TIME VISITED: January 2016 BUSY? No
WEATHER: Mid 70s⛅️ REASON FOR VISIT: Weekend trip
WHERE TO STAY: Fossil Bay Lodge EXPENSIVE?: $$$
Few tourists know they can escape the hustle and bustle of Auckland (NZ’s capital and by far largest city) and in less than an hour and arrive at a beautiful island offering unlimited seafood, olives, wine and stunning beaches. But it’s true, you can have all this after a 35 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland to Waiheke Island. Some of my family members came to visit me so my budget lifestyle changed for a couple weeks and I can tell you I was definitely not complaining!
On the ferry ride over I met a resident of Waiheke Island who told me the Māori name for this place is Motu-Wai-Heke, which means “island of trickling water”. He told me when he moved here about 10 years ago there were just a few vineyards in the area and now there are over 30! He worked for a company called Eco Zip and said zip-lining is very popular here on the island. If you aren’t interested in zip-lining don’t worry there are plenty of short walks and longer hikes to keep you busy- and if you want to relax all together there are lots of beautiful beaches.
It started to clear up when we arrived on the island so we ended up walking to our lodge. Here is a picture of the many stunning bay views you can see when you are up on any hill on Waiheke Island.(this one is just a few minutes from the lodge.)
WHERE TO STAY
I have to give my mom credit for this one, she has this gift of finding the most charming and enjoyable places to stay! We spent two nights at Fossil Bay Lodge –you can rent the apartments, cottages, or “glamp” in the Lotus Belle tents. My mom isn’t much of a camper like the rest of us in the family, but she read about this new thing called “glamping” and thought, “That could be something I could get into!” Well, we learned it was something we all wanted to get into! Imagine camping, having the sound of the insects and birds right outside your “tent”, but then still having a comfortable bed to crawl into!
They have this beautiful green house open to guests with some picnic tables. I decided to spend a couple of hours here before dinner to journal about our day on the island.
I got lucky and the owner, Mark, happened to see me in there and introduced himself and thanked me for staying at his place! Mark was such a kind soul and told me how him and his wife started this lodge. They are a very adventurous couple and sailed around the world (New Zealand –> Oregon), 30 years ago with just a compass, they then settled down on Waiheke Island and opened this lodge and are still perfecting it adding something new each year. I learned his wife is the head teacher of the kindergarten that is attached to this lodge, they were such an inspiring couple.
*Now, I can see some people reading this and thinking “I don’t want to stay somewhere where there are kids running around!” Well just so you are aware the kindergarten is nowhere near the guest houses or tents and we didn’t hear a peep once!
ONEROA BEACH
Once again my mom couldn’t have booked a better place. Oneroa Beach was just a five minute walk from the lodge and we went a few times over the weekend and pretty much had the place to ourselves. What is so awesome about this island is there will always be a beautiful bay or beach just a few minutes down the road because the island has so many of them to offer. I’m sure you’re sick of my mentioning the Pohuntakawa trees but I just loved them so much! Here is a picture of my dad relaxing in one.
We also loved Oneroa Beach because you could walk along the beach for 10-15 minutes into town! Here are some pictures at sunset of our walk there.
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
Here are some of the places we tried when we were visiting Waiheke Island. I recommend you do some research on your own because there are SO MANY places to choose from. But here are a few we stumbled upon and also some we were recommended! But I can tell you this, we didn’t have a bad meal on Waiheke Island.
Solar Eating House
We were walking into town and were intrigued by this cute cafe perched up on the hill called the Solar Eating House. We loved their live wall outside and thought we’d take a look inside. It smelled amazing, we loved the decor and the views, and fell in love with their calamari salad and beer battered fish burger.
The Oyster Inn
This place was very cute, beautiful views of the bay, and came highly recommended. My family loves Oysters so as soon as we heard the name we new we had to try it. We had excellent service and enjoyed dinner at a table out on the deck. I would absolutely mention you want outdoor seating when you make the reservation.
Of course we ordered plenty of oysters and the fish and chips were great as well.
Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant
My parents were visiting for their 30th Anniversary so we thought we might as well splurge one night! Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant came highly recommended and we soon found out why. We went for sunset and it was such a beautiful experience. They were working on some landscaping at the time so I couldn’t get an overview picture but our kind server said I could use a couple from their website!
I mean LOOK AT THIS PLACE. The landscaping was gorgeous, the view took your breath away, the service was outstanding and the food, to die for. No wonder they are the highest ranked restaurant on the entire island!
*Everything I tried at this restaurant was unbelievable. If you are visiting and have the money, you can’t leave without going here. BUT for my fellow budget travelers I must admit we could never afford it here. The duck was some of the most tender I have ever experienced, but was five times as expensive as a typical NZ meal, and it came in four pieces that were the size of starbursts! But I think the view alone is worth a visit even if you can’t enjoy the dinner.
We were also told to visit Cable Bay Vineyards Winery and Restaurant but we ran out of time! If you are in town definitely check it out and let me know what you think!
Have you been to Waiheke Island ? What was your favorite restaurant and favorite thing to do here? Comment below and read more posts about New Zealand HERE!
