautiful Waiheke Island with Gabrielle, a passionate nature lover with in depth knowledge of the flora and fauna of the island. Gabrielle also... read more had extensive knowledge of the Māori history of the island which was great. The tour took us through different forrest and seaside environments, including a delicious lunch and swim at a secluded beach. The walk itself was easy to moderate with some panoramic vistas. I’d highly recommend this tour to the nature lover!
Incredible day on the catamaran with Bruce - My wife and I had the BEST day out on the water with Bruce this February. We booked rather last minute, but Bruce and Gabrielle were incredibly accommodating and provided... read more the absolute best experience. The boat is beautiful and very comfortable, Bruce was a great guide not only as boat captain of the catamaran, but also of the dinghy – make sure to ask him to take you into the cave at Otata Island (I think that was the one). The prepared lunch was also delicious and fresh, we were really impressed. All around 10/10, beyond worth it – it was our honeymoon and filled with great days, but this was and remains our favorite day of the trip!
Hiking to Wine! 🍷 - Wonderful adventure to explore the island. Spectacular scenery. Wineries were amazing. Thank you, Dell, for your knowledge, hospitality, and kindness! Highly recommend this experience.
Nydia was a lovely tour guide. The scenery was amazing. We had a tight schedule due to a flight and they modified the tour time to accommodate us. Great people... read more to work with. Lunch was nice
An Absolute Must - Our time on Waiheke Island was amazing. Nicky, our tour guide, took us around the galleries on the main road of the island and if felt like walking through a... read more large, live outdoor art museum. We also visited a sanctuary garden and looked over scenic country and beach views of Waiheke. We learned so much about its rich history, as well as the current lifestyle of the locals. By far, this was the best part of our Australia/New Zealand trip.
Loved our tour with Gabrielle - We really appreciated the knowlege of Gabrielle about the island, its history and the flora and fauna of the area. We learned so much about the positve steps NZ is... read more taking to restore the natural habitat, the history and the efforts to protect the ecological system of Waiheke. It was interesting to see where/how the traps are set to irradiate the rodents of New Zealand. We enjoyed our lunch with Gabrielle as well as our walk in the bush. We also enjoyed learning about the native traditions, which were repeated in other cities on our travels. Loved ending the tour at a great winery.
Excellent four and introduction to Waiheke Island. - Fantastic tour! Walking and hiking with coastal views, and on a trail through the forest. Then an absolutely delicious picnic lunch on the Mudbrick winery estate before a lovely... read more wine-tasting. Then on down the lane to Cable Bay winery for a second tasting. The perfect combination of hiking through beautiful parts of Waiheke and a relaxed winery experience. Justine, our guide was warm and friendly, and genuinely cared about insuring a good experience for our smalll group of three. Highly recommend.
A Day on Waiheke Island - We had a wonderful day on Waiheke Island. Our guide, Nydia, was terrific. She was friendly, she told us all about the flora and fauna as well as... read more about Maori culture, the history of the island. She led us on a beautiful hike, which included a picnic and two wine tastings. She planned to take us back to the ferry, but when we said we would like to stay longer, she took us to a gorgeous beach. She recommended a restaurant for dinner. We like to bird watch, and on our return walk to the ferry at dusk we saw at least 7 new birds. My husband and I were joining a walking tour in Christchurch a few days later, and our day on Waiheke was the perfect beginning to our trip. Thank you!
