One Day Travel Itinerary for Waiheke Island Visitors
New Zealand is an island country full of the most unique flora and fauna in the world. The country is also the home of a rich culture and some of the finest wines in the world. To plan a trip to New Zealand, tourists must plan between exploring the North Island and South Island.
Ideally a plan should contain an exploration for both island's tourist destinations, but it's hard to achieve. The North Island of New Zealand is most popular among tourists who wish to explore and immerse themselves in the rich culture of New Zealand. There are multiple places tourists can visit on the North Island, but one of the best places in this region is Waiheke Island.
Keep reading to learn a one-day travel itinerary for Waiheke Island visitors
Because of its large size, a proper itinerary is needed to enjoy everything the Waiheke Island has to offer. So, keep reading to learn a one day travel itinerary for Waiheke Island visitors.
Auckland Ferry to Matiatia Wharf
To start your journey of exploring Waiheke Island, we recommend that all tourists start by taking a ferry to Matiatia Wharf. The ferry takes about 40 minutes of travel time and during this trip, tourists can enjoy the beautiful ocean scenery with clear blue sky and ocean along the way. This ferry is a one-way trip and costs around 20 NZD for each trip.
Once you reach the Matiatia Wharf, there are many scenic views to enjoy. There are two ways tourists can enjoy these sceneries of Matiatia Wharf which are:
Trig Hill
Trig Hill is the place where tourists can sign up with Ecozip Adventures. This allows tourists to learn all about the island and its many attractions thanks to the guidance of a tour guide. Tourists can take a bus to reach Trig Hill and after signing up with Ecozip Adventures, the bus will take everyone to the Ecozip flying fox zip lines.
The Ecozip flying fox zip lines, as the name suggests, is a zipline adventure that you can take with one of your friends and zip across the large green canopy that is below while you get to enjoy the ocean breeze.
All of this makes the Ecozip flying fox zip lines one of the best attractions in Matiatia Wharf and after your zipline adventure, your tour guide can take you through the rest of the island tour.
Walking By Nature guided walk
If a zipline adventure is not your ideal cup of tea, don't worry because there is another way to enjoy the Matiatia Wharf. There are plenty of walking areas that are suitable for taking a nice walk along the many walking paths present on Matiatia Wharf.
Walking by Nature is a great place to visit for this purpose as you will receive a wide range of guided walks that are suitable for both beginners and experienced people.
A great walking path here is the Bush and Beach Walk. This walk will take you around 3.5 hours to complete, leading you to the tallest point of the Wharf which provides excellent views of the surroundings which consist of forests, streams, and beaches.
The Double Headland Walk is a 4-hour long walk which is one of the most popular walks here among the tourists.
It starts at the Matiatia ferry dock and along the path, you will witness the many other gorgeous islands present in the gulf and their vibrant wildlife which are native to this region. The Te Pio Hiti Reserve and the Church Bay Headland are key points of interest that you will observe along this walking path.
Out of the many walks you choose to walk along, you are guaranteed to have an experience that you will remember long after your trip to New Zealand.
Stonyridge Vineyard and Peacock Sky Vineyard
Once you have had your fun with the zip lines and walking adventures of Matiatia Wharf, the recommended stop for tourists is the Stonyridge Vineyard or the Peacock Sky Vineyard. They both provide the same experience as Stonyridge Vineyard is located close to Walking by Nature while Peacock Sky Vineyard is closer to Ecozip Adventures so, choose the one that is closer.
These places are an excellent destination to dine on some tasty cultural dishes and some fine wine. No tourist of New Zealand can claim to have experienced the culture of New Zealand completely until they have enjoyed its most popular beverage. Both of these places also allow you to dine in nature where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of farmlands filled with plants.
Connells Bay Sculpture Park
After you complete your exquisite lunch at one of the Vineyards, you can continue the journey on the eastern part of Waiheke Island. Next, you will arrive at the Connells Bay Sculpture Park. This is the ideal place for tourists who wish to look at some of the best artwork created by New Zealand's talented artists. This place is an outdoor art gallery which aims to provide an experience of both art and nature. In order to explore this place, you will have to book a tour beforehand since this is a private park.
The charges are different for adults and children with them costing 30 NZD per adult and 15 NZD per child.
Stony Batter Historic Reserve
The artistic exploration does not stop at Connells Bay Sculpture Park. Continuing forward tourists will reach Batter Historic Reserve. This marvelous site was built here during World War II containing many impressive gun sites, a Counter Bombardment Heavy Coast Defence Battery, and a large network of underground chambers.
Photography is allowed in the reserve so you can take pictures of the scenery that has green hills and rock formations spread all around. This entire place will take you around 1.5 hours to fully explore and is a great place for those tourists who are interested in learning about Waiheke Island's history.
The entry costs are different for adults and children with 8 NZD being the charge of each adult and 5 NZD being the charge of each child that enters the reserve.
Onetangi Beach
Finally, for the night, Onetangi Beach is a great day to conclude your day at Waiheke Island. This beach is the home of Charley Farley's Restaurant and Barwho are well known in the area for their dinner cuisines.
The beach also provides an excellent sunset view where you can take a nice stroll along the shore, make sand castles, and if you are on time, observe a horse race or a sea leg race. For those who have already been to the Charley Farley's Restaurant and Bar, the Sand Shack is a great alternative located in Onetangi Beach.
This entire place will take you around 2 hours to explore.
New Zealand is a great tourist destination that is filled with a rich culture, unique flora and fauna, and some of the world's finest wines. The island nation is divided into 2 islands, the North Island and the South Island. The North Island is more suited to tourists who wish to explore the rich culture of New Zealand.
While the North Island has plenty of excellent places for tourists to explore like Auckland, Waiheke Beach is one of the best places on this side of New Zealand containing multiple places where tourists can immerse themselves. So, if you are looking to visit Waiheke Island, we suggest you start applying for a New Zealand tourist visa early and book all your reservations in advance as New Zealand attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world every year.
READ MORE: Many of New Zealand's natural wonders are free to visit. All you need to do is plan a budget trip to New Zealand using affordable transport, food, accommodation, and other smart tips that we give in this travel guide to New Zealand on a budget. Learn more at Budget Travel Guide to New Zealand. Please apply for a New Zealand eTA 3 (three) days in advance of your flight.
Ensure that you have checked the eligibility for your Online New Zealand Visa. Belgian citizens, Italian citizens, French citizens, Swiss citizens and Brazilian citizens can apply online for New Zealand eTA.