Our 5 Favorite Winery Stops on NZ's Waiheke Island

We spent a full three weeks in New Zealand as the first stop on a 3.5-month adventure and to this day we still talk about the second day of that journey, which we spent on the blissful paradise that is Waiheke Island.

Just 40 minutes from Auckland by ferry, Waiheke Island is home to a dedicated group of winegrowers and over 25 vineyards. And it’s not just the wine that makes Waiheke special. The island is also known for its scenic beaches with varying landscapes and crowds — making it easy for all visitors to find the perfect sunning and sipping spot.

We booked our trip with Fullers Ferry. At the time of this post, you can purchase round trip ferry tickets plus an all day bus pass for $52 NZD. The bus pass is the best way to get around the island and will be integral to your day trip experience. Once you arrive at Waiheke, you’re given a timetable and map of all the stops so you can easily plan out which wineries and beaches you want to hop off at.

There are tons of choices and from our experience, you likely can’t go wrong. But since you can’t fit all 25 wineries and 10 beaches into one day, we’ll highlight a few of our favorites here.

FIRST STOP: ONEROA

Admittedly, we only hopped off in Oneroa to look for cheap beach towels — which we were unsuccessful in finding. The overlook from the small tourist-heavy town over the beach and bay was beautiful, and the trail to the beach was located right near the bus stop so we were super tempted to stay longer, but we made the decision to hop back onto the next bus to make sure we could hit several wineries. Priorities, right? If you do have the time (and perhaps brought beach towels unlike us), we’d recommend spending more time here and actually hitting the beach — it looks absolutely gorgeous!

SECOND STOP: STONYRIDGE VINEYARD

80 Onetangi Rd, Waiheke Island, Auckland 1971, NZ | Website

Stonyridge Vineyard is a short walk up the hill from the bus stop on Onetangi Road, and they’ve created the most perfect spot to hang out and enjoy a glass (or many). The beautiful tasting area features guided wine flights underneath the trees, a palm-tree covered patio with outdoor seating, a grassy field dotted with bean bags and picnic blankets, and endless views of vine-covered hillsides. Stonyridge was so perfect we hardly wanted to leave, but after enjoying a flight and a glass we knew we had to move along to see what else the island had to offer.

Walking through the vineyards from Stonyridge to Te Motu.

THIRD STOP: TE MOTU

76 Onetangi Rd, Onetangi, Auckland 1971, NZ | Website

Our fairytale day continued as Te Motu was located a short and beautiful walk through the vineyards from Stonyridge. Te Motu has an award-winning restaurant, but we opted for another wine flight outside on the patio surrounded by the scent of wildflowers. We loved that Te Motu waived the tasting fee if you purchased a bottle of wine, and were happy to purchase a bottle of one of their delicious rosés.

Views along the walk from Te Motu winery to Onetangi Beach.

FOURTH STOP: ONETANGI BEACH

We learned that there was a trail all the way from Te Motu to Onetangi Beach and decided to head there with our bottle of wine. The walk was a bit far, but full of amazing views. Spending a couple hours at Onetangi Beach was another favorite part of our day. The beach was vast and surprisingly empty. I suppose with 10 beautiful beaches to enjoy on Waiheke, no one beach gathers all the crowds which makes for a much more peaceful day. At this time in late February, the temperature was in the high 70’s and the water was a perfect temperature. We swam, sunned, gathered seashells, and grabbed some fish and chips at a restaurant near the bus stop before heading on to our last vineyard.

One of our favorite activities, gathering shells!

FIFTH STOP: MUDBRICK VINEYARD & RESTAURANT

126 Church Bay Rd, Waiheke Island, Oneroa 1971, NZ | Website

Mudbrick is located atop a hill overlooking Huruhi Bay, and the sun was just starting to lower in the sky as we arrived. The gardens and grounds of Mudbrick are breathtaking, making it picture perfect for weddings and events. The restaurant itself also looks very nice if you’re in the mood for a fancy meal. But as you might have guessed, we opted for more wine flights instead! Mudbrick was the perfect place to end our day before catching the bus back to the ferry terminal. Our only tip? Plan to stay on the island longer if you can. Mudbrick overlooked another vineyard called Jurassic Ridg e, also on the hill and complete with a huge lawn filled with giant bean bags for watching the sunset. We felt the need to head back towards our Airbnb before dark, but would have loved to hit that one last spot.

The Auckland skyline at sunset, as seen from the ferry back from Waiheke Island.

After a day full of delicious wines, walks through the vineyards, and lounging on the beach, the cherry on top was the beautiful sunset over the Auckland skyline on the ferry ride back. We couldn’t have asked for a better day to start off our New Zealand adventure.

Visited Waiheke Island? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

Happy travels!