Waiheke Island, a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland is a favourite week-end and holiday destination for New Zealanders and foreigners in the know. The main town is called Oneroa, and this is where you should base yourself if you do not have a car.
Waiheke is a haven of beautiful vineyards, olive groves and beaches, all just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. And if you've already got a car or bike, you can bring it over with you on the car ferry.
Travelling to Waiheke Island by Ferry or Water Taxi:
- Fullers. Offer a passenger ferry service that leaves from the Ferry Terminal in Auckland's CBD and drops passengers off at Matiatia Wharf.
- Sealink.
- Auckland Seaplanes.
- Heletranz.
- Island Taxis.
- Wai Cabs.
- Waiheke Executive Transport.
- Waiheke Bike Hire.
Waiheke Island doesn't have Uber or Hola but it does have its very own homegrown rideshare solution; it's called Ryda.
Transport around Waiheke IslandThe most common ways guests travel around the island is via our public transport, using taxis or in a rental car. Regular bus services provide transport to the key locations on the island, starting from the ferry terminal at Matiatia Wharf.
AT HOP. AT HOP can be used on all Auckland Transport ferry services except Rakino. The AT HOP card provides at least a 25% discount off single trip cash fares, excluding Waiheke Ferry and SkyBus services.
Getting to Mudbrick
- From Downtown Auckland to Matiatia Ferry Terminal Waiheke.
- From Half Moon Bay in Pakuranga.
- Land from the Air…
- Walk from the ferry.
- Driving from Matiatia/Oneroa.
- Driving from the car ferry: The Sealink passenger and car ferry docks at Kennedy Point on Waiheke Island.
There is currently just the 1 ferry route running between New Zealand and Great Barrier Island operated by 2 ferry companies – Sealink NZ & Sealink NZ. The Auckland to Great Barrier (Tryphena) ferry crossing operates weekly with a scheduled sailing duration from about 4 hours 30 minutes.
Where is it? Located in the Hauraki Gulf, Waiheke Island is approximately a 40-minute ferry ride from the Downtown Auckland ferry terminal. You'll cruise past Auckland's stunning coastlines and beautiful islands as you journey towards your destination. You can also catch the ferry from Devonport Wharf.
Providing public transportation around Waiheke Island, Waiheke Bus Company operates a network of routes to connect customers to each ferry arrival and departure. It operates four main routes, running from Matiatia ferry terminal to Oneroa, Blackpool, Surfdale, Palm Beach, Ostend, Rocky Bay and Onetangi.
Getting to Waiheke Island is easy, with a quick 40-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. The journey will take you through the Hauraki Gulf, sailing past all the other islands in the harbour and finally landing on the pristine shores of Waiheke.
There is Broadband internet from Tryphena to Claris, and free Wi-Fi at the Claris Library and store. We can't offer you island wide cell phone coverage (yet), although you can get reception in parts of Tryphena, Medlands, Claris, Okupu, Okiwi and Port Fitzroy.
Community is at the heart of everything on the Barrier, living on a remote island with a small population forces people to support one another in ways not seen in bustling cities.
Getting aroundYou can hire a car, hire a bike or use the shuttle service. Pre-booked transfer shuttles operate to and from Claris Airport and the wharves at Tryphena and Port FitzRoy. If you pre-book, then cars can also be hired from these points of entry. There is no public transport on the island.
International flights fly directly into Cairns Airport, while domestic flights fly onto Hamilton Island or into Proserpine (on the Whitsunday Coast) or Townsville airports on the mainland. The gateway town for many island resorts in the Whitsundays is Airlie Beach, a 25-minute shuttle bus from Proserpine Airport.
Great Barrier Island (Māori: Aotea) lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-east of central Auckland. With an area of 285 square kilometres (110 sq mi) it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain.
Situated on the outer edge of the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand's only National Marine Park, Great Barrier Island is a mere 90 kilometres from Auckland City - but a world away from your typical holiday destination.
There are 3 ways to get from Auckland to Great Barrier Reef by plane, ferry or bus
- Fly from Auckland (AKL) to Cairns (CNS) AKL - CNS.
- Take the ferry from Cairns to Great Barrier Reef Green Island.
