The secret is out on Waiheke Island, New Zealand’s ultimate food and wine escape
That’s the thing about New Zealand, it’s a land with so many treasures, some they don’t even bother bragging about. I’ve landed in a paradise, why have I never heard of it?
There’s a meme that goes around social media of people arriving in a beautiful destination and immediately saying, “I could live here,” no matter how impractical. I often have the opposite reaction. “Oh, I could never live here” is something I say often, no matter how scenic the destination. Usually this has to do with places being either too hot or too cold. I sometimes feel like the Goldilocks of travel.
But something comes over me stepping off the ferry onto Waiheke Island, about 45 minutes from Auckland. “I could definitely live here,” is the first thing that comes to mind as we contemplate the lush pastoral land sculpted into olive groves and vineyards. A gentle breeze blows over the aquamarine waters. The sun shines. There’s coffee, wine and oysters. “Or at least return for longer holidays. Why doesn’t anyone know about this place?”
That’s the thing about New Zealand, though. It’s a land with so many treasures, some they don’t bother bragging about. Waiheke Island is one of them. Ostensibly, we’ve come here on this breezy Saturday to eat. Hopping off the ferry (a very efficient service full of polite passengers who wait in turn, no pushing), the options beckon. Should we wine taste or olive taste? Go straight to lunch or stop off at a microbrewery? For an island of only 92 sqkm, there’s more to do here than you’d expect; the place abounds with restaurants, wineries, breweries, tasting rooms, cafes and more.
Perhaps that has to do with the fact Waiheke has a mild, temperate microclimate, which compared to Auckland feels positively Mediterranean. The climate is in fact ideal for growing olives and grapes, so we start by stopping at Allpress Olive Groves, a gorgeous property with a real Kiwi tale behind it.
It’s owned by Michael Allpress, an enterprising Aucklander who made a fortune in coffee at the start of the Antipodean cafe boom before selling the business for a reputed $NZ50 million ($43 million) to Japanese brewer Asahi.
Allpress, born with a fortunate name for businesses related to both coffee and olives, has settled into the sort of good life many of us (me) envy, pressing olives on a lush property with the most beautiful coastal views. And the oils are fresh, golden and grassy; mop them up with Turkish bread before popping a bottle or two in the suitcase for home.
Apparently the island is rich with stories like Allpress’s. Indeed, Waiheke seems to be the home for successful retirees. Make a motza, then come and live in this scenic place, remote enough to be private but with cosmopolitan Auckland a stone’s throw away. Ideal.
Not that the island reads as a rich person’s paradise. Rather, it still has that lived-in Kiwi vibe that defines much of a country where beauty, success and a laid-back attitude coexist.
We take a drive to look at some of the many beaches, which are pretty much deserted. It’s a sunny day, warm at times, and yet the place feels gloriously empty.
For sand hunters, the options are plentiful. Onetangi Bay is famed for its long sandy beach, Palm Beach has glorious white sands and brilliant water, Oneroa Beach is centrally located, while other options include Little Palm Beach and Sandy Bay. Each one makes me want to book immediately into a two-week vacation in summer. This is the sort of place you can come, unplug and genuinely rest. It feels a bit like the ’90s. No one would expect you to answer your messages if you lived here, or even answer the phone.
Through a few detours to some brilliant eating and drinking places – see the Checklist for details – we end up at lunch at Ki Maha, a glamorous restaurant overlooking sparkling Onetangi Bay. Almost blinded by the brilliance of the water, we fall into a sort of stupor, even as we are moved by dishes like seared scallops with ’nduja and gooseberries and dry-aged duck with oyster mushrooms, Marmite and dates.
Coffee wakes us up enough for a walk down the beach, which fills us with a sort of nostalgia for childhood beach holidays, when time was plentiful and beauty slow and abundant. Except here the food and wine are better.
“Ah, yes, Waiheke Island,” says every Kiwi I enthuse to whenI’m back home in Sydney. “I used to spend my childhood summers there. I really should go back.” They really should. It feels like paradise.
Checklist
Getting there: Waiheke Island is a 45-minute ferry from Auckland Central. Ferries depart Auckland Ferry Terminal (piers 11 and 12); there’s also a barge for cars. Ferries go throughout the day and cost about $NZ40 ($35) return. If you independently travel to Waiheke you’ll need to hire a car to get there.
Stay: Hotel Britomart (29 Galway Street, Auckland Central; thehotelbritomart.com) is located near the Auckland Ferry Terminal and a brilliant option for a short Auckland stay. Opened in 2020, the hotel feels fresh and has excellent restaurants and bars; highly recommended. From $NZ379 ($330). To stay on Waiheke Island, I’d recommend renting a house via Airbnb.
Eat:Allpress Olive Groves’ tasting room is a perfect first stop for a taste of the island (allpressolivegroves.co.nz). For lunch, a secluded but popular destination restaurant is Casita Miro (casitamiro.co.nz), a deeply quirky Spanish restaurant secreted in a leafy location in the island’s hills. Eat dishes like grilled pork loin with thyme and orange confit and patatas bravas, and taste the wines from the onsite vines. The restaurant is inspired by the artworks of Miro and a popular hangout for the large Argentinian community who live on Waiheke. It’s fun.Ki Maha (kimaha.nz) has spectacular views and a big-city feel. With its fine dining sensibility, Ki Maha feels more like a special occasion restaurant than the more joyful Casita Miro. The food is great and full of NZ flavours with an emphasis on local seafood (crayfish prawn rolls, yellowfin tuna tartlet, scallop ceviche). Tantalus Estate (tantalus.co.nz) is an incredibly impressive vineyard and microbrewery located in another spectacular spot on the island. This is a gorgeous, top-shelf property replete with vineyards, an onsite brewery, cellar door, restaurant and glorious grounds. It’s one of the most impressive Kiwi venues I’ve come across. Beautiful. For something a little more rustic, call into Kennedy Point Vineyard (kennedypointvineyard.com), not far from the ferry stop. This organic vineyard has a chill cellar door where you can sample the vineyard’s highly awarded syrahs and eat some seriously great local oysters.
Do:You could spend a week exploring Waiheke. But for a quick sampler of the island, book a tour with Ananda Tours. This company, based on the island, offers a range of tours (half-day, day tours and longer) tailored to experiencing the best of the island without hassle. They’ll pick you up at the ferry terminal, drop you to the best vineyards and olive groves for tastings and snacks and deposit you at the island’s best restaurants, then take you back to the ferry terminal when done. It’s a very efficient way of doing things, and it means you can taste some of the island’s best wines with impunity. Tours start at $NZ169 ($145); ananda.co.nz
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