Waiheke Island
Located in the Auckland region
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Introduction
A popular day trip destination for families, with good boating, swimming, fishing, and kayaking.Find things to do and places to stay Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island is a popular destination for boaties, with its great sandy beaches and sheltered bays. The Auckland Council maintains a number of wharves and boat ramps around the island, and small boats can also be landed on many of Waiheke's beaches.
Boating is allowed in the Te Matuku Marine Reserve but please take care to avoid damaging marine life by dragging anchors.
You can snorkel or dive in the Te Matuku Marine Reserve. However, the water within the tidal bay is often murky and not great for underwater viewing.
You can fish off the rocks or the beach around the island’s coastline, except in the Te Matuku Marine Reserve.
Kayaking is a popular activity on Waiheke Island. Kayak around the island taking in the spectacular cliffs, coves and sandy beaches. Kayak rentals are available on the island. You can also kayak to Waiheke from the nearby islands of Motuihe or Motutapu, or as part of a tour of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.
There are many sandy beaches great for swimming on Waiheke Island, including Oneroa, Palm Beach and Onetangi. You can also swim in the Te Matuku Marine Reserve, but because of the tidal nature of this marine reserve, swimming may not be best at low tide.
Stony Batter Historic Reserve features gun sites and other impressive remains that date back to World War II.
Waiheke is a large island in the Hauraki Gulf between the Auckland mainland and the Coromandel Peninsula.
A number of commercial ferry operators run both car and passenger ferry services to Waiheke Island.
Find authorised transport operators to this island.
A regular bus service, taxi and car rentals are available on the island.
- The western end of Waiheke is a residential area with around 8,000 permanent inhabitants.
- The eastern end is a mix of farm blocks and settlements.
- There are shops and a variety of accommodation.
- Don't disturb threatened birds like the New Zealand dotterel. Watch them from a distance.
Rules for the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park
- Fires and portable barbeques are not allowed except on the permanent barbeque provided onsite.
- Take your rubbish with you – there are no rubbish bins.
- Some activities such as weddings need a permit.
- No camping unless at a designated campsite.
These are part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park by-laws. Read the full by-laws.
Looking after the marine reserve
Rules and regulations:
- No fishing of any kind is permitted.
- Do not take or disturb marine life, including shellfish and seaweeds.
- Do not remove any part of the sea floor, including rocks or dead sea shells.
- Leave your dog at home as dogs disturb nesting seabirds. Dogs are not permitted at the marine reserve at any time.
- Do not exceed 5 knots in a boat or on a jetski within 200 m of the mainland or a dive flag, or within 50 m of a boat or person in the water.
On the southeast side of Waiheke Island lies Te Matuku Marine Reserve, which contains the largest area of intertidal mudflats in the inner Hauraki Gulf.
Te Matuku Bay Scenic Reserve protects the coastal fringe of part of the bay, including taraire/tawa forest with pohutukawa and kauri. Fortunately Waiheke Island is free of possums - a pest animal which threatens native forest.
Check you are pest-free
Check, clean, and seal your gear to ensure you don't bring pests, soil, and seeds.
Contacts
| Kauaeranga Visitor Centre | |
| Phone: | +64 7 867 9080 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | kauaerangavc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
995C Kauaeranga Valley Road Thames 3577 |
| Postal Address: |
PO Box 343 Thames 3540 |
| Full office details | |
