Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Community Theatre
(see 1)
Waiheke Island
POP 8300
Waiheke is 93 sq km of island bliss just 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 of-
fice 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. The island also boasts galleries and craft stores.
Waiheke has been inhabited since at least the 14th century, most recently by Ngati
Paoa, and there are more than 40
pa
sites scattered around the island. Europeans arrived
with the missionary Samuel Marsden in the early 1800s and the island was soon stripped
of its kauri forest.
There are petrol stations in Oneroa, Ostend and Onetangi, ATMs in Oneroa and
Ostend, and a supermarket in Ostend.
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 heal-
ers 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 re-
mains 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
