Exploring Waiheke Island!

This weekend we decided to explore Waiheke Island, which is an island in the Hauraki Gulf outside of Auckland. It's pretty close, only a 40 minute ferry ride away. The island is known for its beautiful scenery, beaches, and world class wineries. We went to Waiheke with hardly any expectations and no planned activities. We had a place to stay and that's basically it. When we first arrived we explored around Onetangi beach, which was near our hostel. We ate lunch at a nice cafe (actually the only cafe!) along the beach.

Later in the day we bought ingredients for dinner and relaxed at the hostel where we met some nice people also studying abroad in Auckland. Our greatest adventures came on Sunday when we rented scooters! It was pretty spontaneous but it's definitely the best way to get around the island so we decided to go for it. It was really scary driving the scooter for the first time, but we were given a lesson by the owner and once we practiced a little bit in a parking lot we were good to get on the road!


Our first stop was Kennedy Point Winery. We were able to taste three different wines, as well as olive oil, avocado oil, and honey! It was such a beautiful winery and the wine was great! Afterwards we drove to Oneroa, which is the main town on the island. We got our lunch from a small fish and chips shop and sat on the grass overlooking the beach to eat. It was such a sunny day and it was so fun relaxing and eating delicious beer battered fish and chips. Then we drove to another winery on Waiheke Island called Cable Bay Vineyard. It is a huge winery on a hill that overlooks the ocean and has views of Auckland. There is also a beautiful sculpture garden next to the vineyard. We were able to taste six of their wines. It was great!


Our next stop was Palm Beach, which was a gorgeous, secluded beach. We basically decided that Waiheke Island is a beach paradise. We ended the day by driving to Whakanewha Regional Park for some scenic views and Goldwater Estate Winery to take a picture of the sign. It was a wonderful day on the scooters! I really wish I had one to scooter around Boston.


Once we got back to Auckland it wasn't really a regular week for me. Oranga School, where I work, is on spring break for the next two weeks so I have a break from my internship. Luckily, this gives me a chance to catch up on all my schoolwork. On Wednesday we are going to see a contemporary Ballet performance called Rise. It should be fun! This weekend we are planning to go camping in the Coromandel Peninsula. Last time we tried this, the weather was terrible, so hopefully we'll have a sunny weekend!