The Terra & Tide team has been sharing the best things to do on Waiheke Island with guests since 2016, and our guides are members of the island community with an unrivaled depth of knowledge and passion for our beautiful home. Who better to help you discover what Waiheke offers visitors?
Waiheke may be only a short ferry ride from the bustling centre of Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland, but it’s the proverbial “different world”. The 92km2 (36 sq mi) island, the second largest on the Hauraki Gulf, boasts its own warmer & sunnier climate and 40km (25 miles) of beaches. And that Mediterranean-like climate means that many of its rolling hills are populated by vineyards and Olive groves.
View from Te Ara Hura track
Add in a thriving artist and artisan community attracted by the beauty and more-relaxed lifestyle of the around 9ooo permanent residents of the island and you have an appealing place to unwind. Indeed, Waiheke might be the ideal getaway destination for, Tamaki Makaura, Auckland locals and visitors to the region alike. It’s often featured on best destination lists by publications like Lonely Planet and bound to pop up when people ask for Auckland day trip recommendations.
Why Waiheke?
Waiheke offers a chance to escape the faster pace of the surrounding sprawl of Auckland. The natural beauty of the island and the wine its stunning vineyards produce draw visitors from all over the world. The island may be relatively small, but there is something for everyone here.
Beach lovers are spoilt for choice. Nature lovers will enjoy many local walks that include native bush and beaches — we offer forest therapy experiences that make the most of the beauty of local forests. Art lovers will marvel at the beauty of local artists’ work in many small galleries, artists’ studios, and public art across the island. Wine lovers are spoilt for choice of vineyards. And gourmands will be blown away by our wonderful range of restaurants.
Best of the many things to do on Waiheke?
All this choice can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to choosing the best things to do on Waiheke. And this is particularly true, if you are short of time. Don’t worry. We can help. Showing visitors the best Waiheke Island has to offer them is what we do.
Our guided walks and tour experiences cater to many interests and include many Waiheke attractions that should make your list of Waiheke itinerary options.
Recommended Waiheke attractions and places to visit
View from Mudbrick Vineyard
Local Vineyards
Wine connoisseurs may get no further than this item on our list of suggested attractions when it comes to their Waiheke wish list. Others may be less interested. Arguably, however, any visit to Waiheke should include time at one of the many local vineyards, some of which have stunning cellar door restaurants.
Waiheke is particularly known for its red wines. But local white wines should also be on your tasting menu. Delicious bordeaux-style reds are a highlight of wines on offer with Syrah now the most significant grape variety grown on the island. Don’t despair if you’re more of a white person. Chardonnay grapes are grown on the island, meaning that popular varietal is also a tasting must.
Larger, more well-known vineyards include Mudbrick, Goldie Estate, Te Motu, Man O’ War and Stonyridge. While boutique ones like Stormwood, Owhanake Bay, Awaroa and Woodside Hill are well worth visiting. Every vineyard visit experience from simple tasting to behind-the-scenes experiences and unforgettable gourmet lunches and dinners are available on the island.
Whakanewah Regional Park
Whakanewah Regional Park offers an opportunity to learn about the Maori history of occupation of the island (which we offer our guests alongside birding experiences as a concession holder). Waiheke was one of only two islands in the Hauraki Gulf that were permanently occupied by Maori in pre-settlement times. So, a visit to an ancient pa site to see evidence of early Maori occupation is a window into the history of the Auckland Region and the wider Gulf.
Piritahi Marae
By way of contemporary contrast, a visit to Piritahi Marae offers an opportunity to learn about Te Ao Maori, marae and powhiri ceremony. This is both an insight into the Maori world view and a chance to visit a meeting place where contemporary Tikanga Maori (protocols and customs) can be experienced. You’ll also get the chance to learn a little about te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi), Aotearoa’s founding document, and the crucial role it plays in the relationship between contemporary society and Te Ao Maori.
Olive oil tasting at Allpress Olive Groves
The history of Allpress Olive Groves dates back to 1997 when the first olive trees were planted at Rangihoua Estate. Today the company produces award-winning extra virgin olive oils from those trees, which have flourished in the Waiheke climate. With a restaurant coming in 2025,a store and tours available, the estate offers an opportunity to see how olive oil is produced and, of course, taste the product, and is a quintessential Waiheke experience.
As we have said, olive trees and vineyards are a feature of the Waiheke landscape replacing the sub-tropical Kauri forests that inhabitants of the ancient pa site would have known. Where those forests provided timber for early use on colonial ships and wood for early Auckland, today’s olive groves offer a taste sensation amongst the many artisan delicacies produced on the island.
Enjoy a guided Waiheke walk
Guided Waiheke walking tours are a central part of what our team offers. So, we may be a little biased here, but we think it’s a shame to visit Waiheke and not experience some of the amazing local walks.
The island offers everything from short walks to multi-day hikes. And going with a guide ensures you choose the walk that’s right for you and make the absolute most of your walk. Walk through stunning rainforest and coastal tracks whilst learning all about our flora and fauna with our expert guides.
We particularly recommend, as a quintessential Waiheke walking experience, a walk on a stunning coastal trail studded by Pohutukawa trees and overlooking beautiful beaches and Hauraki Gulf islands.
Visit Stony Batter
Here’s another attraction for history and heritage buffs, alongside ancient and contemporary Maori attractions. This time we’re looking back to WWII…
At the eastern end of the island you’ll find Stony Batter an amazing 2nd World war fortress complex with 1.2kms of underground passages. Today these tunnels offer underground art installations. But they also offer an opportunity to learn all about the incredible hidden history of Auckland during WWII and its preparations for a possible Japanese invasion.
Other things to do at the eastern end of Waiheke
Waiheke isn’t large, but the eastern end of the island is around 19kms (12mi) from your likely arrival point at the ferry terminal on the western end of the island. It’s good, then, to combine Stony Batter with some nearby attractions.
Our tours include visits to the spectacular Waiheke clifftop gin distillery with its spectacular views of Coromandel Peninsula, across the Hauraki Gulf, and the islands below the distillery’s clifftop location. A visit to Man o War Bay Vineyard for a delicious lunch, wine tasting and a zipline experience is also recommended and popular with our guests.
Te Korowai O Waiheke
Te Korowai O Waiheke is a charitable trust established to “mak Waiheke Island the world’s first predator-free urban island”. The goal being to provide an environment where native bird life, which evolved in absence of introduced predators, to thrive.
We encourage visitors to the island to learn about Te Korowai O Waiheke and include it in our tours. The predator-free Waiheke project aims to eradicate stoats and rats. And it has had stunning success with large increases in bird numbers and stoat numbers tracking to zero.
Hauraki Gulf eco sailing adventures
The beautiful waters off the 134km coastline of Waiheke and the surrounding waters of the Hauraki Gulf are an essential part of the Waiheke experience.
Join us on a Hauraki Gulf eco sailing adventure. We’ll visit pest-free islands — the Noises, Rakino and Motuihe — where you will have the opportunity to see a number of endangered species of birds and even tuatara (an endemic local lizard that is a relic of the dinosaur age). Take the opportunity to snorkel, paddleboard, kayak and swim on your day out.
Stroll through Oneroa Village
Surrounding a beautiful bay often full of visiting yachts at anchor, Oneroa village is a charming beachside village full of boutiques, galleries and restaurants. It’s well worth exploring at a relaxed pace between visits to other island attractions or a visit for a coffee after you arrive on the island. And the beach itself is a great place to spend a little time.
In the village, you can visit Timmy Smith and taste her unique sparkling tea product and browse her stunning jewellery range. And that’s just the beginning of the gallery-style boutique experiences on offer. Visit Space Gallery, Toi Gallery or the Waiheke Community Art Gallery to buy a piece of Waiheke art or, simply, enjoy time perusing lovely boutiques.
Visit our very own Island Grocer, to browse and buy delicious locally produced food and gourmet goodies to take home with you as a souvenir of your stay.
The home of artist Gabrielle Lewenz
Visit the home of, artist, Gabrielle Lewenz, the largest mudbrick home in Aotearoa. See her work and those of other significant local artists whilst visiting an incredible home. You’ll discover a home that is a testament to the possibilities afforded by using recycled materials, including a church bell from Scotland.
Sue Engels, Waiheke Island shoemaker
Visit artisan shoemaker Sue Engels
Discover the wonders and advantages of handmade bespoke shoes and learn about the history of shoemaking with a visit to Sue Engels’ studio near Oneroa.
Sacred Blessing Sanctuary, sculpture garden
Visit the incredible Sacred Blessing sanctuary sculpture garden, one of NZ’s top gardens on an incredible coastal site surrounded by bush. Sacred Blessing is always filled with flowers with a range of significant NZ sculptures.
Making the most of your time on Waiheke Island
You are never short of things to do on Waiheke Island. The challenge is to make the most of your time on the island and choose activities and attractions that suit the people you are visiting with.
We work with a range of partners on the island and would love to curate your stay/tour to include star gazing, ziplining (with Ecozip Adventures or Man O’ War), ebiking (with eRide), water activities (with Watsup Waiheke), claybird shooting and archery.
Contact us to discuss planning your ideal Waiheke visit featuring a selection of attractions and places to visit that reflect your group’s interests.
Further reading: Waiheke.co.nz, Newzealand.com & Tourism Waiheke.
