Another long weekend escape with the Scenic Walkers. As arranged, the night before sailing for the island, we met at our hotel in Auckland and went for dinner at one of the restaurants on the waterfront. The following morning we walked from the hotel to Auckland Wharf to board the Waiheke Island Ferry. The ferry was packed. No surprises there. After all, it was Easter weekend. We arrived at Waiheke after two hours of calm sailing. Soon, our host made an appearance. After a quick introduction, she made us sign our life away, collected our luggage and presented what was planned for our group. All this happened so quickly and in such a proficient way that by the time we had a chance to relax a bit we were already walking and seeing the Island.
Day 01
The walk started from the Fullers carpark at Matiatia Bay and followed the coastline to the western side of
Owhanake Bay. This part of the Island includes not only magnificent views of the Hauraki Gulf but also
includes some of the most expensive properties in New Zealand. From the Owhanake Bay, we took a track
leading to the Te Ara Hura 'W' Bay trail and followed it to the Oneroa Beach and Newton Reserve where we
stopped for lunch. Once we got to Queens Drive we managed somehow to miss a turn off and we missed part of
the intended route. In the end, we found the trail to Little Palm Beach and Palm Beach. Little Palm Beach is
a famous Waiheke Island nudist beach. While at Palm Beach we realised that we will not be able to get to our
rendezvous on time and that we do not know where our accommodation was. Our host was on top of this and she
sent her driver on a rescue mission.He picked us up from Sea View Rd just before the Vista del Mare.
The last time we visited Waiheke Island was almost forty years ago. We camped on Fiona's school
teacher's small property with an outdoor shower and kitchen. This time our small group had full usage
of the Waiheke Lodge, a 4-star hotel.
Day 02
Following the instructions, we passed Carson's Airfield and entered Whakanewha Regional Park. For most of the morning, we were surrounded by native bush -not a glimpse of the sea to be seen. What a contrast to the previous day,on the coastline walk. Yet, we saw some water. Cascades Waterfall was worth the extra time required to make a small detour. We were hoping to stop for coffee at the Rocky Bay Hall but the place was packed to the rafters so we carried on down the road to a small picnic area around Valley Rd. The second part of the walk was less interesting, mainly because we spent lots of time on ordinary roads. Just before Onetangi Sports Park, we were surprised by the existence of the Waiheke Dirt Track Club. At Onetangi park the group split up. Those with blisters decided to take a shorter route and went directly to the lodge. The rest of us wandered around the park, not admitting that we were not sure where to go. By the time we decided which way to go we were all exhausted and made a call to climb Maunganui, the highest point at 231 meters, on our next visit.
Day 03
The last day started with a long drive to Orapiu Bay, located on the western side of Waiheke Island, across from Pakatoa, Rotoroa, and Ponui Islands. From there the track went along Pohutukawa and Otakawhe Bays to the smaller Pearl Bay that can be only accessed from the sea or private road. We arranged with our host to meet her above Pearl Bay on Orapiu Rd. She guided us through some parts of the track that had been closed to the public, due to maintenance works, to an enjoyable spot with big Pohutukawa trees where we had a lunch break. After lunch, we continued on Orapiu Rd for a few kilometers until we reached Passage Rock Wines and Bistro. It was time to enjoy some of the best wines the Waiheke Island produces and wait for our transport.