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 Waiheke Island
Day Trips By Boat!
Auckland’s close proximity to the Hauraki Gulf means that there are a number of nearby islands that make for an excellent and convenient day trip out of town.
Get out of town!
All ferries depart from the ferry building on Quay Street. Just walk straight down Queen Street and keep going. You can’t miss it. There are regular departures to all destinations (see timetables).
Travel Times
Even the most distant island (Waiheke) is only 40 minutes by ferry from downtown so get a group together and head down to the ferry building.
Don’t Miss
Don't miss the last ferry back! Grab a copy of the ferry timetable so you can check when the ferry returns. While all these destinations are great you don’t want to be stuck out there.  Fullers Ferry Getting out of Auckland by boat is a great way to see the skyline from afar. Climb one of the volcanic peaks and see the city! All of these destinations could keep you entertained for a day so catch an early ferry and leave yourself time to explore.
Devonport
- Okay so it’s not an island but the suburb of Devonport makes for an excellent day trip, and the easiest way to get there is by ferry.
- A short trip across the harbour takes you to this quaint little peninsular. With nice beaches, two volcanoes, and a few good cafes and bars Devonport is a great place to spend an afternoon.
- Climb to the top of Mt Victoria for excellent 360 degree views or walk along the waterfront and ascend North Head. Up here you will find a number of interesting WW1 tunnels to explore. A bit further north Cheltenham beach is lovely and has excellent safe swimming at high tide. At low tide it is extremely shallow which can be a rather novel if not frustrating experience. At low tide you can continue walking along the coast from beach to beach. When you are done exploring head back to the main street and try one of the cafes.
Rangitoto
- Just off the coast is Auckland’s newest volcano. Rangitoto emerged out of the sea 600 years ago and last erupted 250 years ago. The harsh volcanic landscape makes for a unique day trip. Take a picnic and climb to the 260 metre summit (one hour), explore the lava caves or take one of the tracks that go further afield. Take lots of water as the black volcanic rocks get rather hot.
- For those who don’t fancy walking there is a tourist tractor that takes people to the top.
Tiriritiri Matangi
- This small island is a protected sanctuary for native birds. All pests have been removed and a number of rare or endangered bird species can be found here. Extensive re-vegetation has taken place and a network of walking tracks cross the island. It is a special place, particularly if you are interested in birds, and well worth a visit.
- Make sure you say hi to Greg the Takahe J.
Waiheke
- Waiheke is awesome. Its unique charm has attracted many Aucklanders to its shores. They live on the island and make the commute to the city daily. The local people tend to be relaxed artistic types. The weather out here is reputedly better than in Auckland and Waiheke has some of the best beaches and wineries close to the city.
- The ferry drops you off at Matiatia wharf where you can catch a bus or walk up the road to the main town of Oneroa. A great way to get around Waiheke is by bike, go see Maurice at Waiheke Bike Hire when you get off the ferry. Up in Oneroa you will find shops, cafes and a great beach. The island boasts excellent opportunities for sea kayaking and wine tours are popular. If you want explore more hire a mountain bike or scooter or simply jump on a bus. Of the beaches Palm Beach is beautiful but Onetangi is the best – a long stretch of sand with excellent swimming. There a good walks along the coast and some interesting tunnels at Stony Batter.
- If you would prefer to do a tour then we would recommend the Beach Bum Bus . This is a great relaxed way to get around the island in style. These guys will pick you up off the ferry and show you all the best sights. They cruise around the island in their funky bus and give you ample time to kick back and relax. The price includes the ferry ticket so book ahead.
- Overall Waiheke is a cool relaxed place to visit, with lots to do and good wine to drink.
Accomodation
Waiheke has a wide range of accomodation options from back packers to camping. You can camp at Home Bay on Motutapu (the island next to Rangitoto). Food and drink
The islands of Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi don’t have shops so you will need to take supplies with you. Other options such as Devonport and Waiheke have plenty of shops and cafes. Readers have left 6 comments. 6. Buses aren't cool
Leonidas Polemis (BU), Unregistered waiheke is beautiful but i found it frustrating how you must take a bus or car everywhere. I'd recommend maybe bringing a bike or something, or be prepared to take a bus. theres some interesting people on the island 5. Waiheke Wine Tours
Jaimie Collum (BU), Unregistered We got to Waiheke on a really nice day after it had been raining for a while, so we were lucky. You need a car to get around. For the wine tour you can pay someone 25 bucks to drive you around the whole time. They brought us to wineries where we had to pay 2 dollars for tastings. The driver took us back into town at the end of the day. It was a really chill day. And we met this dude on the beach who gave us a ride on his boat. It was nice. 4. Devonport is a cool historical day trip.
Hector Dimaunahan (BU), Unregistered Devonport was definitely just a day trip. It was a nice little town, but there’s not too much to do. We went on two little hikes to Mt. Victoria and to North Head. They were pretty much the same, so I would recommend just going to Mt. Victoria. They were both historical WW2 places except Mt. Victoria had a part of the bunker painted to look like mushrooms in Super Mario in the field. North Head has some cool lava formations by the beach. There was a beach there that would have been cool for skim boarding, and the beach had lava rocks. 3. Rangitoto is a good easy day trip.
Alicia Martell (Villanova), Unregistered The hike on Rangitoto was a nice beginners hike. We also swam and went in the lava caves. It was a good easy day trip.
2. Rangitoto is a good day trip! Lava caves were awesome
Eric David (BU), Unregistered I enjoyed Rangitoto. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was a good day trip. We went swimming after we summited the volcano near one of the baches. Also, the lava caves were awesome. We didn’t have flashlights and it was the only time that I was able to open my eyes and see nothing at all. You could only feel around you. 1. Being on Waiheke was like the first day of a vacation
Caitlin Brinkerhoff (BU), Unregistered I really felt like being on Waiheke was the first day of a vacation, and I was sad I was there for just the day. It has everything you could want and a lot of fun stuff to do, plus it’s so accessible from Auckland.
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