Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MAP
( 09-372 8957;
www.connellsbay.co.nz
;
Cowes Bay Rd; adult/child $30/15; by appointment, late Oct-late Mar)
A pricey but excellent private sculpture park featuring a stellar roster of NZ artists. Ad-
mission is by way of a two-hour guided tour; book ahead.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
WAIHEKE ISLAND
Thirty years ago, Waiheke Island was home to an eclectic mix of outlaws who could not (or chose not to) live in
'normal' society: hippies and hermits, alternative healers and writers, potters and pot growers, and everything in
between. Sometime in the late '80s, Waiheke was 'discovered', and it's quite a different place now. But even with
all the changes - fine dining, vineyards and luxury holiday homes - Waiheke Island's identity and spirit are still
undeniable. The beautiful weather remains the same, as do the phenomenal vistas, the lush bush and native birds,
the chooks in your neighbours' backyards, the feeling that everything deserves to move a little slower (we call it
'Waiheke time'), the smell of honeysuckle, the crystal waters, the best fish and chips ever, the house I was born in
and, probably, still a few pot growers. Waiheke was, and remains, like nowhere else on the planet.
Zoë Bell, Stuntwoman & Actor
Walks
Ask at the i-SITE about the island's beautiful coastal walks (ranging from one to three
hours) and the 3km Cross Island Walkway (from Onetangi to Rocky Bay). Other tracks
traverse
Whakanewha Regional Park
, a haven for rare coastal birds and geckos, and the Royal
Forest & Bird Protection Society's three reserves:
Onetangi
(Waiheke Rd),
Te Haahi-Goodwin
(Orapiu Rd) and
Atawhai Whenua
(Ocean View Rd).
Other Activities
Hike Bike Ako
( 021 465 373;
www.hikebikeako.co.nz
;
hiking adult/child $99/79, biking & combination $139)
Explore the is-
land on a guided wallking (three hours) or biking (five hours) tour, or a combination (five
hours) of both. Tours all include pick up from the ferry, lunch at a cafe or vineyard, and
Maori legends, history and culture. There's a minimum age of seven for walking and 16
for biking.
WALKING, CYCLING
Ross Adventures
MAP
( 09-372 5550;
www.kayakwaiheke.co.nz
;
Matiatia Beach; half-/full-day trips $85/145, per hr hire from $25)
It's
the fervently held opinion of Ross that Waiheke offers kayaking every bit as good as the
KAYAKING
