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!

  Wonderful experience on Waiheke Island! - Although the weather was dull with light rain at the beginning of our hike, our wonderful guide Tyler engaged our attention right away with her knowledge of the flora and... read more fauna on this island where she lives. She showed us the endangered khauri trees and explained why we had to clean our hiking boots on entering the island from the ferry. Our group of four quickly climbed to the cliffs above the harbour and started on a most interesting hike where we learned about the different birds and trees and the medicinal qualities of some of the leaves which we sampled. Tyler also showed us the traps in various areas which are to protect the environment from predatory mammals, particularly stoats (or weasels as we call them In Canada). We stopped at some beautiful viewpoints where we saw some of the other islands in this bay, with Tyler telling us about their history. After a few hours the weather became very inclement with lots of rain, so our hike took a pivot. Tyler called another member of the company, Bruce, who came and picked us up in the company van and drove us to the first of our two wineries, where we enjoyed the tasting experience. He then took us into the village where he picked up our packed lunches which we ate in the van as it was still pouring rain. The sandwiches were made with very tasty local bread - delicious! The bonus since we couldn't hike was that we got a driving tour of the island, going up and down the hills and seeing a variety of places where people live, as well as driving by some of the major beaches of the island. We spotted some long-legged birds digging for oysters on a particularly long beach. The second winery was also very enjoyable, but then it was time to return to the ferry to Auckland after a day with unexpected changes which turned out all to the good. Tyler was very attentive to our questions and shared many details of her famiily's experiences abroad and on Waiheke Island. We were all very impressed how Tyler and Bruce were both able to re-design our day on the island when the weather interfered with our original plans. Definitely one of the highlights of our time in New Zealand.

  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!

  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!

  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!

  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.

  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.

  Excellent first day in NZ tour of Waiheke. - Having a lunch with my guide on the sandy beach. As it turned out, I was the only guest for the tour time and date I had chosen. ... read more My guide, Dell, nevertheless was totally gracious and enthusiastically showed me around the island. She allowed me to choose which types of activity I wanted; more or less walking, beach lunch, whatever. She is an island resident, so knew anything about the place. We were like friends on a day trip. It was very nice.

  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.

  Really knowledgable local guide and beautiful walk. Local history, geography, flora, fauna and current regeneration projects. Well worth it.

  Great time. - The hiking tour we took of Waiheke Island was one of our highlights to the Auckland NZ area. Tyler, our guide was knowledgeable, energetic and FUN! I highly recommend... read more using Terra and Tide and ask for Tyler.

  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

  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.

  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.

  Sailing - Fab journey, Bruce and Gabrielle great hosts
Anchored up and swam, not much wind but all good, great food :)

  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.....

  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!

  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.