Waiheke Island (; Māori: ) is the second-largest island (after

Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island ( mi, Aotea) lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain. Its highest point, Mount Hobson ...

) in the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Its ferry terminal in Matiatia Bay at the western end is from the central-city terminal in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

. It is the most populated island in the gulf, with permanent residents. Another estimated 3,400 have second homes or holiday homes on the island.Waiheke Demographic Report Card 2011
/ref> It is New Zealand's most densely populated island, and the third most populated after the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and South Islands. It is the most accessible island in the gulf, with regular passenger and car-ferry services, a helicopter operator based on the island, and other air links. In November 2015,

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History Early years Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarke ...

rated Waiheke Island the fifth-best region in the world to visit in 2016.

Geography

Overview

The island is off the coast of the North Island. It is in length from west to east, varies in width from , and has a surface area of . The coastline is , including of beaches. The port of Matiatia at the western end is from Auckland and the eastern end is from

Coromandel Coromandel may refer to: Places India *Coromandel Coast, India **Presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements ** Dutch Coromandel *Coromandel, KGF, Karnataka, India New Zealand *Coromandel, New Zealand, a town on the Coromandel Peninsula *Coro ...

. The much smaller

Tarahiki Island Tarahiki Island, also known as Shag Island, is a island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. Its highest point is ASL and it lies from the mainland and about east of Waiheke Island. It is well known for its breeding colony of up to 700 spo ...

lies to the east. The island is very hilly with few flat areas, the highest point being Maunganui at . The climate is slightly warmer than Auckland, with less humidity and rain, and more sunshine hours. Approximately 17,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, Waiheke Island was landlocked to the North Island, surrounded by a vast coastal plain where the

Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,

Geology

Much of eastern Waiheke island is the remains of a

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

volcano of the Kiwitahi Group, which erupted approximately 15 million years ago. There are locations of interest to geologists: an

argillite :''"Argillite" may also refer to Argillite, Kentucky.'' Argillite () is a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed predominantly of indurated clay particles. Argillaceous rocks are basically lithified muds and oozes. They contain variable amounts ...

outcrop in

Ōmiha Ōmiha is a rural settlement on the southwest coast of Waiheke Island in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. The settlement began when the O'Brien brothers subdivided their farm in 1922, naming it "Omiha Beach Estate". The area is also known as ...

, and a

chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a ...

stack at the end of Pohutukawa Point, considered "one of the best exposures of folded chert in Auckland City".

Beaches

There are many scenic beaches, including: *Oneroa Beach – The main beach, on the northern side of the town of Oneroa. It has free BBQ facilities, public toilets and a swing for children. *Little Oneroa Beach – A small secluded beach at the east end of Oneroa Beach, separated by a protruding cliff wall. It has free BBQ facilities, public toilets and a children's playground. *Palm Beach – Similar in shape to Oneroa Beach (complete with protruding cliff wall at the east end that separates a small private beach in Boatshed Bay), it gets its name from the mature phoenix palms at the east end, where a public toilet and free BBQ facilities are also located. There is a children's playground in the middle section of the beach which also has a free BBQ area, public toilets and an outdoor public shower. *Little Palm Beach – A small clothes-optional beach (by custom) at the west end of Palm Beach. New Zealand has no official nude beaches, as public nudity is legal on any beach where it is "known to occur". *Blackpool Beach – The south-facing counterpart of Oneroa Beach, lining Blackpool and popular for kayaking and windsurfing. *Surfdale Beach – A zoned-in beach on the southern side of Surfdale, separated from Blackpool Beach by a small protruding peninsula, which has a scenic unsealed route called The Esplanade linking the beaches. Popular for

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...

. Also has a free BBQ area and children's playground. *Onetangi Beach – A long, north-facing beach lining Onetangi, a Māori name meaning "weeping sands". For many years it has been the site of the Onetangi Beach Horse Races. Its western end, often inaccessible at high tide, is clothes-optional. It has sandcastle-building contests annually; participants have a few hours to build their creations in soft sand that is free of shells and suitable for digging. Free BBQ and public facilities. *Cactus Bay – Considered by many Waihekeans as the most perfect beach and, with nearby Garden Cove, a romantic place for picnicking. The beach is accessible only by boat or kayak, as its land access was blocked off by a private landowner. *Shelly Beach – A small and well sheltered shell and stone beach located between Oneroa and

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

. It has free BBQ facilities, a public toilet and a diving platform located just off shore. It is a popular choice with families as at high tide, it is often calm and flat – ideal for children (but not sandy).

Climate

Waiheke, like Auckland, experiences a subtropical climate according to the

Trewartha climate classification The Trewartha climate classification (TCC) or the Köppen–Trewartha climate classification (KTC) is a climate classification system first published by American geographer Glenn Thomas Trewartha in 1966. It is a modified version of the Köppen ...

, and an oceanic climate according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

. The region lies 13° of latitude south of the Tropic of Capricorn, so tropical plants which are protected for the winter months will flower and fruit in the summer, and cold climate vegetables planted in autumn will mature in early spring. Summers tend to be warm and humid, while winters are relatively mild with frost being a rare event on Waiheke. Rainfall is typically plentiful, though dry spells may occur during the summer months which can be problematic for many of the island residents, the vast majority of whom rely on

rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or a reservoir ...

from residential roofs for drinking and household use. During such dry periods (typically 3–4 months between December and March), the island's water-delivery trucks can be seen replenishing residential water tanks that have run dry. It is often anecdotally said by locals that Waiheke has a different micro-climate from the

Auckland isthmus The Auckland isthmus, also known as the Tāmaki isthmus, is a narrow stretch of land on the North Island of New Zealand in the Auckland Region, and the location of the central suburbs of the city of Auckland, including the CBD. The isthmus i ...

. Though little data supports this, the following data from a

NIWA The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA ( mi, Taihoro Nukurangi), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental scien ...

report suggests Waiheke receives over 100 hours more sunshine a year than other parts of Auckland.

History

The islands of the Hauraki Gulf have been settled since the archaic period of

Māori history The history of the Māori began with the arrival of Polynesian settlers in New Zealand (''Aotearoa'' in Māori), in a series of ocean migrations in canoes starting from the late 13th or early 14th centuries. Over several centuries of isolation, ...

, and were visited by many of the migratory canoes such as '' Aotea'', ''

Tākitimu ''Tākitimu'' was a ''waka'' (canoe) with ''whakapapa'' throughout the Pacific particularly with Samoa, the Cook Islands, and New Zealand in ancient times. In several Māori traditions, the ''Tākitimu'' was one of the great Māori migration ...

'', and ''

Mātaatua ''Mātaatua'' was one of the great voyaging canoes by which Polynesians migrated to New Zealand, according to Māori tradition. Māori traditions say that the ''Mātaatua'' was initially sent from Hawaiki to bring supplies of kūmara to Māori ...

''. Only the largest islands such as Aotea / Great Barrier Island and Waiheke sustained permanent settlements. The forests on the western side of Waiheke Island were likely heavily damaged in the 14th century eruptions of

Rangitoto Island Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The wide island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone, reaching a height of . Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the approximately 50 volcanoes of the Au ...

. During 18th and early 19th centuries, the eastern side of Waiheke was forested by ancient

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

trees, while kānuka and mānuka bushes dominated the vegetation of the western side, suggesting relatively recent regeneration. The original Māori name for Waiheke was apparently , 'the long sheltering island',Waiheke Museum
/ref> but at the time the first European visitors arrived it was known as , 'island of trickling waters' — rendered as ''Motu Wy Hake'' by James Downie, master of the store ship HMS ''Coromandel'', in his 1820 chart of the Tamaki Strait and the Coromandel coast. Waiheke Island has historically been settled by various tribes, especially the

Marutūāhu __NOTOC__ Marutūāhu, Marutūahu or Marutuahu is a collective of the Māori '' iwi'' (tribe) of the Hauraki region of New Zealand. The confederation is made up of the tribes of Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Whanaunga and N ...

collective tribes of Ngāti Maru and Ngāti Pāoa. Waiheke Island was the site of many battles between Ngāti Pāoa and

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 16 ...

from the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for it ...

, up until the late 18th century. In the 1790s, sealing and whaling ships underwent repairs primarily on Waiheke Island. The island was briefly depopulated during the

Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori between 1807 and 1837, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an intertribal arms rac ...

, when Ngāti Pāoa and other

Tāmaki Māori Tāmaki Māori are Māori '' iwi'' and ''hapū'' (tribes and sub-tribes) who have a strong connection to Tāmaki Makaurau (the Auckland Region), and whose rohe was traditionally within the region. Among Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the M ...

sought refuge in areas such as the

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

. When Ngāti Pāoa returned to Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), they primarily settled on Waiheke. After the wars, the Ngāti Pāoa community of Waiheke were mostly based at Pūtiki Bay. In 1836, Thomas Maxwell established a shipyard at Man o'War Bay in eastern Waiheke, using local timber to build and repair ships. Ngāti Pāoa quickly engaged with the emerging industries, helping to supply timber and food for European ships. Ngāti Pāoa established wheat and vegetable plantations on the eastern bays of the island. The shipbuilding industry remained on the island until the 1860s, after which the eastern farming plantations quickly became disused. Ngāti Pāoa at Te Huruhi continued to supply produce to Auckland until the early 20th century. Much of the firewood and building timber supplied to the growing city of

was supplied by Waiheke Island forests, while shingle and sand from Owhanake and Hooks Bay was used for concrete manufacturing, up until the 1920s. The island was also home to

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

mines between 1872 and 1900 (briefly first established in the 1840s). Large private land purchases occurred on Waiheke between 1836 and 1840s, followed by large crown land purchases in the 1850s. By the 1850s, the only Ngāti Pāoa land that remained on the island was a 2,100 acre section at Te Huruhi (near the modern suburb of Blackpool). Through a process of individualisation of land titled, the

Māori Land Court The Māori Land Court (Māori: Te Kōti Whenua Māori) is the specialist court of record in New Zealand that hears matters relating to Māori land. Māori Land Court history The Māori Land Court was established in 1865 as the Native Land Cou ...

split the Te Huruhi block between 65 individuals, and by 1914 most of the block had been sold to private interests. By the end of the 19th century, the island was increasingly deforested, and land was increasingly used for cattle pastures. When shipping companies began offering occasional trips to the island in the 1880s, Waiheke emerged as a seaside resort. Day trips to Waiheke and Motutapu by steamers became a common recreational excursion, and boarding houses began to flourish at the south-eastern bays of the island. In 1915, Aucklanders were offered the chance to buy affordable land at

, the first subdivision of Waiheke. The naming of these new subdivisions reveal the central role of beach life to the identity of the island. The winner of a competition naming the Surfdale subdivision was awarded a parcel of land near the beach. A section of land could be bought for a small deposit on top of a cost of 8 pence a day and was promoted as a sound investment, however, a level of self sufficiency was required for life on the island as electricity only arrived in 1954. These land offers were not open to Māori. Ostend and Surfdale were joined by additional subdivisions at Palm Beach, Rocky Bay and Oneroa in the 1920s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, three gun emplacements were built at Stony Batter on the eastern edge to protect Allied shipping in

Waitematā Harbour Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and easter ...

, in the fear that Japanese ships might reach New Zealand. This mirrored developments at North Head and

. The guns were never fired in anger. The empty emplacements can be visited seven days a week. The extensive tunnels below them have also opened as a tourist attraction. In 1999 Waiheke's community board voted Waiheke as a " genetic engineering free zone", but this is a matter of principle rather than fact, as only national government controls exist over genetically engineered foods and grains.

Demographics

Population

Waiheke has a resident population of people () with most living close to the western end,Stony Batter Historic Reserve, Waiheke Island
Department of Conservation. or near the isthmus between Huruhi Bay and Oneroa Bay, which at its narrowest is only wide. The settlements of Oneroa and Blackpool are the furthest west, followed by Palm Beach, Surfdale, and

. Further east lies Onetangi, on the northern coast of the wide

Onetangi Bay Onetangi is a settlement on the north coast of Waiheke Island in New Zealand. It has a long white-sand beach fronting onto Onetangi Bay. The name means "Weeping Sands" in the Māori language, and comes from a battle in 1821 during the Musket ...

. To the south of this on the opposing coast is Whakanewha Regional Park, Whakanewha, and

(also called 'Rocky Bay'). Much of the eastern half of the island is privately owned farmland and vineyards. Waiheke is a popular holiday spot, and during the main summer season, especially around Christmas and Easter, its population increases substantially due to the number of holiday homes being rented out, corporate functions and dance parties at vineyards and restaurants, the Wine Festival and the Jazz Festival and weekend trippers from around the country and the world. The population increases significantly, almost all homes and

bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

es are full and a festive atmosphere exists.

Social composition

Waiheke had a population of 9,063 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 723 people (8.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,266 people (16.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,648 households, comprising 4,461 males and 4,599 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 46.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 1,434 people (15.8%) aged under 15 years, 1,281 (14.1%) aged 15 to 29, 4,455 (49.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,896 (20.9%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 88.9% European/

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non- Māori New Z ...

, 11.4% Māori, 3.8% Pacific peoples, 4.0% Asian, and 4.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 32.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 62.0% had no religion, 23.9% were Christian, 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, 0.1% were Muslim, 1.1% were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and 3.5% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 2,337 (30.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 921 (12.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,300, compared with $31,800 nationally. 1,533 people (20.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,618 (47.4%) people were employed full-time, 1,350 (17.7%) were part-time, and 165 (2.2%) were unemployed.

Māori–Pākehā relations

Relations between Māori and

are considered supportive by New Zealand standards. The local

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

is on ancestral Māori land that had been promised to be set aside as Maori Reserve land and returned to Ngāti Pāoa , but remained owned by Waiheke County Council. The island's residents, Pākehā and Māori, got together, arranged for a long-term lease of council-owned land and built the marae. One of the earliest Māori land claims was driven by Waiheke citizens who at the time did not know who the

tangata whenua In New Zealand, tangata whenua () is a Māori term that literally means "people of the land". It can refer to either a specific group of people with historical claims to a district, or more broadly the Māori people as a whole. Etymology Accordi ...

Māori were for the island.

Governance

Waiheke is part of the territorial authority of Auckland Council. The first local government on the island were the Ostend Road Board and Orapiu Road Board, which both formed in 1921 and were combined in 1947. In 1970, the Waiheke County Council was formed, which administered the local government on Waiheke and the surrounding Hauraki Gulf islands. Since 1989, when the county council merged with the Auckland City Council, there has been an elected community board with limited, mainly representational powers, in line with other neighbourhoods in Auckland. One member on the City Council represented all the inhabited Hauraki Gulf islands (i.e. Waiheke, Great Barrier and Rakino) plus the downtown area in the central business district.

Amalgamation with Auckland City, later Auckland Council

In 1989 Waiheke County Council was amalgamated with Auckland City Council as part of Local Government restructuring of that year. In 1990 the Waiheke Community Board formally requested the right to de-amalgamate from the city. A 'De-amalgamation Committee' was established by Council to facilitate the Board's wish. However, this proved not to be to the liking of most of Auckland's citizens. In 1991, the city responded to a campaign run by a pro-union group, the Waiheke Island Residents & Ratepayers Association (Inc) by holding a democratic referendum. The de-amalgamation proposal sponsored by the Community Board was defeated. In 2008, the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance received 3,080 submissions (from a population of 1.2 million), 737 of which were made by Waihekeans (population 8,500), almost 1/4 of all submissions. This exemplified the level of citizen involvement found on Waiheke. A public meeting of 150 residents on 29 March 2008 found a majority in favour of breaking away from Auckland City. The Royal Commission recommended that Waiheke Island retain its community board with enhanced powers. When Auckland Council was created in 2010 by amalgamating seven councils and territorial authorities and Auckland Regional Council, Waiheke was given its own local board. The Waiheke Local Board was elected in the October 2010 Auckland local elections as part of the Auckland Council. The 2010 local elections resulted in Waiheke resident

Mike Lee Michael Shumway Lee (born June 4, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Utah, a seat he has held since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. Lee began his career as a clerk for the U ...

becoming the Councillor for the Waitemata and Gulf ward. Denise Roche, Faye Storer, Jo Holmes, Don McKenzie and Jim Hannan were elected to the new Local Board. After Roche's resignation after becoming a Member of Parliament for the

Green Party of New Zealand The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand ( mi, Rōpū Kākāriki o Aotearoa, Niu Tireni), commonly known as the Greens, is a green and left-wing political party in New Zealand. Like many green parties around the world, it has four organisationa ...

in 2011, Paul Walden was elected in a by-election. In 2013 Lee was re-elected. Paul Walden was re-elected to the Local Board, joined by Beatle Treadwell, Becs Ballard, John Meeuwsen and Shirin Brown. In 2016, Lee was re-elected. Paul Walden, Shirin Brown and John Meeuwsen were re-elected to the Local Board. Newly elected were Cath Handley and Bob Upchurch. In 2015–16, the subject of amalgamation remained a hot topic on the island with an application filed with the Local Government Commission from a group called Our Waiheke for a unitary authority.

Lifestyle

Waiheke's lifestyle is largely influenced by the fact that it is surrounded by water – there are a number of beaches mentioned above, that are popular for a wide range of activities such as kite surfing, kayaking, stand-up-paddle boarding, boating, swimming and other typical beach pursuits.

Arts and culture

Waiheke has a community-run cinema, a theatre that hosts a number of regular musicians, performances and local productions, and a library that was rebuilt in 2014 at the cost of $6 million. There are a large number of art galleries run by private individuals across the island, along with a community art gallery. Waiheke has become internationally known for the biennial exhibition Sculpture on the Gulf, an "outdoor sculpture exhibition set on a spectacular coastal walkway on Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf". It takes place towards the end of January until approximately mid-March every second year. It was listed by the ''New York Times'' as number 35 in its list of 46 must-see places and events of 2013. The sculpture walk attracts thousands of visitors to Waiheke; in 2013, there were more than 30,000 attendees.

Sports

Waiheke has a number of sports teams and facilities on the island.

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

, football and

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

are widely played and followed. There are three main sports facilities on the island: * Onetangi Sports Park: surrounded by the Whakanewha Regional Park several vineyards and the Waiheke golf course lies the idyllic setting for the Onetangi Sports Park. It is home to multiple sports groups such as the Waiheke Tennis club,

Waiheke United AFC Waiheke United AFC is a football club based at Onetangi Sports Park on Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand. The Senior Men's Team currently play in the NRFL Division 1, having won promotion to it in 2017. History Waiheke United is a New Zeal ...

, Waiheke Rugby, Waiheke Cricket, Waiheke Mountain Bike Club and an 18-hole Frisbee (Disc) Golf course. * Ostend Sports Park: located in the centre of the urban area, it is home to the Waiheke Rams rugby club and the Waiheke Dolphins netball teams * The Waiheke Recreation Centre: a large indoor multi-sports facility that is used by the High School during term time (days) and at nights and weekends offers a wide range of activities such as badminton, basketball, gymnastics, martial arts and other activities.

Education

Waiheke Island has two primary schools and one secondary school. It is the only island in New Zealand, other than the North and South Islands, with a secondary school. In 2016, the New Zealand Government Education Minister announced a $40 million school rebuild project for Waiheke. This was made up of two project announcements: $23 million to Te Huruhi School rebuild project to provide three new blocks with 22 new teaching spaces, a new administration area and library and targeted repairs to the existing school hall; and $17m was awarded to the Waiheke High School redevelopment project to build 10 new teaching spaces and improvement to existing facilities. Both rebuild project were started in 2019 with an expected completion date of late 2019 / early 2020. *Te Huruhi Primary School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school in Surfdale, and has students. It opened in 1986 following the split of Waiheke Area School. * Waiheke Primary School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in Ostend, and has students. It opened in 2005. *Waiheke High School is a state Year 7–13 secondary school in Surfdale, and has students. It opened in 1986 following the split of Waiheke Area School.

Transport

Ferry

The ferry Baroona, built in Australia in 1904, was the main way to get to the island from the mainland for much of the twentieth century and was known for being a slow and noisy ferry. In 1987, the first of a fleet of new catamaran ferries began to provide more efficient access to and from the island. The 40 minute journey each way made a daily commute more viable. Scheduled ferry services regularly sail to and from Waiheke. Fullers operate passenger services from Downtown Auckland to Waiheke's Matiatia wharf, with trips taking approximately 40 minutes. Meanwhile,

SeaLink Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland. Ports served by the company included: Dover, Folkesto ...

provides passenger, car and freight services between Half Moon Bay in East Auckland and Waiheke's Kennedy Point, with trips taking around 50 minutes to an hour. SeaLink also offer a passenger and car "City Service" connecting Kennedy Point with Auckland's

Wynyard Quarter The Wynyard Quarter (historically also known as the Western Reclamation, Wynyard Point, Wynyard Wharf or Tank Farm) is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitematā Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand. It is lo ...

. There have been several attempts to provide alternative passenger ferry services from Matiatia. Most recently, New Zealand tour cruise company Explore Group provided a Matiatia to Downtown service from late 2014 until April 2016. The competition was welcomed by Waiheke residents, but ultimately proved unsustainable for the company. In recent years, there has been significant controversy with many of Waiheke's resident population who rely on the ferries "like buses" – and especially those who commute daily to work in Auckland – complaining of poor parking arrangements at Matiatia, unfair price increases and generally poor ferry services. This led to the launch of a Ferry User's Group (or FUG) and a "Fuller's Watch" group, with the objective of giving a voice to the island's ferry passengers whilst lobbying local politicians and working with the ferry companies to improve the overall experience.

Buses

Waiheke has a reliable an
fully timetabled public bus service (pdf)
which is operated by Waiheke Bus Company (owned by Fullers), and overseen by

Auckland Transport Auckland Transport (AT) is the council-controlled organisation (CCO) of Auckland Council responsible for transport projects and services. It was established by section 38 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009, and operates under ...

. There are five routes operating in a new network from October 2019. Most routes operate to and from the ferry terminal at Matiatia and span outwards across the island towards Palm Beach, Ostend, Rocky Bay and out to Onetangi Beach. There are no public bus routes towards the Eastern end of the island. * 50A – Onetangi Beach West, Ostend, Surfdale, Oneroa, Matiatia Ferry Terminal * 50B – Onetangi Beach East, Ostend, Surfdale (Jellicoe Parade, Wellington Road), Oneroa, Matiatia Ferry Terminal * 501 - Kennedy Point Wharf to Matiatia Ferry Terminal * 502 – Ōmiha (Rocky Bay), Ostend, Palm Beach, Blackpool, Oneroa, Matiatia Ferry Terminal * 503 – Matiatia Ferry Terminal to Oneroa (one-way summer service) As the island is within one fare zone, fares are flat, regardless of journey length. In July 2019, it was announced that Waiheke will get a fleet of electric buses on the island. This will start with six new electric buses in mid-2020, with an additional five to arrive later.

Air service

There is one airport on the island,

Waiheke Island Aerodrome Waiheke Island Aerodrome is a private airport on Waiheke Island, 17 nautical miles northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. General Waiheke Island Aerodrome is situated on the top of a ridge line south of Onetangi Bay and is the only airport on W ...

, served via fixed-wing aircraft by Flight Hauraki and via helicopter by a number of operators. Waiheke is also accessible via a regular seaplane service.

Infrastructure

The island has less infrastructure than mainland Auckland. Roads: The roads are mainly narrow and in many places unsealed and unlit, especially on the eastern half of the island. Except for the Onetangi Straight (60 km/h) and the rural eastern end, the island speed limit is 50 km/h, and many of the roads see traffic travelling at well under the limit due to their size. At the car ferry terminal at Kennedy Point, the highway department has posted a sign saying "Slow Down, You're here", which delivers the message to visitors about island life. Transport: Primary transportation on the island is by privately owned used car or car-rental for visitors. The Waiheke Bus Company (owned by Fullers) services most inhabited parts of the island, linking to the ferry sailings from Matiatia. Numerous other taxi, shuttle, bus and boutique services cater to visitors. Due to the hills, bicycles on the island tended to be limited to the young and fit, including an active mountain bike group, until the advent of ebikes. With an ebike rental company in Oneroa that also sells ebikes, they are becoming a common feature on both local roads, and on the ferry boats to the mainland. Walking continues to be a popular means of island transport, both for access and recreation with many walking trails that are not along roads. Horse riding tends to be for recreation rather than transport, but the island does support both a pony club and adult riding club. Power: Waiheke is connected to the North Island's electricity network via twin 33 kV undersea cables from Maraetai on the mainland, terminating on the island at a 33/11 kV substation in Ostend. The island's electricity network is operated by Auckland-based lines company

Vector Vector most often refers to: *Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction *Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematic ...

. Water and waste water: Each house must maintain its own water supply, most collecting rainwater in cisterns. Water delivery is available and tends to be very active during dry summers. Except for the Oneroa sewage district which discharges into the Owhanake Treatment plant, each residence and relevant commercial establishments must install a septic tank and septic field to handle sewage. This is a requirement in every building consent. Internet The fibre optic cable that runs from a bay on the southern side of the island connects it to the internet. Internet services were provided using VDSL and ADSL until central government introduced a national fibre optic rollout that included urban parts of Waiheke. Central government also forced the separation of the cable infrastructure from the ISPs, with the fibre backbone being maintained by Chorus which has contracts with numerous ISPs. The locally owned WISP continues to provided wireless internet and some islanders use both services to ensure system redundancy. Solid Waste: The community established a charitable trust which successfully tendered for Auckland City's contract for solid waste disposal. The recycling centre was implemented with such success that it soon had to be expanded to handle the volume. However, when the contract term expired in 2009, the Council voted to disqualify incumbent tenderer Clean Stream Waiheke Ltd and granted Transpacific Industries Group Ltd a $22 million contract. The decision was political. Emergency Services: The Waiheke Volunteer Fire Brigade, part of the

New Zealand Fire Service The New Zealand Fire Service ( mi, Whakaratonga Iwi, "Service to the People"; also known as the NZFS) was New Zealand's main firefighting body from 1 April 1976 until 1 July 2017 – at which point it was dissolved and incorporated into the new ...

, serves the island. The brigade has two stations, at Oneroa and at Onetangi. Media: The island has a lively press, with the long-established, independently owned weekly ''Waiheke Gulf News'' and until recently the

Fairfax Media Fairfax Media was a media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The Sydney Morning Herald' ...

owned ''Waiheke Marketplace'' which closed down in 2018. A community radio station, Waiheke Radio, is broadcasting on 88.3 FM and 107.4 FM after Beach FM lost its licence in a commercial bid in 2008.

Matiatia redevelopment

The gateway to Waiheke, where the main pedestrian ferry lands over one million passengers per year, is a valley and harbour called Matiatia. In 2000 it was purchased by three investors in Waitemata Infrastructure Ltd (WIL). In 2002 WIL proposed to change the Operative District Plan rules for their land to build a major shopping and hotel complex with of gross floor area on buildable land of approximately 3 hectares. This united the residents of the island in opposition. Over 1,500 adult residents of the island (out of perhaps 3,000) joined in an incorporated society, the Community and People of Waiheke Island (CAPOW), to oppose the private plan change in court. Church Bay resident and former newsreader

John Hawkesby John Langley Hawkesby (born 1947) is a former news presenter for ONE News and THREE News in New Zealand. Hawkesby attended Auckland Grammar School in 1964. His started his broadcasting career in 1972 when he researched and presented Radio Ne ...

became "the voice of the campaign" that included a showdown with then mayor, John Banks, when Hawkesby made a deputation to the city council hours after the press revealed that Banks was in business with two (of three) directors of WIL. In 2004, they won an interlocutory judgement in which the environment court ruled that

Auckland City Council Auckland City Council was the local government authority for Auckland City, New Zealand, from 1871 to 1 November 2010, when it and Auckland's six other city and district councils were amalgamated to form the Auckland Council. It was an elected b ...

had erred in the rules, and the current rules limited controlled development to in what was called the Visitor Facility Precinct. In 2005, CAPOW won an interim judgement by the court which reduced the proposed redevelopment to about a third of what the investors had originally sought. This set the stage for confidential negotiations between Auckland's mayor

Dick Hubbard Richard John Hubbard (born 18 November 1946) is a New Zealand businessman and politician, founder and former principal of Hubbard Foods in Auckland, and mayor of Auckland City from 2004 to 2007. He was elected mayor of Auckland City on 9 Octob ...

and the investors, who on 31 August 2005 (now known as 'Matiatia Day' on the island) sold the stock in WIL to the city for $12.5 million. The unanimous vote on 30 June 2005 of the City Council to approve the purchase was said to have come about because of the unity of the people of Waiheke Island. The court case finally was concluded with permitted development set at 10,000 m2 of mixed use gross floor development. The Court also found Auckland City Council and WIL liable for costs in relationship to the interlocutory judgement. Since WIL was now owned by Council, it had to write a cheque to CAPOW for $18,000, representing 75% of CAPOW's costs on that matter. This final cheque allowed CAPOW to pay all its debts and balance its books. The Council organised a design competition in 2006 to find a suitable development plan and project for the Matiatia gateway. The competition winner's design (scheme 201) was available for comment on the Council website. It attracted much criticism for the lack of car parking close to the ferry terminal, the transport hub function used by all islanders regularly and almost daily by around 850 commuters to Auckland. In 2013, Matiatia again became a hotspot for controversy as a group of residents proposes a private marina at the terminal. Some of the veterans of the protests a decade prior (led by local resident, retired newsreader

), re-emerged to oppose. The Environment Court decided in favour of the residents.

Wine

Waiheke has become known as New Zealand's "island of wine," home to a dedicated group of winegrowers who have successfully matched the

maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

and ancient soil structures to the selection of classical grape varieties to produce red and white wines with distinctive varietal character. The climate is well-suited to growing

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

-type grapes, though some Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc varieties are also considered to be good. Waiheke winegrowers regularly win awards for Syrah (Kennedy Point's 2007 Syrah won best Syrah in the world in 2009), proving the island's ''

terroir (, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contex ...

'' suits the variety well. Wines produced on Waiheke are relatively expensive because of the limited size of many of the island's

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...

s. Among the vineyards and wineries on Waiheke Island are: *Awaroa Vineyard – The organic Awaroa vineyards lie on west-facing slopes among native bush in the middle of Waiheke Island. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are the main varieties planted. *Batch Winery – Waiheke's newest hi tech winery production is located at the highest vineyard with views from Coromandel to the Sky Tower. Batch wine portfolio includes Flora, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Batch Fizz sparkling wine, made and bottled on site, range includes Fizz Rose, Fizz Chardonnay and Fizz Riesling. *Cable Bay Vineyards – Cable Bay Vineyards makes wines from grapes grown on Waiheke Island and in Marlborough. Varieties grown include

Gewürztraminer Gewürztraminer () is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white wines, and performs best in cooler climates. In English, it is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz (; although this is never the case in German, because "Gewürz" me ...

, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Five Hills Merlot/

Malbec Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are n ...

/ Cabernet and Rosé. *Destiny Bay Vineyards – Destiny Bay is Waiheke Island's only Cabernet blend specialist and first fully certified sustainable winery. The 2007 Magna Praemia is New Zealand's highest rated wine by an international critic, and received 98/100 points by Anthony Dias Blue. Magna Praemia is New Zealand's most expensive wine. *Edbrooke Vineyard – Jeremy Edbrooke has over planted in Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

grapes which are supplied to Waiheke Island's Passage Rock Wines. *Eventide Vineyard – Eventide is a boutique vineyard producing an annual Syrah. The vineyard was planted in 2012 and sits atop one of the highest points on Waiheke. It is located next to EcoZip – a commercial flying fox. Visitors to ecozip can "fly" over the Eventide vines and down through 15 acres of spectacular native (Podocarp) rainforest that is jointly managed by the two enterprises *Fenton Estate – First planted in 1989, Fenton Twin Bays Vineyard is a north-facing property that spans two small bays separated by a peninsula. *Goldwater Estate – Begun by pioneering Waiheke winemakers Kim and Jeanette Goldwater, Goldwater Estate was among the first wine making operations on Waiheke. Its awards include being named winery of the year by Wines and Spirits Magazine in 2001. *Jurassic Ridge – Jurassic Ridge is a small, family-owned vineyard and winery, named for the surrounding geology. It produces hand-crafted Syrah,

Montepulciano Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...

and Cabernet Franc.

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

greywacke Greywacke or graywacke (German ''grauwacke'', signifying a grey, earthy rock) is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lit ...

is a major feature of the

. *Kennedy Point Vineyard – Kennedy Point Vineyard is the only certified organic vineyard on Waiheke and can be found on the southwestern side and was established in 1996. It specializes in growing and producing

and Syrah wines. *Man O' War – Situated at Man O' War Bay, at the northern end of Waiheke Island, these vineyards are planted on numerous small sites on the Man o'War farm. *Miro Vineyard – Miro Vineyard produces two wines, both red

blends. The vineyard overlooks the ocean at Onetangi Beach. *Mudbrick Vineyard – Mudbrick is one of the island's best-known wineries, and has a Provence-style restaurant made of mudbrick. The vineyard produces Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah grapes. *Obsidian Vineyard – Obsidian Vineyard in Onetangi. It is a 17-hectare property established in 1993. Obsidian, its flagship wine, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and

. Its label is "Weeping Sands" (the translation of "Onetangi"). In 2007 Obsidian won a trophy and gold medal at the Romeo Bragato National Wine Competition for its first release of the

variety. *Passage Rock Wines – Passage Rock Vineyard is at the eastern end of Waiheke Island at the head of Te Matuku Bay. Its first vines were planted in 1994. *Peacock Sky – Peacock Sky Vineyard is located in the centre of Waiheke Island with views across the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and

, also now include Chardonnay and Syrah. *Postage Stamp Wines *Poderi Crisci Estate *Stony Batter Estate – Stony Batter Estate, the island's largest vineyard, is at the north-eastern corner of the island *Stonyridge Vineyard – Stonyridge was founded in 1981 in the Onetangi Valley. Specializing in

-style reds, the vineyard's most famous wine is its Stonyridge Larose. *Tantalus Estate *Te Motu Vineyard – Te Motu Vineyard was established in the Onetangi Valley in 1989. The first vintage was produced in 1993. *Te Whau Vineyard *The Hay Paddock – This , stone-walled vineyard on Seaview Road is planted in Syrah vines sourced from the Hermitage AOC region of the Rhone Valley. Cellar-aged collector wines are released under the ''Harvest Man'' and ''Hay Paddock'' labels. *Topknot Hill Vineyard *View East Vineyard – A boutique vineyard on the south eastern corner of Waiheke Island specializing in Syrah. *Woodside Hill – A boutique vineyard specializing in Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Notes

References

External links

Whakanewha Regional Park
(nature reserve)

held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections. {{Waiheke Local Board Area Wine regions of New Zealand Islands of the Auckland Region