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After I got our ticket to New Zealand, I started researching must see places. Waiheke Island, New Zealand was one of them, and just a short ferry ride away from Auckland. It was also recommended to me by someone who had visited with kids, so I figured I had to include it in our itinerary. There’s plenty to do on Waiheke Island, New Zealand with kids, as well as for people traveling without kids.
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Waiheke Island, New Zealand With Kids
On our trip to New Zealand, we visited 4 different cities in New Zealand, Auckland, Waiheke Island, Rotorua and Coromandel.
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When Did We Travel To Waiheke Island
We went to Waiheke Island the first week of February 2018. Aiden spent his birthday on Waiheke Island.
Waiheke Island, New Zealand Weather
We visited Waiheke Island, New Zealand with kids in February and the weather was warm, in the 70’s. Which was absolutely perfect
How To Get To Waiheke Island, New Zealand With Kids
We took Fullers which is a ferry, from Auckland City to Waiheke Island. It was a beautiful 45-minute ride on the ferry. We made sure to grab a seat at the top for the views. We all loved it. The ferry is equipped with a snack bar and bathrooms.
The ferry leaves every 30 minutes from Auckland city. You can purchase tickets online or at the counter. The price is the same for both. The ferry is located downtown, so if you are driving give yourself enough time to find parking. We parked at Downtown Car Park.
How To Get Around Waiheke Island
There are plenty of transportation options on Waiheke Island. You can take a taxi, the bus (Explorer Hop On/ Hop Off Bus or the Waiheke Bus Service), rent a scooter, rent a car from Waiheke Rental Cars or take your own car on the Sealink Car Ferry to the island. If you’re staying a few days then take your car, if you’re staying only one day then rent a car. The car ferry runs at different times so you’d have to stay the night if you want to take your own car.
Day 1
We rented a car and 2 car seats when we got to the island (car rentals cost between $89 and $129 in NZ currency). We figured it’d be the best way to get around especially as we had a bunch of stuff with us. We were heading to the beach so we packed a small suitcase with everything we needed.
Day 2
We made the biggest mistake ever, we took a taxi instead of renting a car. We spend 3 times the amount of the rental car. This was a terrible mistake. Taxis on the island are NOT cheap. Lol
Do you see the price tag on this taxi cab ride, $73 freaking dollars? Omg, I freaked out when I saw it. That was for one ride only. Add $10 more and we could have gotten a rental for the whole day, lol. ughh
Where Did We Stay
We initially planned on staying the night in Waiheke Island but then opted against it. We took the ferry back and spent the night in Auckland instead. (Click HERE to see where we stayed in Auckland)
Things To Do On Waiheke Island, New Zealand With Kids
Day 1
Drive Around and Admire the Scenery: Waiheke Island is so beautiful and has such amazing scenery that driving around to soak it all in is a must
Aiden has been a beach baby since he was wittle so I knew he would have a so much fun spending his day at the beach. One of the awesome things about this beach is the play structure. The kids enjoyed playing there and then running to beach. They went back and forth all day. They also played soccer with new friends they met and fed the birds.
I also love that there is a pizza stand and convenient store just a few steps away. This beach is super convenient, you can stay there all day and not need to drive away for food or drinks or to buy things you need.
Snorkeling: The boys were excited about their new 360 Snorkeling masks, but it was basically a fail. Lol. They each had something to complain about. We definitely need to practice more in the pool before trying this again.
Day 2
Wild on Waiheke: Wild on Waiheke is a kid friendly winery on Waiheke Island. You can eat, drink and play. I loved it here and so did the kids. They have a play structure, trampoline and huge board games to keep everyone busy.
Man O’ War Vineyards: This vineyard is much further out than the other places on the island, however they have free wine tasting and the best wine (enough for you to go there, lol), a walk away from the beach, and the drive there has some amazing views.
Where To Eat On Waiheke Island, New Zealand With Kids
Wild On Waiheke: This was a great place for lunch as they have kids play area to keep them busy while you taste wines 😉
Dragonfired: They have one of theeee yummiest pizzas ever !! Wood fire grilled right by the beach. It was perfect.
Tips For Visiting Waiheke Island, New Zealand With Kids
- There’s plenty to do on Waiheke Island, so I recommend two full days and one night there or more.
- We were initially going to rent an Airbnb for the night but opted against it. That would have been ideal.
- Sit on the top deck of the Fuller’s ferry for amazing views.
- If it’s too windy, sit inside the ferry and make new friends. The boys had so much fun playing with these kids on our ride back to Auckland. They met them on the ferry!
- You can visit the Fullers site to map out your day on Waiheke depending on what you want to see
- Rent a car or take your car, taxis are very expensive and you’ll want to drive around and stop where and when you want to.
- Go to Stay Waiheke for lots more things to do on the island
Read my other posts on New Zealand below:
- Auckland New Zealand With Kids
- Waiheke Island, New Zealand With Kids
- Things To Do In Rotorua New Zealand With Kids
- Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand With Kids
- Things To Know Prior To Visiting The Hot Water Beach In New Zealand
- New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary
How To Book Affordable Accommodation When You Travel
When booking accommodation, TripAdvisor is the way to go because you can read reviews and see photos from other travelers to get a feel of where you will be staying. Other great sites to book hotels are HotelsCombined, Booking.com and Hotels.com. Don’t forget to check HomeAway and VRBO for house and villa rentals too. Perfect for when you travel with a large family, and also to save money when hotels are expensive. Another favorite of mine is BookVIP – they offer huge resort savings.
How To Book Activities When You Travel
My favorite website to search for activities, tours and especially skip the line tickets is Viator and Get Your Guide. This makes trip planning so much easier because you don’t have to search several sites as both websites have several options to choose from. Same also goes with TripAdvisor Attractions – you can search and book activities as well as read reviews.
How To Book Rental Cars When You Travel
Instead of checking every single website, I use RentalCars.com, Car Rental 8 and Skyscanner Car Rentals to find car rentals all over the world with just one click. If you plan to park at the airport, visit Airport Parking and make a reservation.
Why Travel Insurance Is a Must When You Travel
People book trips and forget the most important part, purchasing travel insurance. Because we travel often, I purchase our travel insurance through Allianz for a year at a time which means that we are covered for all trips within that year. Travel insurance will protect you and your family against theft, injury illness, flight cancellations and so much more. It is a MUST!
Looking to save even more money when you travel?
Visit my Travel Resources page to see all the reliable and trustworthy brands that I use to book my travel with. I only recommend brands that I’ve used and can vouch for, so you’re in good hands! ? Also check out these posts below:
- Tips On How To Make Travel Affordable For Families
- Best Websites To Find Cheap Flights & Error Fares
- How To Save Money On Flights
Top Travel With Kids Tips
Traveling with kids and have a few questions you need answers too, these posts below will help your trip run smooth.
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beautiful views on the way to Man O’ War Vineyard
posing with the flag
Wow your pics are beautiful. I can’t wait to get my kids on a plane and traveling abroad.
We’ve never been to New Zealand but plan to visit one day. I’ve heard nothing but good things. It looks like your family had an amazing time.
What a awesome trip..looks like the kids had a ball.Def want to go there one day for fun and some of that incredible SB wine that comes from NZ
We loved New Zealand and hope to go back with our kids next time. Thank you for the tips, great starting point.
Awesome, awesome family memories being made here. Sounds like a great trip. Omg, that cab fare would have made me ill.
This is amazing! I love all the photos. I’ll have to add this to my list!
Great pictures, I love that you guys see the world together. Both of my kids are in school travel is always geared around their school schedule.
My parents traveled with us often when we were small. I am so grateful, because it helped me to broaden my view of culture, language and races.
Your kids are so cute! And ugh I’ve made that mistake before, relying on taxis rather than renting a car. Also cost me a lot of extra money! >.< Can't wait to visit New Zealand one day!
Wow what an experience! I didn’t go out of the country until I was 29 years old. This is amazing, I am sure they will cherish these memories forever.
What a wonderful adventure you had! Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures with us.