Waiheke Island

Travel Guide

Waiheke Island featuring general coastal views, skyline and landscape views
Waiheke Island which includes a beach and general coastal views
Waiheke Island showing a sandy beach
Waiheke Island featuring general coastal views and rugged coastline
Photo provided by Kitty Millyard

This small island is famous for gourmet eateries, vineyards and relaxing beaches.

Several small coastal villages make up 12-mile (19-kilometer) long Waiheke Island, where you’ll find gourmet restaurants and beaches. Over 100 artists live and work on the island they display their wares in the community gallery at Oneroa near the ferry stop and in studios around the island. A woolshed museum and two restored cottages at Onetangi display photos and textiles, while a musical museum at Oneroa gives visitors a chance to play instruments dating as far back as the 1500s.

The island is easy to navigate by buses, which leave regularly from the ferry terminal. An all-day bus pass is the best value for money for those wanting to tour the island’s beaches and vineyards.

Sample the Bordeaux-type, Syrah and Chardonnay wines grown in more than thirty vineyards on the island. Some vineyards also grow their own olives, which you can try along with lunch in on-site cafés and restaurants.

Fly above the island on a zip line at Onetangi, a beach in the north of the island. Take a chartered sailing tour to get your bearings around Waiheke and its neighboring islands, and to see some of the marine life that inhabits the pristine waters, including orca whales. Some sailing tours offer gourmet meals with Waiheke wines, or bushwalking and kayaking tours. Sign up for a tour from kiosks near the main ferry terminal.

Catch a bus or drive to Whakanewha Regional Park on the south coast of Waiheke Island. Here, you can walk through taraire, kohekohe and kanuka forest, and wetlands inhabited by some of New Zealand’s rare bird species, such as the dotterel and the banded rail. Whakanewha Park provides the only camping area on the island.

There are a number of ways to get to Waiheke Island from Auckland, from small charter planes and luxurious sailing boats, to a short ferry ride. Three companies operate ferries that leave from the mainland several times a day. Book in advance or turn up to the ferry terminal at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour on the day.

Where to stay in Waiheke Island

I just arrived on Waiheke Island and already know that this will be one fantastic day! It is very easy to get here - catch the ferry in downtown Auckland and in 40 min you will be at this magnificent beach!

Oneroa

Unique features of Oneroa include the wineries and beaches. Make a stop by Oneroa Beach or Palm Beach while you're exploring the area.

Oneroa
Woke up to this! 
A few ships in the night

Onetangi

Onetangi is noteworthy for its beaches, and you can make a stop at top attractions like Onetangi Beach and Eco Zip Adventures.

Onetangi
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Ostend

You'll enjoy the beaches and restaurants in Ostend. You might want to make time for a stop at Anzac Bay or Obsidian Vineyard.

Ostend
Palm Beach featuring a beach and landscape views as well as children

Palm Beach

Though Palm Beach might not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Palm Beach and Little Oneroa Beach.

Palm Beach
Vineyards on the Waiheke are something you need to see!!! For me this is definitely one of the favorite spots on the island...

#green

Surfdale

If you're spending some time in Surfdale, Shelly Beach and Kennedy Point are top sights worth seeing.

Surfdale
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Blackpool

You'll appreciate the beaches during your time in Blackpool and you might want to plan a stop by Oneroa Beach and Cable Bay Vineyard while you're in the area.

Blackpool
Waiheke Island Resort

Waiheke Island Resort

3.5 out of 5
4 Bay Road, Palm Beach, Waiheke Island
Stay at this 3.5-star spa hotel in Waiheke Island. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Popular attractions Palm Beach and Enclosure Bay are ...
8/10 Very Good! (369 reviews)
"Overall we are pleased with the stay"

Reviewed on 2025/7/30

Waiheke Island Resort
Le Chalet Waiheke Apartments

Le Chalet Waiheke Apartments

4 out of 5
23 Calais Terrace, Ostend, Waiheke Island
The price is NT$2,457 per night from Aug 18 to Aug 19
NT$2,457
NT$2,825 total
Aug 18 - Aug 19
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly apartment in Waiheke Island. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Anzac Bay and Dead ...
9/10 Wonderful! (81 reviews)
Woukd visit again
"Quiet location. Comfortable bed and pillows. Extra sheet would have been welcomed as too hot with duvet and too cold with nothing."

Reviewed on 2025/4/15

Le Chalet Waiheke Apartments
Delamore Lodge

Delamore Lodge

4.5 out of 5
83 Delamore Dr, Waiheke Island, Auckland
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury lodge in Waiheke Island. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Popular attractions Matiatia Wharf Ferry Terminal and ...
10/10 Exceptional! (10 reviews)
Incredible
"Incredible views, incredible service, incredible food, room looks even better than the pics, bed so comfortable, games galore. We’re already planning our next stay."

Reviewed on 2024/6/21

Delamore Lodge
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Le Chalet Waiheke Apartments

Le Chalet Waiheke Apartments

4 out of 5
23 Calais Terrace, Ostend, Waiheke Island
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly apartment in Waiheke Island. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Anzac Bay and Dead ...
9/10 Wonderful! (81 reviews)
Woukd visit again
"Quiet location. Comfortable bed and pillows. Extra sheet would have been welcomed as too hot with duvet and too cold with nothing."

Reviewed on 2025/4/15

Le Chalet Waiheke Apartments
Onetangi Beach Apartments

Onetangi Beach Apartments

3.5 out of 5
5-7 Fourth Avenue, Onetangi, Waiheke Island
Stay at this 3.5-star family-friendly aparthotel in Waiheke Island. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 3 restaurants. Popular attractions Onetangi Beach and ...
9/10 Wonderful! (366 reviews)
"Spacious, clean, friendly staff and good value"

Reviewed on 2025/6/21

Onetangi Beach Apartments
Guest House on Queens

Guest House on Queens

4 out of 5
109 Queens Drive, Oneroa, Waiheke Island
Stay at this 4-star vacation home in Waiheke Island. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a garden. Popular attractions Sandy Bay and Hekerua Bay are located ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (30 reviews)
"Amazing place, super kind & caring hosts! Couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay on the island. Would recommend a thousand times & more to anyone travelling out here."

Reviewed on 2024/12/27

Guest House on Queens
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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