A Family Day Tripper’s Guide to Waiheke Island

My family and I have made annual trips to Waiheke Island for the past three years. We’ve fallen in love with the beautiful beaches, the rolling hills, great food and wine, and the laid back lifestyle. We stay for a week or so just to soak up island life, but you can experience a lot in just one day on Waiheke. Expedia’s local Kiwi travellers tend to spend 3 days in Auckland and that’s just enough time to pack in a few hours on Waiheke.

If you’re staying in Auckland, Waiheke (Maori for “cascading waters”) is only a 35 minute ride on the passenger ferry from the Auckland Ferry Terminal. The ferry ride is beautiful, passing by Motohui and Motutapu Islands and offering great views of the volcanoes of Browns Island and Rangitoto (where my husband proposed to me).

There’s a great local bus service from the ferry once you’re on Waiheke but an easier option might be to hop on a Waiheke Island Explorer Tour, which includes return boat rides, a 1.5hr tour and an unlimited bus pass once the tour is done if you want to stay for longer.

Local taxis have reasonable fares and family-friendly mini vans, while there’s also car hire right next to the ferry wharf.

Have breakfast in Oneroa Village

If you have young children in tow, Delight or Solar Eatery at the top of the hill both get the thumbs up from my kids. My girls and I will never forget having coffee together at Delight one morning when two Orcas were spotted swimming in the bay below. Everyone rushed to the windows before scurrying down the hill to watch the whales play from the beach. If you don’t need a highchair, Wai Kitchen has stunning panoramic views of the beautiful Hauraki Gulf.