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Waiheke Island Options? Worth Day-Trip?


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For our two days at the end of the early Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Solstice, Sydney to Auckland cruise, Waiheke Island continues to seem very interesting and attractive. Below is what that NY Times travel profile shows for this nearby area. Anyone else interested and/or experienced with info from visiting on Waiheke Island? AND, whether it might be worth it for doing a day-trip there on Tuesday, Feb. 4 before we fly out on the afternoon of Feb. 5? Appreciate any added sharing, insights!!

 

Added NY Times travel "36 Hours" story highlight:

"For a glimpse of New Zealand’s bountiful natural beauty, take a 40-minute ferry ride across the aquamarine waters of the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island. This quiet 35-square-mile island, with its rolling hills and gorgeous coastline, is so visually inspiring that a growing number of artists have made Waiheke home. See their work at the Waiheke Community Art Gallery (2 Korora Road; waihekeartgallery.org.nz) or the newer Toi Gallery (145 Ocean View Road; toigallery.com). Then retire to the scenic estate of Cable Bay Vineyards (12 Nick Johnstone Drive; cablebayvineyards.co.nz) overlooking the gulf for a glass of Waiheke Island viognier. The winery is one of many on the island, but the view from the backyard terrace — of the glittering water stretching toward Auckland in the hazy distance — is hard to top."

 

From the New Zealand Herald in Auckland yesterday morning, they have this headline: "Waiheke Island named in top 10 South Pacific islands list" with these highlights: "Auckland's Waiheke Island has been ranked in the top 10 islands to visit in the South Pacific by TripAdvisor. Their Travelers Choice Destination award is based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers. Waiheke Island - described as a haven of beautiful beaches, gastronomical treasures and small wineries - features alongside a range of stand-out Pacific Island destinations, including Bora Bora and Taveuni Island in Fiji. In the same poll, Auckland central was rated the second best destination in New Zealand. Auckland was also the only destination in New Zealand to have three beaches in the top 10 list, with Piha ranked number three and neighbouring west coast beaches Bethells and Karekare also placing in the top 10."

 

Added reactions, tips, ideas, past experiences to share, etc.??

 

Full stories at:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/travel/36-hours-in-auckland-new-zealand.html?ref=travel&_r=0

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10885957

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 6,086 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

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Hi Terry

 

Waiheke is well worth a day visit. On New Years Day this year we joined a couple (we coincidentally we met on a cruise the year prior) for a Wine Tour of Waiheke. We had a wonderful day - 11am ferry crossing and back on the 5pm ferry. Make sure you take a sun hat and sunscreen.

 

Waiheke had changed a great deal since our last visit in 1998! In the summer the local population goes from 8000 to 40,000! It is a summer mecca. Mind you the roads are still narrow and windy.

 

Back in the 1980's the main inhabitants were hippies and alternative lifestylers (including winemakers) and it was nearly impossible to sell land. I knew a lady who had a property (no house) and it took years to sell. Now you have to have a small fortune to buy a property. Today wine is HUGE on the island.

 

Anyway, back to our day visit. I can highly recommend Peacock Sky Vineyard for lunch and accompanying wine. We had a fabulous day.

 

Fortunately your proposed date to visit is just as schools go back, so the crowds will have reduced somewhat. There are lots of Arts & Crafts places.

 

I would check out Fullers, who run the ferries for tours and fares. http://www.fullers.co.nz/tickets-fares/timetables/waiheke-island.php

 

Note: Overseas Seniors get a special return fares. On our visit DH being free as he is my Carer as I am in a wheelchair. http://www.fullers.co.nz/tickets-fares/disability.php (such discounts are rare in NZ sadly)

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Hi Terry. Waiheke is well worth a day visit. On New Years Day this year we joined a couple (we coincidentally we met on a cruise the year prior) for a Wine Tour of Waiheke. We had a wonderful day - 11am ferry crossing and back on the 5pm ferry. Make sure you take a sun hat and sunscreen. Waiheke had changed a great deal since our last visit in 1998! In the summer the local population goes from 8000 to 40,000! It is a summer mecca. Mind you the roads are still narrow and windy. Back in the 1980's the main inhabitants were hippies and alternative lifestylers (including winemakers) and it was nearly impossible to sell land. I knew a lady who had a property (no house) and it took years to sell. Now you have to have a small fortune to buy a property. Today wine is HUGE on the island. Anyway, back to our day visit. I can highly recommend Peacock Sky Vineyard for lunch and accompanying wine. We had a fabulous day. Fortunately your proposed date to visit is just as schools go back, so the crowds will have reduced somewhat. There are lots of Arts & Crafts places. I would check out Fullers, who run the ferries for tours and fares. http://www.fullers.co.nz/tickets-fares/timetables/waiheke-island.php

Note: Overseas Seniors get a special return fares. On our visit DH being free as he is my Carer as I am in a wheelchair. http://www.fullers.co.nz/tickets-fares/disability.php (such discounts are rare in NZ sadly)

 

Great above ideas and tips from MargoK in Auckland. Notice that you'll be getting on "our" Solstice on Feb. 3, 2014, to do the Auckland to Perth adventure. We'll work hard to drink the ship dry during our 14-day cruise, but we'll leave just a little for your sailing.

 

Appreciate your great tips, comments and ideas on Waiheke Island. Will share with those on our roll call, plus coping to my laptop computer travel file for this trip. Keep up the great sharing and helpful info.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 6,086 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

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Great above ideas and tips from MargoK in Auckland. Notice that you'll be getting on "our" Solstice on Feb. 3, 2014, to do the Auckland to Perth adventure. We'll work hard to drink the ship dry during our 14-day cruise, but we'll leave just a little for your sailing.

 

Appreciate your great tips, comments and ideas on Waiheke Island. Will share with those on our roll call, plus coping to my laptop computer travel file for this trip. Keep up the great sharing and helpful info.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

:D:)

Yes we are indeed cruising right after you! Did you realise 3rd Feb is SuperBowl Sunday (back in USA)? We have a pre-cruise event for our Roll Call so those afflicted with this passion won't miss out :rolleyes: :cool:

Our Roll Call is steaming along. Alot of cruisers are doing the B2B around Australia.

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We spent 4 days in Auckland pre-cruise in January '13. It is a great city to spend time in with great scenery and wonderful people. On 2 days we did out of city excursions both of which we would highly recommend.

The first day trip was to Waiheke Island. We bought our Fullers ferry tickets the day previous (to save us from lining up in the morning) and were met on the island by our guide from Ananda Tours. We spent a wonderful day visiting wineries and viewing the marvelous scenery. We also had a very enjoyable lunch at Mudbrick winery. At the end of the day we were dropped back at the ferry and returned to Auckland. Ananda provided a great guide and we really enjoyed our day.

Another day out was with John at Auckland Wine Trail Tours. We did the Waterfalls & Wines tour which took us to the west side of the island. Beautiful scenery (a deserted black sand beach, waterfall & a visit to the Arataki Heritage Centre!), great wineries in the afternoon and an included delicious winery lunch all made for a very enjoyable day.

So... two very good days out of the city!

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Yes we are indeed cruising right after you! Did you realise 3rd Feb is SuperBowl Sunday (back in USA)? We have a pre-cruise event for our Roll Call so those afflicted with this passion won't miss out :rolleyes: Our Roll Call is steaming along. Alot of cruisers are doing the B2B around Australia.

 

YES, am aware of that Super Bowl timing. For us sports fans, it is likely that we will have just gotten off of the ship when Super Bowl XLVIII is scheduled to be played in the recently-built Meadowlands MetLife Stadium (open air) in the potentially cold New York/New Jersey region. This will be an NFL first for a northern city during the winter season. If the game starts around 6:30 pm EST, on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, that means in New Zealand, it will be 16 hours ahead of that kick-off time across the Hudson River from New York City. That means a NZ kick-off time of 12:30 p.m. Monday, February 3, 2014 in the Pacific/Auckland time period. Does this timing match your understanding and planning?

 

For those of us planning our post-cruise activities, there is also the 2014 or XXII Winter Olympics that will be February 7-23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. Ninety-eight events in fifteen winter sports will be held. By the time we get back to Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 10, we might miss a little of these Olympic games.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 6,132 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

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YES, am aware of that Super Bowl timing. For us sports fans, it is likely that we will have just gotten off of the ship when Super Bowl XLVIII is scheduled to be played in the recently-built Meadowlands MetLife Stadium (open air) in the potentially cold New York/New Jersey region. This will be an NFL first for a northern city during the winter season. If the game starts around 6:30 pm EST, on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, that means in New Zealand, it will be 16 hours ahead of that kick-off time across the Hudson River from New York City. That means a NZ kick-off time of 12:30 p.m. Monday, February 3, 2014 in the Pacific/Auckland time period. Does this timing match your understanding and planning?

 

For those of us planning our post-cruise activities, there is also the 2014 or XXII Winter Olympics that will be February 7-23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. Ninety-eight events in fifteen winter sports will be held. By the time we get back to Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 10, we might miss a little of these Olympic games.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 6,132 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

 

Slightly off topic - but yes we had an idea of the timing. CCer's on the Roll Call who are interested are planning to drop their bags off early and all adjourn to a suitable establishment to watch the game and have an early Connections Party! Plans are yet to be finalised, but most bars/pubs with big screen TV's will most likely show the game.

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  • 1 year later...

As a follow-up to earlier posts, here is a short summary for our one day trip there with another couple on Waiheke Island. Quick summary? We had a great, fun time!! On my below-linked live/blog starting on page 12 with post 236, you can see lots of visuals and details on our "adventure" there on Waiheke Island. Below are also a few visual samples. More on the larger report. We had a rental car and did stops on the far eastern part of the island at a winery and at an incredible outdoor sculpture garden at a private estate.

 

We went to Connells Bay Sculpture Park at the eastern side of Waiheke Island. It provides visitors an opportunity to experience large outdoor contemporary sculpture by some of New Zealand's best-known sculptors. Heralded by Lonely Planet as "one of the greatest properties we've ever seen", the 60-acre coastal property is the vision of owners John and Jo Gow who wanted to unite art with nature. The owners have created the sculpture park by planting sweeps of native trees on the natural landscape to create special places for commissioned site-specific and purchased New Zealand art. The Sculpture Park currently contains 28 works in differing scale and media, and each of the commissioned sculptures tells a story about its existence.

You can see more details and booking options at their website of:

http://www.connellsbay.co.nz

 

We set up this trip to Waiheke Island on our own. When getting the Fuller Ferry tickets, be sure to ask for the senior discount. Saves a few dollars, if you are "seasoned" citizens as we are blessed to be.

 

Waiheke Island is 11.0 miles from Auckland with trips taking about 35 minutes. There are nearly 9,000 permanent residents plus an estimated 3,400 who have second or holiday homes on the island. Most live in the western area closer to Auckland and its connections. It is New Zealand's most densely populated island and is the most accessible offshore island. There is regular passenger and car ferry services. Waiheke translates as "the descending waters" or "ebbing water", tied to when a Maori explorer landed on the island. The island is 12.0 miles long from west to east with varied widths from a half to 6 miles. Its surface area of 36 square miles. The coastline is 83.0 miles with 25 miles of beaches. The port of Matiatia at the western end of the island. Waiheke is very hilly with few flat areas, the highest point being Maunganui at 758 feet. The climate is slightly warmer than Auckland, with less humidity and rain and more sunshine hours.

 

Waiheke Island has become known as New Zealand's "island of wine", home to winegrowers who have matched the maritime climate and ancient soil structures for classical grape varieties to produce red and white wines with distinctive varietal character. Waiheke's climate are well suited to growing Bordeaux wine-type grapes, with also some Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc varieties considered to be good. Waiheke winegrowers regularly win awards for Syrah.

 

The Eyewitness NZ book cites this island's "alternative" reputation known for its artisans and organic farms. National Geographic cites its "fine bays and beaches". Frommers, in its five pages of details, gives the island three stars and notes it as a "divine little paradise". They rate this island's Onetangi Bay as one of the seven best beaches in all of NZ. It is rated as a "Fodor's Choice" and they note how it has been transformed from a once sleep spot and hippie haven to a more upscale escape. Fodors gives high marks for dining to Te Whau Vineyard (with their Bordeaux blend), Mudbrick Vineyard and Cafe and Vino Vino. The NZ Insight Guide credits the high-speed catamaran for making this island easier to reach and notes that many of craftspeople on this island are "world-class". Shopping opportunities??

 

Waiheke Island's biggest demographic groups are 82% European, 12% Maori, 4% Pacific Islander and 2% Asian. It is highly diverse, with the creative sector (artists, musicians, scientists, writers, poets and actors) and "eccentrics" strongly represented. Around two thousand people commute daily to Auckland for work. The main employment sectors are hospitality (23%) and retail (15%) followed by education, agriculture/horticulture and healthcare (10% each).

 

Much of this info is from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiheke_Island

You can go to this site or use Google.com for much more detail and background on the various wine places there, beaches, added history, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 65,514 views for this fun posting.

 

 

Here one of the many great views on Waiheke Island. Lots of varied hills and great water views, including this picture showing the twisting and turning roads on this island. Some paved. Many not. This shows one of those "unsealed" roads that requires slow speeds, much care, etc.. Unsealed is clever term to describe just a basic dirt road. Plus, the fun of driving on the "wrong side".:

 

AucklandArtOneA19_zps0020de25.jpg

 

 

At the Man O' War Winery, their main building was overlooking the beach as a part of its scenic location. This picture shows friends Ed and Karen from Central Ohio enjoying a tasting plate with a variety of good food items, plus, of course, their wine that is produced on this scenic island. Great way to do a "lunch break" and soak up the style, character and beauty for this artsy island. Their website: http://www.manowarvineyards.co.nz.:

 

AucklandArtOneA23_zps0543f9e9.jpg

 

 

We started with owner Jo Glow picking us up promptly at 2 pm at her hilltop gate. She first took us to see a large reception area with many original models or machetes prepared by the artist prior to producing each work. Here is one of the first art pieces we saw at the start of our tour near this reception building.:

 

AucklandArtOneA15_zpsf5ff8594.jpg

 

 

This is a uniquely-crafted piece of special stainless steel that had been made into a metal leaf that can move and shift with the wind.:

 

AucklandArtOneA10_zpsf918b361.jpg

 

 

Here is a picture from Waiheke Island's two kilometer stretch of white sand on Onetangi Beach. Here are Karen and my wife Penny sitting, enjoying this nice setting before our return to Auckland.:

 

AucklandArtOneA36_zps546635b7.jpg

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Terry: Did you arrange for your rental car in advance? Waiheke is on our list of places to go on Auckland but will be watching the weather.

 

YES, did arrange ahead with Fun Rentals Waiheke Ltd. They are a smaller operation that met us at the dock. I'd Google to check options and prices for when you are considering visiting. The island is fairly easy for getting around.

 

Any other questions? Happy to share more.

 

For times with Fullers check at:

http://www.fullers.co.nz/tickets-fares/timetables/waiheke-island.php

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 148,414 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well as an Aucklander I might be a bit biased ;) But here's what the Lonely Planet says about it:

 

'93 sq km of island bliss only a 35-minute ferry ride from the CBD. Once they could hardly give land away here; nowadays multimillionaires rub shoulders with the old-time hippies and bohemian artists who gave the island its green repute. Auckland office workers fantasise about swapping the daily motorway crawl for a watery commute and a warm, dry microclimate.

 

On Waiheke’s city side, emerald waters lap at rocky bays, while its ocean flank has some of the region’s best sandy beaches. While beaches are the big drawcard, wine is a close second. There are 19 boutique wineries to visit, many with swanky restaurants and breathtaking city views. On top of that, the island boasts dozens of galleries and craft stores.'

 

 

For planning, Auckland Tourism have developed a very useful website - http://waiheke.aucklandnz.com/index.html

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 



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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Hi Terry...Heres some further news on Waiheke Island... Waiheke Island in New Zealand has been voted among the world's best islands

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/81890233/waiheke-island-in-new-zealand-has-been-voted-among-the-worlds-best-islands

 

4774Papa: It appears that we will have to choose either Auckland or the island?

 

Appreciate this nice link' date=' good news and the interesting video. Being "voted among the [i']world's best islands[/i]" is super nice and well-deserved.

 

For 4774Papa, you will just have to adjust your air schedules to allow more time in the Auckland area. We are glad that we had the added time there in NZ's target city to explore both Auckland and Waiheke Island. Below is some more "eye-candy" from our fun day on Waiheke Island.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 17,624 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

 

At the Man O' War Winery, here is the view from their main building looking to the beach as a part of its scenic location. This was a great place to do a "lunch break" and soak up the style, character and beauty for this artsy island.:

 

AucklandArtOneA18_zps32da7615.jpg

 

At Connells Bay Sculpture Park, here is famous piece features letters spelling out a saying "Go west" done in Cor-Ten steel that "rusts" with the weather and hold its original looks/spacing. First, is this large piece on its hillside setting. Second is owner Jo Glo giving us a closer look and more examination of its construction/fabrication details.:

 

AucklandArtOneA7_zps15c5204e.jpg

 

 

AucklandArtOneA5_zpsd9c589ad.jpg

 

 

Here is another of my pictures from Waiheke Island's two kilometer stretch of white sand on Onetangi Beach. Here is my wife walking and enjoying its fresh air, nice sand, great breezes, etc.:

 

AucklandArtOneA_zpsacc28fb3.jpg

 

 

Here we are returning Tuesday evening to Auckland with the one of the Fuller Ferries departing and taking passenger back to this magical island.:

 

AucklandArtOneA35_zpsa23807dc.jpg

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Terry, Thanks, but we will be on a cruise out of Sydney (RCL 4 April 2018) that ports in Auckland for one day. I am leaning toward Auckland.

 

Yes, understand for our Georgia "neighbor" that if your ship only stops one day in Auckland, then, your options/potentials are more narrowly focused. We were fortunate in that our cruise from Sydney ended there and allow us more flexibility.

 

Below are a few other pictures from Waiheke Island that I had not previously posted on this thread. Lots of varied terrain, coastal views, etc., is on this special island.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 214,823 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here are a few more of my views from our early 2014 visit to Waiheke Island with its rolling terrain, coastal variety, many wineries, and other unique sights, etc.:

 

July2016Pis2_zps3q9v9wqr.jpg

 

 

July2016Pis3_zpsrysvjvqr.jpg

 

 

July2016Pis1_zpscuemitby.jpg

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