A Self-Guided Waiheke Island Wine Tour & Lunch at Wild Estate

Taking the ferry from Auckland to the beautiful oasis of Waiheke Island is a real treat. The Waiheke Wine Trail makes this island in the Hauraki Gulf a great day trip, and a little slice of heaven not far from downtown Auckland. We took a self-guided Waiheke Island wine tour and had lunch at Wild Estate Winery, and can’t recommend it more highly. If you’re planning a visit to New Zealand, make time for this day trip.

Auckland to Waiheke Island Ferry

The only way to get to Waiheke Island is by ferry. We chose Fullers360 for our ferry and booked their combo ticket that also included the hop on hop off bus for the island and the return ferry ticket. The ferry leaves from Pier 11 in downtown Auckland on Quay Street everyday. The first ferry over each day departs at 9am and the last one returns at 7pm. On weekdays the ferry departs every hour on the hour, but on the weekends it’s every 30 minutes. 

It is recommended that you arrive 30-45 minutes prior to ferry departure for boarding and 1 hour early on Saturdays in the summer. If you purchase your tickets online like we did then you can skip the counter and proceed directly to the pier. We visited on a Saturday in February and the queue was very long. I would definitely recommend arriving an hour early. There are restrooms, snacks and a coffee stand at the pier.  

The ferry ride over is a beautiful 45 minutes long. The only stop is at Davenport to pick up additional guests. There are snacks and drinks available on the ferry for purchase as well. The ferry then arrives a Matiatia Ferry Terminal on Waiheke.

Exploring Waiheke + Wine Trail

Waiheke is known for its wineries, but there is lots to explore if you don’t drink wine. Beach walks, history, great food options, and hikes into the hills are all on offer on Waiheke.

While tasting some New Zealand wine was on my agenda, having plenty to do when visiting Waiheke with kids was important for us too.

Hop-on hop-off bus

Once you arrive on Waiheke there are many transport options. You may rent a bike, rent a car, get a taxi, take a group tour, or hire a private tour guide. We chose the hop-on hop-off bus tour online with Fullers360 and already had our tickets. If you are on the first ferry at 9am, as we were, and have tickets in hand, you can proceed straight to the bus as the first one leaves at 10am (9:50am on the weekends). 

The hop on hop off bus stops at each of these locations every hour during the week and every 30 minutes on the weekend. The route is a loop that you can ride as many times as you like during the day. If you choose not to get off but to ride all the way around, the loop will take 1.5 hours to complete. 

Self-Guided Waiheke Island Wine Tour

There are 17 total stops on the Fullers hop-on hop-off tour including 9 wineries – see the map:

Many of the sights are close together. This makes it very convenient to get off at one sight and walk to explore all of the others before getting back on the bus again. 

There are also food and wine specialty tours, walking tours, and indigenous culture tours too.

Where we explored on Waiheke Island

Onetangi Beach

Onetangi Beach is on the north side of Waiheke, and is the biggest beach on the island. 2kms of white sand is perfect for a beach walk, picnic, or as an ice-cream stop on your way round the island. There are also restaurants and cafes, so this is an option for lunch too. Onetangi is stop no.8 on the hop-on hop-off bus, and is where the bus turns back to start the return journey back via a slightly different route back to the ferry.

Museum of Waiheke

The Museum of Waiheke is run by local volunteers and is free of charge but they do accept donations to help keep the museum open to the public. The main building is filled with artifacts  and relics from the 1930’s and 40’s from the island. It also tells the story of the people and the indigenous peoples. There are also 3 other buildings on the property that you can tour. These homes are from the past and show examples of the homes that once existed on the island.

The museum is stop no.9 on the loop, but stops 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 are all within 5 minutes walk of each other – so you can combine visits to this area.

Lunch at Wild Estate Winery

It is recommended to choose a location for lunch and to make reservations prior to arrival. Especially during the summer and on a Saturday. Wild Estate is near stop no.5 and 10 on the hop-on hop-off bus.

We arrived at Wild Estate just as they opened, which I highly recommend. We had reservations but by arriving before anyone else we were able to place our order first as well. Within minutes the place was filled with hungry travelers. The food was fabulous. The wines as well. This winery also provides a variety of wines with the alcohol removed for minors and others that don’t wish to consume alcohol. 

The restaurant is open air and beautiful. There are lounging areas under the shade trees outside, corn hole boards available for guests, as well as a small playground. Archery in the vineyard is also available for an additional fee. All of this located in the middle of the vineyards. Downstairs is an additional seating area where you may partake in wine and beer tastings that are all made on site. 

Tasting notes

My personal favorite was the Waiheke Pinot Gris 2022. It was light, crisp and perfect for the hot afternoon we were having that day. It also paired well with the pizza we enjoyed for lunch. The Rosé was my second favorite thanks to the dry finish. It was not super sweet like some Rosé wines, which is why I liked it so much. If you are looking for a really sweet wine this one would probably not be for you.

The meal and wine at Wild Estate was one of my favorite in all of New Zealand, but not the tasting experience itself. In most of the vineyards the tasting is an experience. The setting, the information, the wines, the interaction is almost like attending an event. At Wild Estate you go to the bar to order, are poured your selections, briefly told about them, and then you can have a seat somewhere to try sample them. It was very different from the other tastings we experienced in New Zealand and Australia, and it was a little disappointing. However, lunch, the wines and the lunch upstairs were well worth the stop. 

Batch Winery

After leaving Wild Estate we hopped back on the bus and rode to stop 11, Batch Winery. 

Batch Winery definitely wins the award for best views and best dessert. I am so glad that our guide recommended that we get off here. The temperature was so much cooler at the top of this hill. After taking some photos we got a table and ordered dessert. The red velvet donut was sinfully delicious. There were bean bags provided under the shade trees which made for the perfect afternoon. Behind the restaurant was a more lively tasting area as well. 

Wine tasting notes

My personal favorite here was the Estate Chardonnay. The majority of the time I prefer white wines, especially in the summer. Since we were visiting New Zealand in February it was quite warm, so I naturally gravitated to the cool and refreshing whites. The Chardonnay had a very clean finish, unlike some that I have had in the States that I do not enjoy. It was very refreshing in the afternoon sun.

Cascades Loop Hike

Behind Batch Winery are some hiking trails through the Whakanawha Regional Park. A short 40-minute loop to Cascades Waterfall, and trails down to Rocky Bay and Omiha along the coast.

It was a bit muddy when we visited, but this vantage point did offer fantastic views of Waiheke and the Gulf.

We wanted to visit All Press Olive Groves, but unfortunately they shut at 2.30pm on Saturdays – a fact that the bus guide didn’t mention. So pay attention to opening hours, so you don’t miss out like we did!

Reflections on our trip to Waiheke

We made it back to Matiatia Ferry Terminal in time for the 4pm departure back to Auckland. Any other day we would have stayed longer. We would have liked to have hiked more trails, experienced more of the wineries and taken time for more shopping. However, we were on day 16 of our month-long trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, so we were tired!

We enjoyed the ferry ride back in the beautiful summer weather and took some time to look around at the port once we were back in Auckland.

The Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour was a great option for what we were looking for. Although, we did waste a bit of time waiting at the bus stops. If you were visiting with a group, an alternative option would be hiring a private driver to take you to places you wanted to visit. That way you can stay as long as you want, leave when you are ready and skip the places you are not interested in – no need to wait for a bus scheduled pick up.

We chose the private car option for our wine tour in Hobart, Tasmania and it worked perfectly. Of course the cost is more to hire a private driver as compared to a bus ticket – but it is something to consider if you want more flexibility.

A day trip to Waiheke Island from Auckland

Waiheke really is a perfect day trip when visiting Auckland. The beautiful landscapes of Waiheke are a great mix of secluded bays, rolling vines, and hilltop views. The wineries are diverse and plentiful, so wine lovers could easily stay on Waiheke for longer than a day! Don’t miss a visit to this special island in the Hauraki Gulf.

If you want to stay a night or two on Waiheke, rent a beach house to enjoy the island for longer!

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